Antioxidants are useful in preventing cardiovascular disease: a debate. Con antioxidants

There is no doubt that antioxidants and other micronutrients, taken in their proper form in vegetables and fruits, confer a number of overall health benefits. However, routine antioxidant supplementation is neither warranted nor recommended. This view is in keeping with those of both the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. While much of the experimental animal data suggest that antioxidants would be of value in human subjects, a very large body of human clinical data do not bear this out. On the contrary, while some clinical benefits have been observed, routine antioxidant supplementation has been associated with a small increase in major adverse outcomes. Unlike the trials conducted with cholesterol-lowering agents, beta-blockers and acetylsalicylic acid, the results of trials conducted with antioxidants are inconsistent at best.