Vitamins slash life span - Study

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People generally take vitamin pills to boost their health, but a new study found astonishing facts about some vitamins revealing that consumption of vitamins won’t lead to a longer life instead it could "significantly" increase the risk of death.

After analyzing dozens of studies of popular supplements, scientists from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark found that vitamin A, C and vitamin E and beta carotene taken singly or with other supplements don’t provide long-life benefits rather "significantly increase mortality".

Led by the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group at Copenhagen University, the researchers first analyzed 68 previous studies of the five antioxidant supplements, involving 232,606 people, and found no significant effect on mortality.

Showing their indifference towards the recent study’s results of increased death risk some specialists who reviewed the research say the study analyzed the resources which were too diverse.

Taking vitamin E was associated with 4 percent risk, 7 percent was estimated for beta carotene and 16 percent for vitamin A, while vitamin C or selenium did not show risks of increased mortality.

However, the root cause of death in most studies was not established.

The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, linked the supplements with overall 5 per cent increased risk of mortality, contradicting the findings of previous observational studies, which claimed that antioxidants improve health.

The senior author of the study, Christian Gluud of Copenhagen University Hospital, said: “The main message is that prevention by beta carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E cannot be recommended. These three antioxidant supplements may increase mortality.”

The report says, “Considering that 10-20 per cent of the adult population (80-160 million people) in North America and Europe may consume the assessed supplements, the public health consequences may be substantial."

The recent study received mixed reviews from various health experts, some calling it fatally flawed, while for some it has reinforced the need to eat a balanced diet.

Experts from supplements industry believe that for decades people have been taking vitamin supplements and receiving benefits from them, while for some it’s too early to toss out all vitamin pills, or the possibility that they may have some health benefits.

Other health experts think the study supports the theory that antioxidants work best when they are consumed in food rather than pills.

Showing their indifference towards the recent study’s results of increased death risk some specialists who reviewed the research say the study analyzed the resources which were too diverse.

However, Gluud said that antioxidant supplements have been tested repeatedly by many clinical trials with no consistent clear evidence for their health effects.