According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), millions of people take vitamin and mineral supplements, despite the fact that there’s a growing body of evidence to advise you otherwise. Studies have warned that men who take vitamin C supplements could develop kidney stones, and calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart disease and even death, but as they have not proven that multivitamins improve your wellness at all, a new study tried to find out why so many people put their trust in supplements.
When interviewed, Dr. Regan Bailey, a nutritional epidemiologist at NIH and lead author of the study report, said, ‘People have very strong beliefs about these products and I don’t know where they are getting their information. The majority of scientific data available does not support the role of dietary supplements for improving health or preventing of disease.’
Even more confusingly, many people do not use supplements in relation to nutrition, but rather to overall wellbeing. The study found that supplementation was seen as a lifestyle issue, typically carried out by those who are older, eat well, are physically active, manage their weight, don’t smoke, and usually have a higher educational and social status than non-users.
Popular choices were multivitamins and multimineral products, followed by calcium and fish oil supplements, for various reasons including bone health, heart health, lower cholesterol levels and better eyesight. However, Dr Bailey says, ‘Less than a quarter of supplements used by adults were recommended by a physician or health care provider.’
There are also safety concerns with taking supplements, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations than conventional foods and prescription drugs. Generally, manufacturers of supplements do not need to have their products approved by the agency, and could, in theory, put anything they like in their products.
Therefore, if you are going to take supplements, make sure that they come from reputable sources and you are aware of potential risks, such as overdosing, especially with the fat-soluble varieties like vitamins A, D, E and K, and a number of minerals, which are stored in fat cells and can build up to toxic levels. Consult your doctor before taking any new supplement, as they can also interfere with certain medications and cause metabolic problems.
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