Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine

April 27, 2008

Get Your Vitamins From Food, Not Pills

One in three women and one in four men in the United

States take vitamin pills. If you are among them, you may be doing

more harm than good. In a wake up call to the multibillion dollar

vitamin pill industry, a review of 67 randomized trials of vitamin pill

effects on life and health has found that taking vitamin pills may

shorten life (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 1,

2008). Other studies have shown that taking vitamin pills may

increase risk for cancers and heart attacks.

This review of 232,000 adults showed that those taking

beta-carotene, vitamin A, C, and E and selenium gained no benefit

over those who took placebos or no pills. "The findings show that,

if anything, people in trial groups given beta-carotene, vitamin A

and vitamin E showed increased rates of mortality. There was no

indication that vitamin C and selenium may have positive or

negative effects."

The study was originally set up to see if antioxidant vitamin

pills and minerals prevent gastrointestinal cancers. It found no

protection whatever. Instead, an increased death rate of 16 percent

was seen in those taking vitamin A pills, seven percent with beta-

carotene, and seven percent with vitamin E. No increased death

rate was seen in those taking vitamin C or selenium.

Ó2008 www.drmirkin.com