Millions of people will have their beliefs shattered following a new study, which claimed that taking antioxidant vitamin supplements was not only useless but could actually damage their health.

Dr. Christian Gluud, director of medical science, associate professor and department head of the Copenhagen Trial Unit at the Centre for Clinical Intervention Research and Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues carried out a review of 67 studies on 230,000 healthy people and found “no convincing evidence� that any of the antioxidants helped to prolong life expectancy. Instead, some “increased mortality.�

“We found no evidence to support antioxidant supplements for primary or secondary prevention. Beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E given singly or combined with other antioxidant supplements significantly increase mortality. There is no evidence that vitamin C may increase longevity. We lack evidence to refute a potential negative effect of vitamin C on survival. Selenium tended to reduce mortality but only when high-bias risk trials were considered. Accordingly, we need more research on vitamin C and selenium,� the authors concluded.

Dr. Gluud found that Vitamin A supplements increased the risk of death in healthy participants by 16 percent, while beta-carotene and Vitamin E were associated with a 7 percent and 4 percent increased risk of death, respectively.

The study could find no evidence that Vitamin C caused any harm nor that it helps prevent disease.

Goran Bjelakovic, also review team leader said, as quoted by the Telegraph: “We could find no evidence to support taking antioxidant supplements to reduce the risk of dying earlier in healthy people or patients with various diseases. If anything, people in trial groups given the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E showed increased rates of mortality.�

In response to the study, The Department of Health said people should try get the vitamins they need from their diet and avoid taking large doses of supplements. “There is a need to exercise caution in the use of high doses of purified supplements of vitamins, including antioxidants vitamins, and minerals. Their impact on long-term health may not have been fully established and they cannot be assumed to be without risk,� a representative said.

Also, Patrick Holford, a nutritionist who has formulated supplements for the company Biocare said antioxidants should not be regarded as “magic bullets� expected “to undo a lifetime of unhealthy habits.�

There were also scientists that said this kind of study demonstrates that there should be more regulation for vitamins.