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Certain vitamins have no health benefits and actually increase the risk of death, say Danish researchers. Credit: iStockphoto WASHINGTON: Taking vitamins A, E and other antioxidant supplements may increase the risk of death and carries no clear health benefits as claimed by vitamin makers. In a blow to the healthy image often associated with dietary supplements, a wide-ranging Danish-led review of 47 clinical trials, involving 180,938 patients, concluded that vitamins A, E and beta carotene are in fact linked to a rise of five per cent in the risk of mortality. The findings, based on electronic databases and bibliographies, were published in today's edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Beta carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E given singly or combined with other antioxidant supplements significantly increase mortality," wrote the authors, led by Goran Bjelakovic of the Centre for Clinical Intervention Research at Copenhagen University Hospital. "Our findings contradict the findings of observational studies, claiming that antioxodiants improve health." The study also found that there was no evidence vitamin C may increase longevity and added: "We lack evidence to refute a potential negative effect of vitamin C on survival." With an estimated 10 to 20 per cent of the adult population in North America and Europe - 80 to 160 million people - taking antioxidant supplements, "the public health consequences may be substantial," the authors wrote. The U.S. market for antioxidant supplements was estimated at more than five billion dollars (A$6.3 billion) in 2006. The authors deplored the intense marketing that touts the alleged health benefits of antioxidant supplements and offered possible explanations as to why the products can have a negative effect. "By eliminating free radicals from our [body], we interfere with some essential defensive mechanisms," read the study. The antioxidant supplements are synthetic and not subject to the same toxicity studies as other pharmaceutical agents. "Better understanding of mechanisms and actions of antioxidants in relation to a potential disease is needed," the researchers concluded. The makers of vitamins and other dietary supplements are not required to register their products with the U.S. government's Food and Drug Administration that regulates medicine and food products, but the FDA can order the withdrawal of products on the market that are found to pose a risk to public health. More Information: Journal of the American Medical Association Readers' comments
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Vit A & Betacarotene
About 7 years ago, I had iritis. This is like having daggers poked into your eye. I went to my GP. He sent me to a specialist. For 1+ years, I was put on steroids. The iritis wouldn't go. I then read about using Vit A and betacarotene for poor kids in Africa. I decided to use them, at high levels. In about 6 weeks, I felt relief. In 3 months, the vits cured my iritis. I gradually lowered the amounts until today, I take 1 betacarotene a day.
I haven't seen the details of the 'scientific' study. But there is a lot of politics involved with vitamins.
Barry Rosenberg
Nambour
Australia
to barry
sure the people that need extra vitamins within there body its possable it could help, but what this is trying to say is that if your just taking them for a supposed better helth then its robbing your body of natural chemicals. luv me
Hmmmm, who funded the study, who has the most to gain
Dig deeper into the story, do your own research.
What is more likely?
The pharmaceutical industry wants people to be cured.
or
The pharmaceutical industry wants to protect it's profits.
BTW, you can't have both.
You get vitamins from food, why is it that all of a sudden supplemental vitamins are "bad" for you. I guess all of those people who cured scurvy back in the early sailing days by supplementing their intake of Vitamin C by eating citrus fruits were just CRAZY people?
bye
Honest doctors don't like their credibility questioned
Have you checked to see if a major pharmaceutical company funded this study? Even if one did fund the study (I don't know either), it is unfair to assume that the results and conclusions are biased and inaccurate. That should be determined based on the credentials and reputation(s) of the doctor(s) that performed the study.
I have a mother that is convinced that if she takes Echinacea and Zinc supplements when she gets a hint of a symptom of a cold, that will protect her from it. She still gets sick and now God only knows how much money she's wasting too.
The bottom line is that if you overdose on certain supplements, toxic levels can build, normally though it is doubtful that a single vitamin a day could do much harm, or much good.
Vitamin A and betacarotene for iritis...
Hi Barry,
I am interested in knowing what kind of doses/strengths you were taking of the vitamin a and betacarotene. I have been suffering with bouts of iritis for a number of years and hate using steroids etc...
Your experience with vitamins is something I would like more info on as I am willing to try anything to stop these flareups. I am also wondering if you have any 'other' inflammatory problems like arthritis etc..?
Kathryn Herman
Toronto, Canada