No danger in taking vitamins C and E.

Several of the world's leading scientists in vitamin C and -E have established that the two antioxidants are completely safe across a broad range of intakes. Thereby, they reject statements primarily made to the public (and to a lesser extent published in scientific journals) claiming the opposite.
The article draws attention to the fact that the hypothesis that antioxidants reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, certain forms of cancer, coronary sclerosis, etc. - is still viable. Even though obvious deficiency diseases are rare in the Western world, a low intake can accelerate several predicators for ageing. This can certainly be partly caused by an insufficient protection against free oxygen radicals.
The scientists examine 24 major "safety observations" of vitamin E including all major studies performed in recent years. Neither of them reported any harmful effects.
The same applied in the 29 corresponding studies of vitamin C in which a few studies, however, showed an increased excretion of oxalic acid in the urine - a substance that is suspected of causing kidney stones. According to the authors of the article, however, this can be ascribed to an analytical error as a consequence of some of the vitamin C being transformed into oxalic acid as a result of the measurement method.
The article mentions the most recent official recommendations from the American Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) listing the following safety values for the vitamins C and -E:
Vitamin C:
RDA (men): 90 mg.
RDA (women): 75 mg.
UL: 2000 mg.
Vitamin E:
RDA (men and women): 15 mg.
UL: 1000 mg.
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.
The RDA for vitamin C should be increased by 35 mg. for smokers, amounting to 125 mg. for men and 110 mg. for women.
In this context, vitamin E means natural vitamin E - 15 mg. equals 33 I.U.
UL means tolerable upper intake level and is the highest level of daily nutrient intake that, according to the FNB, is likely to pose no risks of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population.
The recommended intake is higher than it used to be as a demonstration of the increasing recognition of the significance of antioxidants - from official quarters as well.
Stating that the 14 scientists authoring the article are among the leading experts in their field is no exaggeration. Their names are known by everyone with a scientific interest in antioxidants. Between them, they have performed a total of at least 1500 scientific studies.
Nobody, however, is superior to the biochemist Lester Packer who has been a professor at the University of California for more than 40 years and who is the undisputedly most acknowledged expert in the field. Packer has published more than 70 books - including one for non-scientists, The Antioxidant Miracle - and participated in more than 700 scientific articles.
He is President of the International Society for Free Radical Research, Vice President of UNESCO’s Global Network of Molecular and Cell Biology, and the editor of a long line of heavyweight scientific magazines. He has received countless scientific awards and is located at the head of the table at practically any significant scientific congress on antioxidants.
Packer and his colleagues have achieved the most thorough rejection so far of the attacks on vitamin C and -E that have alarmed - and thereby possibly damaged - a large part of the population.
Reference:
Hathcock JN et al. Vitamins E and C are safe across a broad range of intakes. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:736-45.