In a world where we’re all striving to be just that little bit healthier, science released something new which makes you wonder, ‘what’s the point?’
From skincare to haircare, vitamins to exercise, there’s always something we have to keep on top of to keep fit and live longer.
But what if I told you, it did more harm than good?
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Listen, I’m not yapping about collagen and retinol (my two greatest loves), it’s something that half of people in the UK take on the regular which might lead them to pop their clogs earlier.
Health fads come and go, but this? This has been totted as something we need to take in order to ensure we’re getting everything our body needs to work as it should.
Except government scientists revealed that it ‘may heighten the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease’.
Fabulous. So, what is it?
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Multi-vitamin pills.
You read that right, no need to squint.
Apparently, those pills that are in every supermarket, pharmacy and beauty store could cause you to die.
Right, I know I’m being dramatic, but when you take as many vitamin pills as I do, it’s a cause for concern.
According to a study, these tablets are associated with an increased risk of premature death.
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American researchers realised this crazy result when they examined the health records of 400,000 people who didn’t have any serious long-term conditions to find that those who took multi-vitamins had a slightly higher chance of dying within 20 years compared to those who didn’t touch the stuff.
(Slowly swiping my stash into the bin right now.)
According to The Mirror, government scientists said: "Multivitamin use to improve longevity is not supported."
It’s not even the first study to say this, either.
The cause of early death related to the pill is said to be regarding iron and beta-carotene.
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You can find those naturally in things like Guinness (oi, oi) and anything that’s coloured yellow, orange, and red.
Beta-carotene is actually the reason vegetables come in those colours... the more you know.
The range of heath benefits from taking it is vast because it acts like an antioxidant.
According to Healthline, benefits of antioxidants could protect against things like, heart disease, certain cancers or ‘cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease’.
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But that’s in its natural form from veggies.
As reported by The Guardian, when you take natural beta-carotene, it could potentially help to prevent cancer, but when supplements contain beta-carotene… it could heighten the risk of certain cancers.
That coupled with an excessive amount of iron consumed, it could mean you’ll be at risk for things like dementia, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Dr Erikka Loftfield, who headed the study with her team at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland claimed that they found no evidence that munching on a multivitamin each day could reduce your risk of death, but the study published in Jama Network found that there was a 4 per cent increase of early death among those who take them.
Do with this information what you will.
Topics: Health, Food And Drink, Science
Britt Jones