Researchers at Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine have cautioned against the indiscriminate intake of high doses of Vitamin E supplements, saying that, as per their new study, needless Vitamin E supplementation may sometimes cause unwarranted harm to the heart.

The new study, reported in the leading journal of cardiology ATVB, noted that while Vitamin E supplements may benefit some people, it may harm others. Moreover, the researchers said that, going by earlier reviews, people who refrain from having Vitamin E supplements generally reported a healthier life-span.

Commenting on the recent findings, study co-author Dr. Ilya Pinchuk said: "Our new study shows that some people may be harmed by the treatment, whereas others may benefit from it. Now we're trying to identify groups of people that are most likely to benefit from the effects of Vitamin E."

For the study, the researchers scrutinized data from over 300,000 people in the US, Europe and Israel, and found that, by and large, people taking Vitamin E supplements ended up with four fewer healthy months in their lives.

Though the study contradicts the perceived notion that antioxidants help in prevention of heart diseases, Pinchuk elucidated that the study "does not mean that everybody consuming vitamin E shortens their life by almost four months. But on average, the quality-adjusted longevity is lower for vitamin-treated people. This says something significant."