Are vitamin supplements actually killing you?

I am not a huge believer in vitamin supplements, and all of you who have read my blog since the beginning know why; as long as you eat a healthy diet full of fresh veg and fruits, all while getting in lots of proteins, you shouldn't need to take in extra vitamins. That being said, I know a lot of people who are super "healthy" take vitamin supplements to boost their healthiness and but some new research has shown, that despite living a healthy lifestyle, certain supplements can actually be harmful to you.  The long-term use of multivitamins and supplements and effects have never been studied before.

What's the scoop?
There was a rather large study out of Finland, recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that concluded the use of multivitamins, B6, iron, zinc, magnesium, and copper. They looked at close to 39,000 women ages 55 to 69, and the data was collected from 1986 with data points related to vitamin use collected in 1986, 1997, and 2004. They found that 40% of the participants in the study died as of 2008 and multivitamins/supplements, alone, were related to a 2.4% increase in mortality. Vitamin B6, Magnesium, zinc, and iron had a 3-6% higher risk and copper supplementation had an 18% higher rate of mortality!  Calcium supplements, though, had a decreased risk of mortality. They also found that certain antioxidant supplements, along with beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E may also have negative long-term effects.

What does this mean?
Well, it isn't conclusive saying that all vitamins are bad BUT it does add weight to my personal mantra, that eating a healthy diet, and living a healthy lifestyle far surpasses taking vitamin supplementation.  Vitamins and minerals are best absorbed by your body through foods, so why not just eat those healthy foods and lay off taking a pill and eating crap? I know so many of us that do live healthy lifestyles want to be as healthy as possible, but taking vitamins might actually prove detrimental, so stick to the healthy foods, getting exercise, and keeping your stress levels low.  So, try to improve your diets, try to plan your meals, and until further notice, unless medically necessary stop taking extra supplements.....except for calcium!  If you are worried or concerned about not taking vitamins, talk to your HCP about what is best for YOU.

Yours in Good Health
B