Are Vitamin Supplements Healthy?

There has been a growing amount of evidence that suggests antioxidant vitamins (Vitamins A, C, and E) do not protect us as well as we think they do when we take them in supplement form. And the evidence is strong.

A scientific study followed nearly 15,000 male physicians who took a specific dosage of vitamin C and vitamin E during a ten year period. At the end of the trial period, the study found that the rate of cancer was the same among the test group as it was for the placebo group. The study concluded that "neither vitamin E nor vitamin C supplements reduced the risk of prostate cancer, 'total cancer' or other cancers such as colorectal or lung." You can read about the study here. The large sample size and long length of study provides strong results. Most researchers do not have the resources to run a study with almost 15,000 participants through a ten year period.

A recent study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine found that multivitamin supplements do not reduce cancer risk in postmenopausal women. The study included data from 161,800 women who took multivitamins for at least eight years--another substantial research project.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that had 35,000 research participants, all middle-aged men who took selenium supplements, Vitamin E, neither, or both during a five-year span. There was no decrease in the risk of prostate cancer. On the other hand, researchers found a 13 percent higher rate of prostate cancer in the group that received Vitamin E and a 5 percent higher rate in the group that received selenium supplements. This was the largest prostate cancer prevention trial study ever produced.

The JAMA study concerned some researchers, since its data suggested there were harmful effects to taking vitamin supplements. Other research has shown similar trends. A 2006 study found higher mortality rates among head and neck cancer patients who took antioxidant vitamin supplements. There was a slight increase in lung cancer rates among participants who took vitamin E supplements in this study. And a large study that analyzed the results of 47 trials with over 180,000 participants found that supplements slightly increase mortality rates.

Overall, antioxidant vitamin supplements appear to have no benefits at increasing life longevity or decreasing risk of certain cancers. Some studies show that these vitamin supplements might have a harmful effect on our health. The best source of vitamins is in our diet, not in pill form. A healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables will provide us with the most amount of protection from diseases.