One of the reasons dietary supplements are so popular is the perception that they are harmless.
But like all medications, there are many potential dangers associated with taking vitamins and minerals.
The problem is that, unlike conventional drugs, dietary supplements are not required to warn consumers of their potential risks.
They are also not required to submit detailed documentation of their risks to Australia’s medicines regulatory authority, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), when cleared to market, which leaves us all in the dark. .
This week I published an article at Australian Prescriber identifying six possible harms of taking vitamin and mineral supplements.
What do we mean by supplements?
Dietary supplements are natural health products such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, herbal extracts and algae used to augment people’s diet. instead of curing the disease.
Although these products are more commonly referred to as complementary medicines in Australia, particularly by the TGA, the term ‘dietary supplement’ is frequently used by consumers and in the scientific literature.
Dietary supplements dominate the complementary medicine industry in Australia.
Sales reached A$4.9 billion in 2017, after doubled in the previous ten years.
Complementary medicines are widely used in Australia. A national survey published in 2018 showed that 63% of people use them regularly.
Supplements containing vitamins and minerals were the most popular type of complementary medicine, and were reportedly used by 47% of respondents. Examples include vitamin D, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin A.
6 potential harms of dietary supplements
People often say they have never heard of the harms of dietary supplements. This is not surprising, given that their marketing is largely based on benefits with little to no mention of potential harms.
In addition, consumer information leaflets are never provided and few products carry warnings of potential serious effects on their packaging.
Nevertheless, there is well recognized night from Ingredients dietary supplements, which anyone who has studied pharmacology would be familiar with, especially when these substances are consumed in high doses.
For these reasons, certain high dose vitamin A and selenium products are legally regulated by the TGA as Schedule 2 (pharmacy only), Schedule 3 (pharmacist only) and Schedule 4 drugs. (by prescription only).
When considering the possible harm that could occur with dietary supplements, most people only think of side effects.
However, as with any drug, there are at least six types of damage that can occur that I identified in my research:
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For people to make informed decisions about using dietary supplements, details about the benefits and harms must be evidence-based and readily available. People need to know not only where to look for this information, but also how to critique it.
Healthcare professionals can help people by openly discussing the risks and benefits of dietary supplements, explaining why dosage is important for efficacy and safety, and telling them where to go for good quality information that goes to the beyond what is on the manufacturer’s label.
Manufacturers should be required to make this information more easily accessible.
When evaluating the potential benefits and risks of supplements, it is essential to look beyond the main or well-known ingredient. Identify the exact product used, all of its ingredients, the dose taken, and the potential for cumulative overdose of repeated ingredients in multiple products.
As with all medicines, if you have any side effects or problems after taking dietary supplements, report them to the TGA.
