The Booming Industry For Vitamins And Supplements — Do They Work?
The industry for vitamins and mineral supplements is tremendous. Products touted as mineral supplements are promoted for their anti-aging properties, cancer prevention, weight loss, and general wellness abound on store shelves. The interesting thing about these supplements is that they’re not regulated by the FDA. Products classified as vitamins and mineral supplements are not regulated for purity, nor are they required to prove their efficacy. So, the question is — do vitamin supplements work?
According to this story at Science Daily, there is widespread concern within the European Union among regulatory agencies that vitamins and mineral supplements being advertised for weight loss that are not effective. Of course, the concern here is that consumers are being deceived. A professor at the University of Glasgow points out the following:
“He (Professor Lean) points out that, of all the hundreds of products currently on sale to help people lose weight, only energy-restricted diets and exercise, the drugs orlistat and sibutramine, and in some cases bariatric surgery, are safe, effective and cost-effective. The remainder, he says, are either not effective or not safe.”
In a related paper, which focuses on anti-aging supplements, researchers suggest that vitamins and mineral supplements touted for their antioxidant properties may not actually prevent aging. This statement goes against a generally accepted theory on the subject of aging, which suggests that aging is a result of the gradual buildup of molecular damage caused by oxidative degradation caused by free radicals. Dr. David Gems at the University College of London studied the progress of aging on worms that have the ability to resist oxidative damage. In worms, they found that the progress of aging was not affected by the ability to resist oxidative degradation. However, he goes on to acknowledge the following:
“…A healthy, balanced diet is very important for reducing the risk of developing many diseases associated with old age, such as cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis,” he says…
For myself, I don’t think this study will change much for me. Whether or not vitamin supplements work or not, I don’t see anything to suggest that I’m causing harm by making an honest effort to eat a diet rich in antioxidants. Perhaps it won’t slow the progress of aging, but it can’t hurt either.
Related posts:
One Response to “The Booming Industry For Vitamins And Supplements — Do They Work?”
Comments
Read below or add a comment...
Like This Site? It Runs On Frugal!
Follow Me On Twitter
AndrewENZ (3)
John's Weight Los... (1)
kahlil (1)
Karen (1)
Kate (1)
Anyone who touts “anti-aging” is going overboard and is misleading. We all age, no matter what. It should be “healthy aging. ” How to maintain a decent quality of life while you age.
The weight loss category is notorious for ridiculous claims and outright fraud. But don’t let that problem category define the entire supplement field. Many quality supplements have strong published science for supporting heart health, eye health, immune health and bone health, among others.”
There is FDA oversight of suppleements, administered under the FDA’s Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements (ONPLDSO), “responsible for developing policy and regulations for dietary supplements, nutrition labeling and food standards, infant formula and medical foods as well as for scientific evaluation to support such regulations and related policy development. ONPLDS staff also support compliance/ enforcement actions and is responsible for the clinical review, data summaries, and, as appropriate, follow-up and research related to adverse events associated with dietary supplements and infant formula.”
It’s true FDA doesn’t require 3-phase testing of supplements like they do pharmaceuticals, but they do work to ensure accurate labeling and safety.