Vitamins took a beating this year with several new studies that showed supplements can do more harm than good.

Meanwhile, exercise got a new boost with research that found people burn a substantial number of calories hours after a hard workout.

Following is a review of the years diet and fitness news.

Should you take vitamins?

New research raised questions about the wisdom of taking a daily vitamin. One study showed that older women who took a daily vitamin supplement, even just a multivitamin, had an increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Another study found that taking vitamin E supplements significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer in healthy men even after they stopped taking them.

The findings highlighted concerns about the long-term use of supplements and vitamins by people who do not have severe nutritional deficiencies.

Hold the chips, fries, soda

Adults gain an average of almost a pound a year as they age, and much of that weight gain is caused by changes in diet such as extra servings of such foods as potato chips, french fries, sugar-sweetened drinks, white bread and low-fibre breakfast cereals, said the largest, most comprehensive study of diet and weight gain in adults.

News and advice

Read more:
Health and fitness news of 2011