After reviewing the functions of vitamins and minerals in The human body it is still not clear what their function is during the aging process. The enclosed table gives an overview of the results of different studies. These studies show the use of supplements. The results of using additional (chemical based) vitamins and minerals is rather disappointing.
Examples of controlled trials of vitamins or supplements on specific diseases
| Study | Population | Condition | Intervention | Results | Effect |
| Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group 2002 | 20 536 subjects followed 5 years | Coronary heart disease, vascular occlusive disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension | Vitamin E 600 mg/d, plus vitamin C 250 mg/d, plus beta-carotene 20 mg/d or placebo | All-cause, vascular, or nonvascular mortality, or secondary measures including major coronary events, stroke, revascularization, and cancer | No difference |
| The SU.VI.MAX Study 2004 – Hercberg et al 2004 | 13 017 persons, age 45–60, followed 7.5 years | Cancer, cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular mortality | 120 mg ascorbic acid, 30 mg of vitamin E, 6 mg of beta-carotene, 100 μg of selenium, 20 mg of zinc vs placebo | Total cancer incidence 4.1% vs 4.5%; ischemic cardiovascular disease incidence 2.1% vs 2.1%, all-cause mortality 1.2% vs 1.5% | No difference; may have a small protective effect in men |
| HOPE and Hope-TOO Trial 2005 | 3994 persons, > 55 years with CVD or cardiovascular disease; diabetes mellitus followed 7 years | Cardiovascular events and cancer | Vitamin E 400 IU/d vs placebo | Cancer incidence 11.6% vs 12.3%; cancer deaths 3.3% vs 3.7%; major cardiovascular events 21.5% vs 20.6% | No difference. Higher risk of congestive heart failure (CHF) and hospitalization for CHF |
| Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group 2002 | 15 000 men aged 40–80, followed 5 years | Cardiovascular disease | Daily combination of vitamin E (600 mg) vitamin C (250 mg), and beta-carotene (20 mg) | Incidence | No significant reduction |
| Meta-analysis 2005 – Miller et al 2005 | 135 967 participants in 19 clinical trials | All-cause mortality | Vitamin E≥400 IU/d | 39 deaths per 10 000 persons (3–74 per 10 000 persons; p = 0.035) | Higher mortality |
| Mullan et al 2002 | 30 patients, 45–70 years old, with type 2 diabetes, followed 4 weeks | Hypertension | 500 mg of ascorbic acid daily | Mean systolic 9.9 mmHg, mean diastolic 6.0 mmHg | Reduced systolic blood pressure |
| Kim et al 2002 | 439 subjects followed 5 years | Hypertension | 500 mg of vitamin C daily | Blood pressure | No reduction |
| Pfeifer et al 2001 | 148 women, mean age 74 years | Hypertension | 1200 mg calcium plus 800 IU vitamin D3 or 1200 mg calcium/day | The decrease in systolic blood pressure of 9.3% | Improved |
| Ram et al 2003 | Six trials | Asthma | Vitamin C supplementation | Asthma outcome | No difference |
| Caraballoso et al 2003 | 109 394 subjects | Lung cancer | Beta-carotene, alone or in combination with alpha-tocopherol or retinol, or alpha-tocopherol alone | Cancer incidence | No reduction |
| The Beta-carotene and Retional Efficacy Trial 1996 – Omenn et al 1996 | 18 314 subjects, 45–74 years, at high risk, followed 4 years | Lung cancer | Beta-carotene and retinyl palmitate compared with placebo | 28% (4%–57%) higher cancer incidence and 17% (3%–33%) higher total mortality in the supplemented group | Worse outcome |
| Virtamo et al 2003 | 25 390 persons followed 6 years | Prostate cancer | Alpha-tocopherol | Relative risk 0.88 (0.76–1.03) | No difference |
| Virtamo et al 2003 | 25 390 persons followed 6 years | Prostate cancer | Beta-carotene | Relative risk 1.06 (0.91–1.23) | No difference |
| Greenberg et al 1994 | 864 subjects | The incidence of colon polyps | Placebo, beta-carotene (25 mg daily), vitamin C (1 g daily) and vitamin E (400 mg daily), or beta-carotene plus vitamins C and E | Relative risk 1.01 (0.85–1.20) for beta-carotene and 1.08 (0.91 to 1.29) for vitamin C and E | No difference |
| Rodriguez-Martin et al 2003 | 50 subjects, followed 1 year | Alzheimer dementia | Thiamine supplementation | Cognitive status | No benefit |
| Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study 1997 – Sano et al 1997 | 341 subjects followed 2 years | Alzheimer dementia | Vitamin E 1000 mg twice a day, selegiline 5 mg twice a day, both or placebo | Time to either death, institutionalization, the decline in activities of daily living, or progression to severe dementia | Reduced in vitamin E group (670 days) and selegiline group (655 days) compared with placebo group (440 days), higher mortality 1.08 (1.01–1.14) |
| Lerner et al 2002 | 15 subjects | Schizophrenia | Vitamin B6 400 mg vs placebo | Mental status | No difference |
| Taylor et al 2003 | 247 subjects | Depression | Folic acid | Reduction in depression scores | 2.65 points, CI 0.38–4.93 |
| Christen et al 2003 | 22 071 male US physicians aged 40–84 years, followed 1 year | Cataract | Beta-carotene 50 mg on alternate days vs placebo | Incidence | No benefit |
| Evans 2003 | 4119 subjects in 7 trials | Age-related macular degeneration, progression to advanced disease | Antioxidant and zinc supplementation | Risk ratio 0.72 (0.52–0.98) | Less risk |
| Evans 2003 | 4119 subjects in 7 trials | Age-related macular degeneration | Vitamin E, beta-carotene or both | Prevention | No benefit |
| Girodon et al 1999 | 725 institutionalized elderly subjects > 65 years, followed 2 years | Antibody titers, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, the survival rate | Trace elements (zinc and selenium sulfide) or vitamins (beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, and vitamin E) or a placebo | Antibody titers after influenza vaccine were higher in the group that received trace elements alone or associated with vitamins, but the vitamin group had significantly lower antibody titers | Higher titers with minerals but low with vitamins |
| Chandra 1992 | 96 subjects | Infection-related illness, days taking antibiotics, nutritional deficiencies | Vitamin A 400 units, beta-carotene 16 mg; thiamine 2.2 mg; riboflavin 1.5 mg; niacin 16 mg; vitamin B6 3.0 mg; folate 400 μg; vitamin C 80 mg; vitamin D 4 μg; vitamin E 44 mg; iron 16 mg; zinc 14 mg; copper 1.4 mg; selenium 20 μg; iodine 0.2 mg; calcium 200 mg; and magnesium 100 mg vs placebo (calcium, 200 mg, and magnesium, 100 mg) | 23 (23–28) vs 48 fewer infection-related illness days; 18 (12–16) vs 32 fewer days taking antibiotics | Improved |
| El-Kadiki et al 2005 | 8 trials in older adults | Days with infection, at least one infection, incident infections | Any combination of vitamin or mineral supplements | 14(10–18) fewer days with infection; at least one infection 1.10 (0.81–1.50); incident infections 0.89 (0.78–1.03) | Fewer days with an infection, no difference in incident infections |
| Gillespie et al 2003 | Frail elderly subjects | Hip fracture and vertebral fracture incidence | Vitamin D3 supplementation along with calcium | Risk ratio 0.74 (0.60–0.91) | Less risk |
| Gillespie et al 2003 | Frail elderly subjects | Hip fracture and vertebral fracture incidence | Vitamin D3 supplementation alone without calcium | Risk ratio 1.20 (0.83–1.75) | No difference |
| Gillespie et al 2003 | In healthy younger, ambulatory subjects | Hip fracture | Vitamin D3 supplementation along with calcium | Risk ratio 0.36 (0.01–8.78) | No difference |
| Gillespie et al 2003 | In healthy younger, ambulatory subjects | Nonvertebral fracture | Vitamin D3 supplementation alone with calcium | Risk ratio 0.46 (0.23–0.90) | Less risk |