Are antioxidant supplements still safe? Were important details omitted from a recent study on antioxidants? A closer look reveals the real story.(GUEST COMMENTARY)

Many of us felt dazed and confused by the study, published in the Feb. 28 Journal of the American Medical Association, claiming that certain antioxidant supplements, namely beta-carotene, and vitamins A and E, increased the risk of death. In my opinion, the study had nothing to do with the benefits (or risks) of antioxidants. It was about bad research that should never have seen the light of day. (Selenium and vitamin C were also studied, but not linked to higher mortality.)

Let me assure you: I've been taking antioxidant supplements for 38 years, and will continue to take them every single day.

Skewed Research

Researchers in the lAMA study used a technique known as meta-analysis to pool the findings of 68 previously published studies of antioxidant supplements in people. The studies included vitamins A, C and E, beta-carotene and selenium for the treatment of many different diseases.

The researchers found a higher risk of "all-cause" death among people taking antioxidants. But on closer examination, the findings were statistically insignificant, and the researchers had no idea why people died. In fact, many of the subjects were already critically ill.

There were plenty of other problems with how the study was done. The researchers tried to cover too many nutrients, and dosages that were all over the map. They lumped together studies using natural and synthetic antioxidants, lasting anywhere from one day to several years. They also ignored antioxidant studies in which no deaths occurred.

A meta-analysis has great value when the benefits of a single nutrient are relatively consistent. But the technique becomes worthless when it tries to cover too much ground, as was the case with this particular study.