The study that found that antioxidant vitamins increased the risk of dying by up to 16%, was roundly criticized by Bernadine Healy, MD, former head of the National Institutes of Heath and the American Red Cross as "alarmist and silly." The study was so badly conceived that if you took those antioxidants and happened to be run over by a car, your death from antioxidants was included in that 16%!

One of the supposed culprits was Vitamin C, but Cancer Monthly just reported on October 16, 2007, growing evidence that it fights cancer:

"Vitamin C has many roles that may be associated with fighting cancer including: acting as an anti-oxidant and scavenging free radicals, supporting the various immune cells, modulating cell growth and differentiation, helping to synthesize carnitine which is essential for the transport of fat to mitochondria, and possibly even strengthening collagen. The mounting evidence does suggest that Drs. Pauling and Cameron were right and that vitamin C is a benefit to cancer patients. We will conclude, therefore, with their words, “Vitamin C is not a miraculous cure for cancer, but…it significantly prolongs the life of the cancer patient…We believe that supplemental ascorbate can be of real help to all cancer patients and of quite dramatic benefit to a fortunate few.”