IN MY VIEW VITAMIN PILLS CAN BE HARMFUL

PEOPLE often ask me what vitamins they should take, almost as if they expect a healthy regimen should include taking at least one.

But not only is it unnecessary for the vast majority of people, but taking supplements can be potentially dangerous.

The truth is that just because something is ‘good’ for you does not mean that a lot will be even better. And research is uncovering just how pertinent this message is to most, if not all, nutrients. Vitamins, in particular antioxidants, are a case in point.

For many years, antioxidants (which include the vitamins A, C and E) have been promoted as the way not just to insure against ill-health but also to hold back the effects of ageing. That’s because of the effect they have on free radicals — damaging molecules formed in the body as a natural part of metabolism.

Free radicals are highly unstable and can be damaging to cells, injuring cell membranes and DNA. High levels have been implicated in diseases such as cancer, as well as in ageing.

Antioxidants combine with free radicals, making them less unstable and less likely to do damage. Indeed, it is thought that the reason people who eat lots of fruit and veg have lower rates of cancer is because of the plentiful antioxidants in their diets.

So the more antioxidants the better, you might think. But it’s not that simple: research has found, for example, that smokers who take vitamin A supplements have a significantly higher incidence of lung cancer.

For those who exercise heavily, the advice is even more explicit, with evidence that large doses of vitamins C and E may curb any increase in fitness, and more recently, researchers have found that antioxidants interfere with repair mechanisms.

So what can we conclude from this? Once again, that a nutritious and varied diet is the key to boosting health and longevity — and the benefits cannot be replicated simply by taking a tablet.