Vitamin pills not good for health

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People On Dietary Supplements Have Higher Death Rates, Says Study

Women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone, according to a US study that found they in fact appear to have slightly higher death rates. 
    About half of adult US residents take dietary supplements, and the industry now boasts of annual sales as high as $20 billion. Yet research suggests that some of the largely unregulated substances, such as vitamins A and E, could be harmful in high doses. "There is very little evidence showing that common dietary supplements would be beneficial in prevention of major diseases," said Jaakko Mursu of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. "Unless you are deficient, there is no reason to take them," he said. 
    Mursu and his colleagues used data from nearly 39,000 older women who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study and filled out questionnaires starting in 1986. The survey asked about use of multivitamins, vitamins A, C, D and E as well as beta-carotene, B vitamins and minerals such as calcium, copper, magnesium, selenium and zinc. 
    During the study, supplements became increasingly popular. Between 1986 and 2004, the proportion of women who said they took one or more jumped from 63% to 85%. Only calcium supplements were linked to a lower risk of death over 19 years of follow-up. That link held up even after considering that women taking supplements had a healthier lifestyle than the rest. By contrast, women taking other supplements did not live longer. REUTERS