Not so long ago, antioxidant vitamins were hailed as nature’s own weapons against chronic illness, powerful antidotes to horrid diets and failed exercise plans.
A parade of observational studies showed that people who consumed large amounts of vitamins C and E and beta carotene were usually healthier than those who ingested comparatively little. Almost overnight, it seemed, millions of consumers morphed into fervid pill poppers, and antioxidants were dolloped into an ever expanding variety of foods.
But recent and more rigorous research suggests that this silver bullet missed its mark. Most long-term prospective trials have shown that using antioxidant vitamin supplements does not prevent heart disease or cancer, with the possible exception of prostate cancer.
In a study published last month in The Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers in Europe analyzed data from 68 large trials in which more than 232,000 adults were given antioxidant supplements.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/health/13cons.html?ex=1331438400&en=4e5836186289a10d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
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