Antioxidants will not help people live longer and might even increase the risk of death, according to a Danish study. A report in the American Medical Association (JAMA) stated specifically that beta carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E “significantly increased mortality.”
Led by the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group, the study took place at the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. When they analyzed all 68 studies, they found no noteworthy effects on a person’s death risk. Then, after discarding studies that were considered low-quality or shaky, the group found a rise in mortality among people taking supplements – a 4 percent increase for those taking vitamin E, 7 percent for beta carotene and 16 percent for those taking vitamin A, according to latimes.com.
However, this recent study is not the final word.
“There were a lot of flaws with this study,” said Beth Blake, registered dietician, regional director of client services at Alere Medical, Inc. and part-time lecturer for the nutrition department at Cal State Long Beach. “As with any one question in science, you have to look at the body of evidence, not just one study.”
Antioxidants like beta carotene and vitamins A, E and C protect and repair cells from damage caused by oxidation. Oxidation is the process that creates chemicals (free radicals) that cause cells to deteriorate from the inside. Over time, this can lead to a variety of diseases, including heart disease and some cancers, Blake said. These free radicals also link to aging.
The benefits of antioxidants are mainly their disease-fighting properties. Until now, antioxidants were believed to help people live longer.
Yet, this new study is not the first in denouncing antioxidants. Most negative effects caused by antioxidants often stem from taking only supplements. According to Michelle Loy, registered dietician and lecturer for the nutrition department at CSULB, taking beta carotene supplements can actually increase the risk of cancer in smokers. Vitamin E supplements may even increase a person’s disease risk.
“Too much of a specific vitamin or mineral is toxic to the body,” Loy said.
Robert Friis, professor and chair of the health science department at CSULB, questioned the report of antioxidants increasing mortality but said that these findings from Copenhagen resulted from taking supplements at toxic levels.
“The efficacy of antioxidants can be shaky…” Friis said. “So, it is important not to take in excessive dose levels.”
“You need these special combinations of vitamins and chemicals in food…” Loy said. “There is no replacement for that and for healthy habits.”
Using multivitamins or specific supplements is not a bad thing, if used correctly. Specific antioxidant or mineral supplements are only for people who are deficient in certain minerals, those who cannot absorb vitamins correctly, Friis said.
Multivitamins are fine as long as the doses of vitamins do not exceed the daily recommendation, Loy said.
Blake, who would rather recommend fruits, vegetables and grains for nutrients, said a multivitamin or mineral supplement is also good as a “safety net.”
