Well, eric, it just goes to show you that when we try to "improve" on our body's natural defenses we often do more harm than good. And that too much of a good thing can become a bad thing--even water.

Vitamin supplements are meant to bring you up to the recommended intake of nutrients if you aren't getting them in your diet. Excess water-soluble vitamins are excreted in your urine (expensive pee!), but fat-soluble vitamins accumulate in your tissues and cause problems. And, according to this article, excess antioxidant vitamins increase mortality by accelerating cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The advice gi...

Well, eric, it just goes to show you that when we try to "improve" on our body's natural defenses we often do more harm than good. And that too much of a good thing can become a bad thing--even water.

Vitamin supplements are meant to bring you up to the recommended intake of nutrients if you aren't getting them in your diet. Excess water-soluble vitamins are excreted in your urine (expensive pee!), but fat-soluble vitamins accumulate in your tissues and cause problems. And, according to this article, excess antioxidant vitamins increase mortality by accelerating cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The advice given by Dr. Gluud seems to be our best bet for wellness: "People should instead eat a balanced diet and take regular exercise."

@northendnorman: If you have access to the JAMA issue in which this study was published you should be able to find the details.

I don't doubt that there are benefits to be had from taking vitamin supplements if your diet is lacking in one or more of the nutrients in the supplement. The problem is when you end up with an excess of a vitamin that was not lacking in your diet.

I guess the sensible thing to do is to make yourself aware of the nutritional content of your food so that you can determine what, if any, particular supplements you need. For example, if you don't consume enough foods that contain Vitamin C to get the recommended daily allowance for it, take Vitamin C supplements. Wit...

@northendnorman: If you have access to the JAMA issue in which this study was published you should be able to find the details.

I don't doubt that there are benefits to be had from taking vitamin supplements if your diet is lacking in one or more of the nutrients in the supplement. The problem is when you end up with an excess of a vitamin that was not lacking in your diet.

I guess the sensible thing to do is to make yourself aware of the nutritional content of your food so that you can determine what, if any, particular supplements you need. For example, if you don't consume enough foods that contain Vitamin C to get the recommended daily allowance for it, take Vitamin C supplements. With all the fortified foods we consume it seems to me unlikely that someone who tries hard to eat a balanced diet is lacking much in the way of vitamins and minerals. The fact that you feel better physically since you started taking a supplement indicates that you did need that supplement. The tradeoff being feeling better and potentially increasing mortality may be worth it to you. It would be to me. However, my understanding is that many people take antioxidant supplements not to feel better, but to ward off illness; because of all the hype about antioxidants and free radicals health conscience people have been induced to load up on antioxidants.

The fact that many studies have been, and are currently being, done to assess the efficacy & effects of taking supplements tells us that the issue is of concern. This meta-analysis provides us with evidence that the overall result of taking antioxidant supplements is increased mortality due to acceleration of cancer and cardiovascular disease.