Friday 3 August 2012

Vitamin, 10 Hidden Dangers

Vitamin
Vitamin
Many people consume vitamins, minerals or dietary supplements because all three are considered one of the safest way to keep you fit. But this kind of supplement was not as safe as you think.

Consumer Reports magazine launched an investigation through interviews, review a number of studies and analyzes some of the side effects of vitamin supplements reported in the U.S. FDA. From the overall data, Consumer Reports found 10 hidden dangers exist in vitamins, minerals or other supplements as reported in CBSNews, Friday, August 3rd, 2012.

Supplement is not risk-free


According to Consumer Reports, FDA received a report that 6300 people experienced serious side effects associated with dietary supplement use in 2007 until April 2012. In addition there are 10.300 cases of serious side effects, 2.100 cases of users who were hospitalized, 1.000 cases of injury or serious illness, 900 cases of users who entered ER and 115 cases of people who died due to the use of supplements.

In the interim, the FDA has banned the use ephedrine alkaloid that is known to have implications for a number of adverse effects, including death.

A number of supplements are actually drug prescriptions

Since 2008, the FDA has drawn around 400 supplements from the market, mostly the products were for bodybuilding (muscle building), weight loss and increasing sexual performance.

Many of the  withdrawn  products contain the same active ingredients with drug prescriptions such as sildenafil (Viagra) and sibutramine (weight loss drug Meridia was withdrawn from the market in 2010 because it raised the risk of heart attack and stroke). FDA also has received reports on cases of kidney failure, blood clots in the lungs and death associated with supplements that have been contaminated with the drug ingredients.

You might have an overdose of vitamin

Just because this is a supplement, it does not mean that you can not overdose. Vitamin A, D, E and K in large doses can cause health problems and can interfere with the consumption of drug prescription on a person.

Too much vitamin A (in the form of retinol) can cause liver failure or even death, whereas pregnant women will be at risk of birth defects. In addition, most vitamin D intake results in unhealthy weight loss, bone pain, vomiting, diarrhea and muscle problems.

Overdose of vitamin E may increase the risk of bleeding, especially for people who are taking blood-thinning drugs and too much vitamin K is also dangerous because it can cause liver or kidney disease. Overdose of iron supplements also damages the function of organs and causes death if it is untreated so as taking too much calcium in the body can cause kidney stones.

You can not rely on warning labels

Consumer Reports reviewed some of the labels of 14 types of supplements consisting of 233 products from a number of stores in New York City and found many inconsistencies. Some supplements provided a warning "if you have suffered from certain medical conditions previously" but did not provide specific information about what medical condition is referred. Another supplement labels mentioned the side effects that may occur but without giving details what kind of side effects they might be.

There was no evidence vitamin can cure disease

Stay away from dietary supplements that claim to treat serious diseases because it is not allowed by the FDA. Even a few decades ago, a partner FDA, Federal Trade Commission had sued more than 100 types of supplements that made claims about the effectiveness of these supplements.

Be careful in buying herbal supplements in the drug store

Consumer Reports visited a number of herbal drug store in New York and ask for medicine advice for diabetes, high blood pressure and impotence. When a number of herbal medicines recommended by the shopkeepers were analyzed, scientists found no evidence of efficacy or safety of these herbal medicines. The experts also questioned the supply chain used by a number of stores to get the herbal ingredients since they allegedly did not meet industry standards.

Vitamin is not proven to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease

Consumer Reports included a study in June 2012 in the New England Journal of Medicine that looked at 12 500 people with diabetes and the risk of heart attack and stroke. The study found that there was no difference in death rates from cardiovascular disease among people who consume omega-3 or placebo.

It is similarly to antioxidants commonly found in supplements of vitamins A, C and E. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found no protective benefit against the risk of prostate cancer or gastrointestinal from the use of antioxidants. Instead, researchers said, "A number of clinical trials showed that some of these antioxidants actually increased the risk of cancer."

Choking and irritating the esophagus

From the data of FDA, Consumer Reports found more than 900 cases of choking supplements for more than five years.

Although the risk is small, Dr. Joe Blumin of American Academy of Otolayrngology-Head and Neck Surgery said that choking was a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment.

Blumin also said that the pills could irritate the esophagus and caused a seizure so that the pills will stuck and give the sensation of choking.

Natural products can be useful but it is not necessarily

Although it is listed on the packaging of your vitamin label 'organic' but it does not rule out the possibility that this drug has also been made ​​in a laboratory.

FDA also stated that there are a number of products that only contain synthetic imitation of herbal medicine who can not even qualify as a dietary supplement at all.

Maybe you do not need supplements at all

Many nutrients can be obtained easily through nature and you do not need a label to prove it.

Vitamin A is found in eggs, liver and milk, but even a vegetarian can get a daily dose from five servings of green leafy vegetables and yellow and orange fruits. Vitamin B can also be obtained from animal derived food products (even so pregnant or trying to get pregnant still want to consider the use of folic acid to help prevent birth defects).

Vitamin C is not shown to prevent influenza and too much vitamin C is dangerous for people who suffer haemochromatosis, a condition where the body absorb and store too much iron. Foods rich in vitamin D such as fatty fish, eggs and dairy products are also typically fortified with vitamin, so you do not need supplements.

To bear in mind is that many studies claimed unable to find evidence that multivitamins could improve the health of individuals.

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