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London (PTI): If you are banking on a vitamin supplement daily to make up for any deficiencies in your diet, you may be getting a whole lot more, or actually less, than you bargained for. Researchers in Europe have carried out a study and found that people who rely on vitamin pills, instead of eating a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, are doing more harm than good.

According to them, three supplements -- Vitamin A, Vitamin E and beta carotene -- can increase mortality rates among those taking them. However, Vitamin C and selenium pills have no effect as such. "Our findings contradict the findings of observational studies claiming that antioxidants (commonly found in Vitamin supplements) improve health," the British media quoted lead researcher Goran Bjelakovic of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark as saying.

The researchers combined results of a number of clinical trials to judge the overall effects of vitamin pills. They analysed 47 low-bias trials, involving 180,938 people and found that vitamin supplements as a whole increased their death rate by five per cent.

When the supplements were taken separately, beta carotene increased death rates by seven per cent, Vitamin A by 16 per cent, and Vitamin E by four per cent. Vitamin C gave contradictory results, but when given singly or in combination with other vitamins in good-quality trials, increased the death rate by six per cent, the researchers found.

They, however, noticed that selenium was the only supplement to emerge with any credit -- it can cut death rates by ten per cent when given on its own or as supplements, but "the result is not statistically significant".

My 53-year-old father is hardly a health nut. So I was surprised to hear him say, after attending a seminar on how to flatten his stomach, that maybe he should give this "detox thing" a try.

That's when I knew detoxing had gone mainstream.

Meant to eliminate toxins from the body and jump-start weight loss, detox diets significantly restrict and reduce food intake.

Beyond that, many of the diets that fall under this umbrella have little in common. They vary greatly, from juice fasts to raw food diets to plans that include only fruit or don't allow chewing.

Creators of the diets say they cleanse the body by eliminating foods that include toxins, essentially anything that's not natural. Some of the regimens also include laxative teas or colon treatments to further flush out the digestive system. It leaves the dieter feeling lighter, healthier and more energetic, advocates say.

"As the detox winds down, people feel much happier, very creative and optimistic about the future," James Hester wrote in 21 Pounds in 21 Days, a book about The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox. "They are making spiritual as well as physical changes in their lives."

But three dieticians interviewed by the Houston Chronicle said they discourage their clients from following detox plans. The regimes are unhealthily restrictive, don't work for long-term weight loss and aren't necessary because our bodies naturally cleanse themselves, they said.

"There really is no evidence that supports the variety of claims that this myriad of classification of diets suggest," said Molly Gee, a registered dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine.

Detox diets likely won't do a healthy person harm — but they also won't do any good, dietitians said. While Hester recommends his diet for people with diabetes or other health ailments, dietitians say those people should not follow such a restrictive food plan, or should at least consult their doctor before considering such a dramatic change. Both sides agree that detoxing is not a good idea for women who are pregnant or nursing.

Veronica Juarez, supervisor of the Nutritional Services Department at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, said while she generally opposes detox diets, they can help unhealthy eaters develop better habits. The regimens never include junk food or soda, which have become daily fixtures of many Americans' diets. They often encourage the dieter to drink water, exercise lightly or take nutritional supplements. And they can symbolize the start of a healthier lifestyle.

"Some of the concepts in some of these detox diets may actually help improve a person's health," Juarez said. "But it's only certain concepts, it's not the entire diet."

The cleansing process can trigger unpleasant side effects, including some that send the dieter running to the bathroom or feeling sluggish. Detox supporters say those symptoms, which pass within days, are signs that the diet is working.

Detoxing isn't a new idea. One of the most popular programs, The Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemonade Diet, became well-known in the 1970s. It consists of drinking a mixture of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper.

Still, new variations are constantly cropping up, partly because celebrities like Houston-born superstar Beyoncé have tried them. And it's no surprise Americans have an insatiable appetite for diet fads.

"The reality is people want to get as much bang from their buck," Juarez said. "They want to do as little as possible and get the most out of it."