More than a third of us pop a vitamin pill everyday and we spend over 330 pounds a year on supplements.

But could some of them be doing us more harm than good?

Scientists reviewed 67 studies involving 230,000 people.

They found no convincing evidence that anti-oxidants prolong life.

And indeed some could cause premature death. The review offered no biological reasons for its findings, but it said that vitamin a is linked to a 16 percent increase in mortality, beta-carotene to a seven percent increase, and vitamin e to a four percent increase. Vitamin C seemed to have to impact and scientists concluded it along with selenium needed further research.

Anti-oxidants like vitamins surveyed are found naturally in fruit and vegetables.

There's no suggestion from the review that vitamins taken through food are harmful, just some of those in pill form.

So is this just another scare story or should we take it seriously?

"It is certainly we should taking seriously. This is a review, I think, of 67 trials, so this is a broad range of evidence that gives us quite reliable data to confirm that we shouldn't be taking massive doses of single supplements," says Bridget Aisbett of the British Nutrition Foundation.

The review does not support the use of anti-oxidants in either the healthy or the sick.