Long-term antioxidant supplementation has no effect on health-related quality of life: the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, primary prevention SU.VI.MAX trial.
What this study found
Long-term antioxidant supplementation did not improve health-related quality of life. Across SF-36, GHQ-12, and global health ratings, most between-group comparisons were not significant; the trial's main conclusion was that nutritional-dose antioxidant vitamins and minerals did not provide a meaningful HRQoL benefit. A sex-specific difference was noted for vitality in women (Group p=0.014), but this did not translate into an overall quality-of-life improvement. The intervention also showed no clear benefit on the mental or physical component summary scores.
- Study & population
- Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled primary prevention trial in healthy French adults.
- Intervention
- Participants in the active arm received one daily capsule containing vitamin C 120 mg, vitamin E 30 mg, beta-carotene 6 mg, selenium 100 mg as selenium-enriched yeast, and zinc 20 mg as gluconate.
- Key limitation
- Interpretation is limited by substantial attrition and missing final questionnaires, with analysis restricted to participants who completed both HRQoL assessments.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplementation on health is one of the most controversial issues in human nutrition. Our objective was to investigate the effect of nutritional doses of a combination of antioxidant vitamins and minerals on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of healthy French adults. METHODS SU.VI.MAX is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, primary prevention trial in which a total of 8112 participants received a single capsule daily containing either placebo or vitamin C 120 mg, vitamin E 30 mg, beta-carotene 6 mg, selenium 100 μg and zinc 20 mg. Participants completed HRQoL questionnaires (SF36 and GHQ12) at baseline and after a mean of 76.0 ± 4.2 months. RESULTS Scores for physical dimensions tended to decrease over time, whereas those for mental dimensions tended to improve. No differences in changes over time were observed between the supplement and placebo groups. Participants who believed that they received placebo had lower HRQoL scores than did those who thought they had received supplements [SF36 Bodily pain (-3.3), General health (-2.2), Vitality (-1.6) dimensions and physical component summary score (-1.1) in men, and in SF36 Social functioning (-2.3), General health (-1.4) dimensions and physical component summary score (-0.7) in women]. CONCLUSIONS Long-term supplementation with antioxidant vitamins and minerals had no beneficial effect on HRQoL in this trial. This is contrary to conventional beliefs and claims that such an effect exists. Trial Registration "Primary Prevention Trial of the Health Effects of Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals." NTC n 00272428 http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.