Vitamins and supplements could do more harm than good in some cases, according to a new report in Consumer Reports.
The report, in Consumer Reports’ September issue, investigates 10 unknown dangers associated with taking vitamins, minerals, herbs, and nutritional supplements. More than half of all Americans take supplements, and the supplement industry has grown to a $27 billion industry.
But supplements aren’t necessarily risk-free, according to Dr. Jose Mosquera, medical adviser for Consumer Reports. While patients may believe supplements are safe because they are natural, he says not all supplements are truly all-natural.
Between 2007 and mid-April 2012, the Food and Drug Administration received more than 6,300 reports of serious adverse events linked to dietary supplements, including vitamins and herbs, according to Consumer Reports. The reports include 115 deaths and more than 2,100 hospitalizations.
Supplements should only be taken when there is a true deficiency, Mosquera says, and people should talk to their doctors before starting a supplement.
“Supplements and vitamins should never be a substitute for a healthy lifestyle with a nutritional plan,” he says. He adds that it’s better to get vitamins from healthy eating than from taking supplements.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), an association representing dietary supplement manufacturers, counters, “There is a strong body of scientific evidence that supports the benefits of dietary supplements and these products have a very strong profile for safety.”
However, Consumer Reports says some supposedly natural products are laced with the same active ingredients in prescription drugs, and people often experience unwanted side effects while taking the supplements.
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