Vitamin Information Center

Popping vitamin pills ‘like sweets’ could seriously damage your health, warn experts

HEALTHY people who take vitamin supplements were last night urged to be careful after research suggested they may do more harm than good.

Welsh health experts advised people to meet their nutritional needs by eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

There were also calls for tighter regulation of the sale of vitamins and minerals, which the public can buy “like sweets”, according to dietary advice groups.

The warning comes after researchers found that people who take antioxidant supplements, including vitamins A and E, to try to keep diseases such as cancer at bay, could in fact be interfering with their natural body defences and may be increasing their risk of an early death by up to 16%.

About 12 million Britons supplement their diets with vitamins and the industry is worth about £330m a year.

Paul Walker, chairman of the National Public Health Association Cymru, said: “We all need vitamins up to a certain level, but there is a misconception that taking more must be good for you.

“The evidence shows that this isn’t true. Having too much does no good and, in fact, could do people harm.

“The key is to have a very varied diet with at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

“More regulation of this industry is probably required.”

Antioxidants, including vitamins A, E, C and beta-carotene and selenium, are said to mop up disease-causing compounds called free radicals. It is this action that researchers say may cause problems with the defence system.

The research by Copenhagen University, released by the influential Cochrane Library, applied only to synthetic supplements and not to vitamins that occur naturally in vegetables and fruit.

Researchers carried out a review of 67 studies on 230,000 healthy people and found “no convincing evidence” that any of the antioxidants helped to prolong life expectancy but some “increased mortality”.

They found that vitamin A supplements increased the risk of death in healthy people by 16%. Taking beta-carotene was linked to a 7% increased risk, while regular users of vitamin E supplements increased the risk of an early death by 4%.

Although the review found no significant detrimental effect caused by vitamin C, it found no evidence that it helped ward off disease. Millions take it in the hope of avoiding a common cold.

Goran Bjelakovic, who led the review, said: “We could find no evidence to support taking antioxidant supplements to reduce the risk of dying earlier in healthy people or patients with various diseases.

“If anything, people in trial groups given the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E showed increased rates of mortality.”

Catherine Collins of the British Dietetic Association said: “This study is deeply worrying and shows that there should be more regulation for vitamins and minerals.

“The public can buy vitamins as easily as sweets. They should be treated in the same way as paracetamol with maximum limits on the dosage.”

Camille Clarke, a naturopathic nutritionist, based at the Natural Health Clinic in Cathedral Road, Cardiff, backed calls for tighter controls.

“It [the industry] needs to be regulated, vitamins are too freely available,” said Camille, who urged people to opt for naturally- occurring vitamins.

“People read things in magazines and they are taking huge amounts of vitamins and minerals but have a terrible diet.

“There’s no point in taking vitamins if you don’t have a healthy diet. You should only take them if you have a health problem and only for a little while.”

Denise Parish, a lecturer in dietetics at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, and a state registered dietician of 14 years, said: “As a general rule there is no evidence to say taking vitamins is of any benefit. Actually eating the foods that contain them is the best way of getting antioxidants.”

She said the only people who should take vitamin supplements are those who have particular health problems or pregnant women who are advised to take folate.

The chief medical officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said: “A good balanced diet which includes fresh fruit and vegetables will always provide individuals with the vitamins that they need.

“We would always advise people not to rely on such supplements as their primary source of vitamin intake.”

Thousands of people pop vitamin pills every day in the hope of warding off that nasty bug, making themselves look better or even live longer.

But do these “magic” tablets really work?

The jury’s out but some studies suggest they could be a waste of money… and even do us harm.

And with Britons spending £300million a year on vitamin and mineral supplements, it’s a huge industry.

“The problem is that supplements are new, so there isn’t much research into their long-term effects,” says nutrition consultant Ian Marber.

However, there is some evidence of shortterm effects. Last year, Copenhagen University reviewed more than 815 clinical trials of the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, betacarotene and the mineral selenium.

And produced some alarming results…

While vitamin C and selenium had no effect on lifespan, supplements of vitamins A, E and beta carotene actually seemed to raise the risk of premature death.

So what must you know?

Cancer danger

Worryingly, some studies have found links between supplements and cancer.

Researchers looking at whether supplements of beta carotene could reduce the risk of lung cancer gathered 18,000 American smokers in the 1990s.

Half were given beta carotene and vitamin A, while the others received a dummy pill.

“But researchers had to make the supplement group stop taking the vitamins two years early because there was a greater incidence of the disease in the group,” says dietitian Catherine Collins.

“A follow-up six years later found the risk continued even after people had stopped taking supplements.”

Last month, another study found that people who took vitamin E supplements - particularly smokers - may be at a 28 per cent increased risk of lung cancer.

But those results are not as clearcut as they first appear. Dr Ann Walker, adviser to the Health Supplements Information Service, says: “People on a lower dose of vitamin E had a lower risk of lung cancer and we don’t know whether those taking the higher doses were already ill.”

And she argues that there is evidence that a multivitamin may reduce cancer risk. “A study in 1997 found that people taking multivitamins were at lower risk of colon cancer,” she says.

But Henry Scowcroft, senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, says that although some studies suggest supplements help, many suggest they don’t. Current advice remains that the best way to reduce your risk of getting cancer is by giving up smoking and following a healthy, balanced diet.

Heart help?

So, can supplements reduce the risk of heart disease? “We don’t recommend supplements,” says Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation.

“A 2005 review concluded that as high doses of vitamin E and beta carotene were linked with a higher risk of mortality, they shouldn’t be recommended.

“And the Women’s Health Study in 2005 found no benefits for the heart from taking vitamins A, C and E.

“Overall, there’s no evidence to support taking vitamins. Eating fruit and vegetables has heart benefits but it may be the plant nutrients and fibre that helps - we can’t assume it’s specific vitamins.”

General health

But what about overall well-being - should we take vitamins for immunity?

For most of us, no, says Catherine. “There’s no evidence the general population benefits.

“Our food today is of better quality and with more variety than ever before. There are arguments that poor soil quality from intensive farming means food doesn’t contain all the nutrients but there’s no evidence - if soil was that low quality, a plant wouldn’t grow.”

Pregnancy and childhood

There is solid proof, however, that certain people do benefit from some supplements.

If you’re trying to conceive or are in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the Department of Health recommends 400mcg of folic acid each day, to help prevent birth defects of the spine and brain.

But always take a supplement designed for pregnancy - a standard multivitamin can contain more nutrients than stated on the label, and high doses of vitamin A have been linked with birth defects.

“Young children can also benefit from a multivitamin, especially as we’re so cautious with the sun - we need sunlight to make vitamin D, essential for immunity and healthy bones, and low levels have been linked with conditions including multiple sclerosis,” says Catherine.

“Ensure they have a supplement designed for youngsters.”

SUPPLEMENT SAFETY

If you really want a supplement Catherine Collins suggests a multivitamin and mineral. “Nutrients work together and multivitamins contain them at a safe dose.”

However, don’t think you can survive on junk food topped up with huge doses of individual nutrients.

While excess water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and the B vitamins will just be excreted, the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, are stored in the body and can accumulate. And the longterm effect isn’t known.

And avoid extra supplements on top of your multivitamin. “If you have specific needs, like PMS, look for a formulation designed for your condition,” advises dietitian Nigel Denby.

And if you’re on medication, check with your GP.