Antioxidant Supplements: What You Need To Know

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidant-supplements-what-you-need-to-know?nav=govd Antioxidant dietary supplements—particularly vitamin E and beta-carotene—have been extensively studied to see whether they can reduce the risks of chronic diseases associated with aging. For most of these diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and cataracts, the supplements were not found to be effective. However, antioxidants have been shown to be helpful for the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, also called AMD. Two large studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health showed that supplements that contain a combination of antioxidants and zinc may slow the progression of AMD to its advanced stage.