We were taught to take multi-vitamins long before there was any correlation between anti-oxidants and cancer prevention.
Once that tie was made, we were encouraged to drink blueberry juice, not take a multi-vitamin.
The USDA recommended daily allowance for different vitamins and minerals isn't based on cancer prevention... It never was.
I take pills every morning knowing full well that I'll probably pee out most of the vitamins I just swallowed, since I'll ingest most of those vitamins and minerals with my food. But I take the pills because if I DON'T ingest some additional calcium or Vitamin A (due to the hectic work schedule that forces a microwave dinner or fast-food lifestyle), then at least I got some of that in the morning... and I've been taught since childhood that these vitamins and minerals are required for proper functioning of my body.
I was never told that "your vitamin will prevent cancer", or "if you don't take your vitamin you'll get a heart attack and DIE."
This kind of contrarian puffery is useless. Either the vitamins and minerals are needed by the body or they aren't. If they are, then I'll take a couple of pills and go to work... if not, I'll pee them out.
Next you'll tell me that putting on sunscreen won't prevent obesity... But I'll still slather on the sunscreen when I go to the beach...
And I'll still take my vitamins tomorrow morning (perhaps with a little more blueberry juice, but probably not).
-- Tundrayeti