We all know that getting the right vitamins and minerals into our bodies is extremely important for our health and wellbeing. And while it’s possible to get plenty of the right nutrients from our food, some people like to use supplements to ensure that they are getting the right balance. But now it seems that we might have to be a little more careful with the supplements we buy, as a new study suggests that many are incorrectly labelled.
A team of analysts looked at 38 different vitamin tablets for levels of nutrients, accuracy of the labelling, and how well they can be absorbed by the body. The results were quite shocking as one in three of the labels failed the test due to containing an excessive level of the main ingredients, or not containing what was promised on the label.
There were some quite worrying inconsistencies. One tablet had 40 percent less vitamin A than was listed on the label. Another contained over 173 percent more than was listed. This kind of inconsistency can be very dangerous as high doses of vitamin A have been linked to liver damage and birth defects.
Other findings from the study were that several children’s vitamins had excessively high levels of niacin, vitamin A and zinc. However, it should also be noted that many of the supplements did not have any issues with their labels. In fact many of the most accurately labelled products were some of the cheapest.
Nevertheless, the researchers suggested that if such inconsistencies had been seen on medications, the drug companies that produced them would be shut down. It was the opinion of the team that there should be much stricter regulations on companies that produce these pills as they are only able to get away with such misleading packaging because of the lack of regulation.
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