As it currently stands, if you want to take a broad spectrum multivitamin throughout the year, crack out 1000mg of vitamin C when the winter sniffles threaten your wellness and supplement with the same amount of glucosamine when your joints aren’t quite as nimble as they could be, there’s nothing to stop you. Compared to other countries within the EU, people who live in this country are allowed to take more control of their own wellbeing, as the UK supplement industry are allowed to offer a wide range of choices and strengths of supplements, but new legislation could change all of this.
In Britain, you are so widely informed about nutrition that it is easy to make proactive health decisions, but two new pieces of legislation are being introduced by the EU that could inhibit your ability to choose and buy the products you want. The Food Supplements Directive is set change the strengths of products that you’re presently allowed to buy, so that in a few years’ time you will only be able to purchase vitamins and minerals that are limited to the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).
What’s the problem with this ruling in particular? RDA levels were not set to promote optimum levels, but they were agreed over 60 years ago at the minimum level that you require to prevent deficiency diseases. These days, there is good evidence that indicates that you benefit far more from higher doses of vitamin and mineral supplements. Practically speaking, if you currently take a 500mg daily dose of vitamin C, as the RDA for this vitamin in 60mg, you’ll have to take eight tablets every day when the guidelines kick in!
The second legislation, the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation (NHCR) will restrict the ability of supplement providers to make recommendations on what product could help you with your wellbeing specifically. For example, glucosamine will not be allowed to be recommended for joint wellness, even though numerous clinical studies have shown that glucosamine improves joint problems. The Food Standards Agency already regulates the ‘conning’ of people into buying ineffective health products.
If you want to do something about this issue, contact your local MP and MEP and get them to write to European Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassililou at DG SANCO, to urge her to allow the UK to keep its current position on supplementation.
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