Antioxidants don't help heart

I'm probably going to get in trouble for saying this, but there are many homeopathy and complementary health professionals (image credit) who are scratching their heads following the latest study from the Archives of Internal Medicine. (abcnews.com)

A study released today in the Archives of Internal Medicine is the latest to put a dent in the theory that vitamins such as C, E and antioxidants such as beta carotene can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular events.

Although previous research has come to similar conclusions, the study at hand is perhaps one of the largest to debunk the idea that these vitamins can lead to a healthier heart.

In the past, conventional wisdom (as well as some early research) stated that there was a protective effect that antioxidant vitamins had on the prevention of heart disease and stroke. In my opinion, there has been an entire alternative medicine industry built on this belief.

"Although theoretically these antioxidants would appear to be protective … these antioxidant vitamins have not lived up to their promises," says Dr. Carl Lavie, director of cardiac rehabilitation and prevention at Ochsner Medical Center.

"Studies of nutrients for disease prevention all indicate that the active ingredient in a healthful diet is a healthful diet, and not some isolated nutrient we can put in a pill," says Dr. David Katz, director of the prevention research center at Yale University.

Of course, research is ongoing. And, probably in 3-6 months, there will be another study published claiming to debunk this study. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that complementary medicine is bad and the type of medicine I practice is better.

I'll just be curious on the public reaction to this news. For example, when I mention any prescription drug, my patients can list all the side effects that they say on television. 

How about when I tell them, "You know, the $50 you spend every month on antioxidants may not help your heart as much as you think." Will people stop taking their antioxidant vitamins based on these study results?