Multivitamin / Multivitamin-Mineral (MVM) for Micronutrient Deficiency
The evidence engine rates multivitamin/multimineral (MVM) for micronutrient deficiency as Unverified (insufficient evidence), because the data that exist point in a favorable direction but are too indirect to confirm a clinical benefit. MVM appears to narrow dietary nutrient gaps in people who have them, but it is not established that routine use prevents deficiency-related disease, especially in already well-nourished adults.
Why this grade7-layer evidence engine
The grade is Unverified rather than a clear pass because the strongest available studies measure intake adequacy or apply to special populations, not hard clinical outcomes in the general public. Large cross-sectional NHANES analyses (Fulgoni 2011, PMID 21865568; Blumberg 2017, PMID 28792457) show that supplements including MVM substantially lower the share of US adults falling below recommended intakes for nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B6, and folate. These are associations with a surrogate endpoint (meeting the EAR), not randomized proof that taking an MVM prevents disease.
Clinical-outcome evidence is largely confined to pregnancy in lower-resource settings. A Cochrane review (Keats 2019, PMID 30873598) found that multiple-micronutrient supplements reduced low-birth-weight and small-for-gestational-age births versus iron plus folic acid alone, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. This supports MVM where dietary gaps are common but does not transfer cleanly to well-fed adults seeking general 'topping up.'
Regulators and health bodies echo this targeted picture. The US FDA grants MVM no disease claim (supplements are sold under DSHEA disclaimers), the UK NHS does not recommend routine multivitamins for healthy adults and warns that fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate, and the WHO endorses multiple-micronutrient supplements only for pregnancy within research-oriented programs. The NIH notes some MVM nutrients can interact with medications such as warfarin and antibiotics. Net: plausibly useful for documented gaps, but unproven as routine insurance.
Scoring transparency
All scores computed by a 7-layer evidence engine — fully auditable▸View the full decision path (audit trail)
- compute_raw_score — 加權公式: L2×0.30 + L3×0.25 + L5×0.25 + L11×0.10 + L1×0.10 = 0.514
- tier_from_score — 依分數區間映射至 tier letter
- apply_hec_rules — 僅有 E10 級證據 (cohort/animal/mechanism)，不足以下結論
- tier_strict_requirement_check — C 級條件未達 (需 E1-E8；實際 E10 僅機轉)
- detect_disputes — 偵測到 0 個 hard + 0 個 soft dispute
- decide_status — 依 tier + dispute 結果決定 status