Vitamins, supplements have no added health benefits, study contends

A new report says taking supplements could be a waste of money and may even be harmful to your health.

The findings of a new study done at Tufts University reveal nutritional supplements have no added health benefits for people who are already healthy.

Researchers say it's clear that supplements are not a substitute for a healthy balanced diet. Their research also found that certain vitamins and minerals were linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, but only when they came from foods.

The study also found that some supplements even appear to have health risks. People who took high doses of calcium were at higher risk of dying from cancer than those not taking supplements. The research team used data from 30,000 American adults who participated in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2010.

The research was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.