The worldwide view on vitamin supplements seems to be ‘the more you take, the better it is for you’. Millions supplement their dietary needs with vitamins, especially antioxidant vitamins A, E and C, but a new study suggests that vitamin supplements could actually shorten people’s lifespan and contribute to an early death.

Copenhagen University researchers studied more than 800 clinical trials to determine the benefits of commonly used supplements vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, as well as beta-carotene and selenium. To begin, they chose 68 studies that were determined to create an accurate assessment of vitamin benefits, and combined their results to form a new study. This study produced a neutral result, showing that taking supplements did not increase nor decrease the risk of early death.

After completing this study, the researchers eliminated 21 of the 68 previously held studies, which they felt had a potential to skew results, and their study results came out entirely different.

Risk of death was unaffected in vitamin C and selenium users, yet was drastically altered for vitamins E and A, and beta-carotene users. Vitamin E showed a 4% increase, vitamin A increased early death chances by 16% and beta-carotene showed an increase of 7%.

The researchers suggested that these results were a huge milestone, challenging the theory that taking antioxidant vitamins improve health. They also suggested that taking vitamins to decrease free radicals and lower oxidative stress, may actually hinder the body’s natural processes and cause damage related to early death.

Industry experts have commented that the study was ‘flawed’ and ‘worthless’, and have pointed out that some of the studies used to determine the results involved patients who were in advanced stages of illness, which had much more to do with their shortened life span than the vitamins and nutrition health supplements they took. They do not believe that taking a certain dietary supplement, whether A, E, C or any other essential nutrient, will cause early death.

Leading nutritionists have stated that whether the study is flawed or not, that eating a well balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, is the best way to get vitamins and minerals. They also point out that supplements can not successfully duplicate the wide variety of complex vitamins and minerals that can easily be obtained in natural food sources.

More studies will take place before any conclusions are made.