Vitamin tablets 'may do more harm than good'

Nutritional vitamin supplements fail to work and could do more damage than good, experts have cautioned.

The pills taken by countless health-conscious British people every day do nothing at all to push away illness, they stated.

Actually, Vitamins C and E - compounds referred to as anti-oxidants - may really cause some ailments.

While vitamins may defend against disease within the test-tube, they are doing little to safeguard in everyday existence, this week's New Researcher reviews.

Playboy states: 'Cranberry capsules. Effervescent ascorbic acid. Pomegranate concentrate. Beta carotene. Selenium. Grape seed extract. High-dose e vitamin. Pine bark extract. Bee spit.

'You title it, whether it's an anti-oxidant, we'll swallow it through the bucket-load. We've become anti-oxidant enthusiasts. But they are they doing us worthwhile?

'Evidence collected during the last couple of years implies that, at the best, antioxidant supplements do little or free to profit our overall health.

'True, they knock the wind from free-radicals inside a test tube. But when in the body, they appear oddly powerless.

'Many researchers are concluding they're a total waste of time and cash. At worst they may be dangerous.'

The report follows an alert from American researchers that multi-vitamins might be of little benefit and there's danger of overdosing on some. Anti-oxidants, which occur naturally in plants, clean up free-radicals - harmful toxins created through the body that damage cells and therefore are associated with a number of ailments.

Their supposed benefits are extremely great much from the ?300million spent by British people on mineral and vitamin pills every year continues anti-oxidants.

While using the compounds naturally in fruit and veggies might be advantageous, pills along with other supplements seem to do little good.

Probably the most high-profile culprits is e vitamin.

It grew to become popular in early the nineteen nineties, when two studies including greater than 127,000 participants found individuals having a diet full of the vitamin were at less chance of cardiac arrest and strokes.

However, most studies since that time have unsuccessful to help make the link. One came to the conclusion the vitamin elevated the chance of heart failure.

And, although it does lead to maintaining your central nervous system healthy, it seems to complete little to avoid cancer and Alzheimer's.

Ascorbic Acid can also be questionable, having a recent American study recommending it might accelerate coronary artery disease, or solidifying from the arterial blood vessels, in diabetes sufferers.

Biochemist Craig Halliwell, a specialist in anti-oxidants in the National College of Singapore, stated supplements just can't mimic the results of a healthy diet plan.

'Stick to flavonoid-wealthy meals, dark wine moderately, tea, fruits and veggies,' he stated.

'Don't begin taking high-dose supplements or heavily-prepared meals until we all know more.'

The-backed Natural Supplements Information Service accused New Researcher to be selective within the research it had selected as one example of its point.

f. macrae@dailymail.co.united kingdom