[Antioxidants and health].

The Danish Fitness and Nutrition Council has evaluated the basis for recommendations on the intake of antioxidants and has found limited basis for increasing the recommended intake levels for the antioxidants vitamin C and E. Evidence was insufficient to support recommendations for polyphenol or carotenoid supplementation. Supplementation with high doses of vitamin E and beta-carotene may present a health risk. A high intake of fruit and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of lifestyle diseases, but there is no evidence that this association is due to an antioxidant effect.