Some Supplements may be Harmful

Experts have advised against taking food supplements after a new report showed that some antioxidants can be harmful to health.

The review looked 67 studies of vitamin pills involving 230,000 people. It found "no convincing evidence" that antioxidant supplements cut the risk of premature death in healthy people or in people with illness. In fact, some of the commonest ones, including vitamin A and E, may actually increase the risk of early death, according to the review.

The researchers found that:

• Vitamin A was associated with a 16% increased mortality
• Beta-carotene was associated with a 7% increase and
• Vitamin E was associated with a 4% increase.
• Vitamin C and selenium had no significant effect on death rate.

"The bottom line is that current evidence does not support the use of antioxidant supplements in the general healthy population," said Goran Bjelakovic of Copenhagen University Hospital.

The review was published by The Cochrane Collaboration.

Posted Monday 21st April 2008