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Regular Consumers Of Vitamin Supplements Cautioned

by Medindia Content Team on Feb 19 2008 3:47 PM

Are you a regular user of vitamin supplements? Do you often replace healthy foods with vitamin pills? Well, watch out for the possible dangers this could fetch you in the long run.

Researchers from Europe warn those who substitute fresh vegetables and fruits with vitamins about the harmful results.

A combined research on 47 low-bias trials, involving 180,938 people found that vitamin supplements as a whole increased their death rate by five per cent, especially Vitamin A, Vitamin E and beta carotene were found to be involved more in spiking the mortality rate.

According to Goran Bjelakovic lead researcher of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, their study findings contradicted with those of observational studies claiming that “antioxidants (commonly found in Vitamin supplements) improve health.”

While separate intakes of beta-carotene increased the mortality rates by seven percent, there was a 16 percent hike when Vitamin A was taken separately and a four percent hike for Vitamin E.

Selenium was found to decrease death rates by ten percent when given on its own or as supplements.

Relying on vitamin supplements to ward off cancer will not profit the consumer. On the contrary, studies show that intake of supplements like beta-carotene can result in increased risk of developing cancer, especially lung cancer in smokers.

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It is advisable to take some supplements for some specific group of people, but of course, only after seeking proper guidance from their GP.

The bottom line is fending off fresh fruits and vegetables and fetching out supplements would not be a wiser bargain for your body and health.

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Source-Medindia
SUN/L


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