Millions of people take vitamins and mineral supplements to protect against and treat heart disease, but alarming new research has found certain supplements may be doing more harm than good.
A review of 179 different studies has led Canadian and French scientists to determine that several supplements, including vitamin B3 and antioxidants, may actually increase the risk of death.
The study, outlined in the Journal of The American College of Cardiology by the University of Canada, found there wasn’t enough research currently available to find vitamin and mineral supplements actually prevent or treat heart disease. While researchers noted folic acid reduces stroke risk, they found healthy diets that focussed on plant-based foods with natural vitamins are more beneficial.
It is reported that 52 per cent of the population take supplements, although there is no agreement across the board as to how effective vitamins, minerals or a combination of supplements are in treating heart disease. One thing researchers do agree on is vegetarian diets, Mediterranean diets and diets high in fruits and vegetables (but low in saturated and trans fats and red meats) are the best way to reduce heart disease risk.
Researchers set out to discover the effects of supplement use by analysing 179 randomised controlled trials between 2012 and 2017. They discovered the four most commonly used supplements including multivitamins, vitamin D, vitamin C and calcium showed no benefit to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Similarly, they didn’t prevent myocardial infarction, stroke or all deaths that occur in the world. Meanwhile, vitamin B3 and antioxidants were linked to an increased risk of death.
While the findings may be surprising for people who fork out their hard-earned money on supplements, Dr Ian Musgrave from the University of Adelaide said experts in the health community weren’t shocked by the results.
“The latest research of vitamins and heart disease risk is neither unexpected nor surprising,” he said in a statement. “While vitamins are essential for our health and diseases like scurvy almost banished from developed countries, people have assumed that if a bit of vitamin is good for you a lot is much better. The latter sentiment has turned out not to be true.”
Meanwhile, Dr Rosemary Stanton from the University of New South Wales said it wasn’t a good idea for people to continue taking supplements.
“More than half of Australians have swallowed the line that it’s good to take supplements,” she explained in a statement. “But it’s not a good idea – according to a thorough review of randomised controlled trials that looked at the effects of vitamin and antioxidant supplements. This review concluded that money spent on vitamin and antioxidant supplements is not only wasted, but could occasionally be harmful.”
Dr Stanton added a lot of money is made selling supplements to gullible people and admitted customers would be better off eating fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, fish, nuts and seeds. She also explained that taking a supplement doesn’t undo harm caused by excess consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks.