Vitamin supplements are good for you, right? An article in the March 1, 2008 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine offers a word of caution.

Researchers found that daily use of supplemental multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and folate over a ten-year period was not associated with a decrease in the risk of lung cancer, regardless of smoking history. In fact, the use of high doses of supplemental vitamin E was associated with a slightly increased risk of lung cancer.

Although studies have suggested that the anti-oxidants found in fruits and vegetables may lower the risk for lung cancer, it seems that, for reasons not yet understood, vitamin supplement pills do not have the same effect. For example, multiple studies have shown that beta-carotene supplements increase the rate of lung cancer in high-risk individuals . For now, it seems there is no magic pill to replace those 2 daily servings of fruit recommended by the American Cancer Society.

Source

Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2008;177:470-471, 524-530.