“Vitamins and Strokes”
For the past decade, I have been apprising you of the lack of proof that supplemental vitamins are of benefit and that they have a potentially dangerous side, especially if taken in excess. British experts evaluated vitamin supplement studies that had been conducted between 1970 and 2012 and determined, “There is enough evidence to conclude most don’t reduce the risk of stroke. The most rigorous studies found no link between taking vitamin C, vitamin E or beta-carotene supplements and a reduced risk of stroke.” To the contrary, one study involving more than 82,400 people found taking beta-carotene (which the body converts to vitamin A) was associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. Dr. Graeme Hankey, head of the Stroke Unit at Royal Perth Hospital in Australia, said, “People should not take vitamin supplements unless they are deficient in a particular vitamin, which is rare in developed countries.”
