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Vitamins and other food supplements taken by millions of women may actually put them at more risk, according to a major study.
Scientists say there is little evidence the pills do any good – and in fact some could be causing serious harm.
A study involving nearly 39,000 women has found multivitamins, vitamin B, folic acid, iron, magnesium and copper all increased the statistical risk of premature death.
Nearly a third of adults in Britain take some form of dietary supplement most days and the industry is worth £675million a year.
Some of the most popular pills include multivitamins, vitamin A, C and E, iron, folic acid and calcium – which are all thought to improve long-term health and ward off illnesses.
Scientists from Finland, Norway, the U.S. and South Korea looked at the long-term health effects of common vitamin pills and minerals on 38,772 women aged 55 to 69.
Over an 18-year period the women recorded any supplements they regularly took.
The results, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found copper increased the risk of dying prematurely by 18 per cent. Folic acid – which pregnant women are told to take to protect their child against spina bifida – increased risk of death by almost 6 per cent, while iron raised the risk by nearly 4 per cent.
Multivitamins raised the risk by 2.4 per cent, vitamin B6 by 4 per cent, magnesium by 3.6 per cent and zinc by 3 per cent.
The scientists do not fully understand how supplements may trigger early death, but they may interfere with the body’s natural defences. They say the supplements should only be taken by patients who are malnourished and only under the supervision of a doctor. Everyone else should ensure they eat a balanced diet to get adequate vitamins and minerals.
Jaakko Mursu, from the University of Eastern Finland, said: ‘Based on existing evidence, we see little justification for the general and widespread use of dietary supplements.
‘We recommend that they be used with strong medically-based cause, such as symptomatic nutrient deficiency disease.
參考譯文：
最新研究表明，數百萬女性經常服用的維生素及膳食補充製劑很可能有害健康。
科學家表示，沒有證據表明這些製劑對健康有益，而且實際上有些製劑還可能損害健康。
一項針對近3.9萬名女性的研究發現，從統計數據來看，多種維生素製劑、B族維生素、葉酸、以及鐵、鎂、銅等礦物元素都會增加過早死亡的風險。
英國近1/3的成年人經常服用某種膳食補充劑，該產業年產值達6.75億英鎊。
最受歡迎的包括多種維生素、維生素A、C、E，鐵、葉酸、和鈣等製劑，據稱有利於長期健康，還可以預防疾病。
來自芬蘭、挪威、美國和韓國的科學家研究了普通維生素和礦物元素製劑的長期健康效果，共有38772名年齡在55歲至69歲的女性接受了調查。
在調查的18年中，受訪女性記錄了她們服用的所有補充製劑。
研究發現，銅元素會使過早死亡的風險增加18%，葉酸和鐵元素分別會使這一風險增加近6%和近4%。為預防新生兒脊柱裂，孕婦需服用葉酸。研究結果發表在《內科醫學檔案》上。
多種維生素製劑會使過早死亡的風險增加2.4%，維生素B6會使風險增加4%，鎂和鋅分別會使這一風險增加3.6%和3%。
科ke學xue家jia尚shang不bu完wan全quan清qing楚chu維wei生sheng素su製zhi劑ji導dao致zhi過guo早zao死si亡wang的de原yuan因yin，但dan這zhe些xie製zhi劑ji會hui妨fang礙ai人ren體ti的de自zi然ran抵di抗kang力li。科ke學xue家jia表biao示shi，隻zhi有you那na些xie營ying養yang不bu良liang的de病bing人ren才cai需xu要yao服fu用yong這zhe種zhong製zhi劑ji，而er且qie需xu要yao醫yi生sheng指zhi導dao。其qi他ta人ren應ying該gai確que保bao均jun衡heng飲yin食shi，從cong食shi物wu中zhong獲huo得de足zu夠gou的de維wei生sheng素su和he礦kuang物wu質zhi。
東芬蘭大學的賈科•瑪蘇說：“從現有證據來看，不應大範圍應用膳食補充劑。”
“除非有明顯的病因，比如營養缺乏症，否則我們不建議服用膳食補充劑。”
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