New research released this week highlights the growing concern about long-term use of vitamin supplements by those who do not suffer from nutritional deficiencies. In fact, according to the results of two new studies, high doses of vitamins may actually do more harm than good.
As reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association, a study of 35,000 men taking vitamin E and selenium showed that those taking the vitamins were at increased risk for developing prostate cancer. Additionally, a separate study of 38,000 women published in The Archives of Internal Medicine revealed higher mortality rates over a 19 year period among older women who used multivitamins and other supplements, compared with those who did not.
The results of these studies, and others like them, shine an even brighter light on the concerns surrounding the efficacy and overuse of vitamin supplements. Also, the new information is just the latest in a growing string of less than stellar research results which demonstrate that high doses of vitamins are not actually helpful in preventing diseases. To that end, the studies’ authors wrote that, “Based on existing evidence, we see little justification for the general and widespread use of dietary supplements.”
