Posted on 04/15/2008 8:34:19 PM PDT by blam
Vitamin pills 'increase risk of early death'
By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 16/04/2008
Popular vitamin supplements taken by millions of people in the hope of improving their health may do no good and could increase the risk of a premature death, researchers report today.
They warn healthy people who take antioxidant supplements, including vitamins A and E, to try to keep diseases such as cancer at bay that they are interfering with their natural body defences and may be increasing their risk of an early death by up to 16 per cent.
Antioxidants, including vitamins A, E, and C are said to mop up free radicals, which cause disease
Researchers at Copenhagen University carried out a review of 67 studies on 230,000 healthy people and found "no convincing evidence" that any of the antioxidants helped to prolong life expectancy. But some "increased mortality".
About 12 million Britons supplement their diets with vitamins and the industry is worth £330 million. But little research has been done on the long-term health implications.
The Department of Health said yesterday that people should try to get the vitamins they need by eating a balanced diet and advised care in taking large doses of supplements.
A spokesman said: "There is a need to exercise caution in the use of high doses of purified supplements of vitamins, including antioxidant vitamins, and minerals. Their impact on long-term health may not have been fully established and they cannot be assumed to be without risk.
"Anyone concerned about their diet should speak to their doctor or dietitian."
Antioxidants, including vitamins A, E, C and beta-carotene and selenium, are said to mop up compounds, called free radicals, which cause disease. It is this action that researchers believe may cause problems with the defence system.
The Danish research, released by the influential Cochrane Library, applied only to synthetic supplements and not to vitamins that occur naturally in vegetables and fruit.
It found that vitamin A supplements increased the risk of death in healthy people by 16 per cent. Taking beta-carotene was linked to a 7 per cent increased risk, while regular users of vitamin E supplements increased the risk of an early death by four per cent.
Although the review found no significant detrimental effect caused by vitamin C, it found no evidence that it helped ward off disease. Millions take it in the hope of avoiding a common cold.
Goran Bjelakovic, who led the review, said: "We could find no evidence to support taking antioxidant supplements to reduce the risk of dying earlier in healthy people or patients with various diseases.
"If anything, people in trial groups given the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E showed increased rates of mortality."
But Patrick Holford, a nutritionist who has formulated supplements for the company Biocare, said: "Antioxidants are not meant to be magic bullets and should not be expected to undo a lifetime of unhealthy habits.
"When used properly, in combination with a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables, getting plenty of exercise and not smoking, antioxidant supplements can play an important role in maintaining and promoting overall health."
A spokesman for the Health Supplements Information Service said: "People should get all the vitamins and minerals they need from their diet, but for the millions who are not able to do that, vitamins can be a useful supplement and they should not stop taking them."
However, Catherine Collins, of the British Dietetic Association, said: "This study is deeply worrying and shows that there should be more regulation for vitamins and minerals.
"The public can buy vitamins as easily as sweets. They should be treated in the same way as paracetamol with maximum limits on the dosage."
I think first systematically investigated by Dr. Curt P. Richter at Johns Hopkins Med school in the 1920-30’s: early eustress leads to the inability to adapt to later distress.
The problem with that is, doctors, for the most part, don’t know jack about food supplements. In fact, most don’t even believe in them.
If the ingredients came from China to make the supplements, the claim may be valid.
30, huh ? Looks like I’ve been a runner for better than 3 1/2 years.
This person also told me that if you wore a yellow shirt while taking a test it would help focus on the thoughts of other people floating in the air around the room and help find the answers.
Logan?
1000% correct
“If the ingredients came from China to make the supplements, the claim may be valid.”
Yep, and much of Vit. C and aspirin come from China. Next time I buy aspirin, I’ll make sure it’s Made in USA. Bufferin is USA Made (at least now), but I’ll have to check out the other brands, too.
I figured that would be your response. “It was God’s will.”
I think I’ll just say that I have quite a different view of the nature of God than you (and probably different than that of most FReepers here, though I was raised Lutheran), so we’ll just leave it at that.
"Because I said so! (I was predestined to say that.)"
One daily multivitamin tablet and 2 -3 fish oil capsules per day has been my routine for a while. I’m wondering how long before a report appears on the study that says it was the wrong thing to do and death is imminent because of it.
;-)
I have no problem with that. Go in God’s peace, friend.
You too, sir. Good night.
I'm not big on fish oil suppositories.
Great movie when if first came out. The graphics now of course would be much better. (Of course that cute little thing in the short skirt couldn’t be much improved) :>)
- Stonewall Jackson
LOL this person may be crazy but the diet advice isn’t that bad. Right now, my nose is telling me I should be eating the steak sizzling on the frying pan and I’m not going to let any hippies or health nazis convince me over my sense of smell.
Pure chocolate always smells divine! ; )
Grilled meat NEVER smells bad :>)
Remember: red meat won’t kill you, blue-green meat, now THAT will kill you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.