According to their news release:
"It is estimated that more than one-third of American adults take multivitamin/mineral supplements regularly. Recommendations regarding supplement use from expert groups vary widely, as does the strength of the evidence supporting such guidelines.
In observational studies, MVM use has been associated with better health outcomes but there are few data available from randomized trials to provide more definitive evidence.
As more and more Americans seek strategies for maintaining good health and preventing disease, and as the marketplace offers an increasing number of products to fill that desire, it is important that consumers have the best possible information to inform their choices. Toward that end, this conference is expected to delineate gaps in current knowledge and to provide guidance about how NIH can help to fill those gaps."
Keep in mind that the NIH is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is also considered to be the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research.
Panel chair nominations are made by an organizational committee, which is
made up of OMAR staff, representatives of the NIH Institute or Center proposing the topic, and other interested government agencies (U.S. Food and Drug
Administration [FDA], Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], etc.).
This conference is open to the public.
If you are unable to attend the event, a live Webcast of the conference will be available at http://videocast.nih.gov/.
