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News & Views
Don’t Be Fooled by the Mainstream’s Anti-Vitamin Campaign
Date: 23/12/10
Keywords: European Food Safety Authority, Food Standards Agency (FSA), beta-carotene, anti-vitamin campaign, vitamin B6
According to the UK consumer watchdog, ‘Which?’, pharmacies and health shops in and around London are selling vitamin supplements which are labelled incorrectly or with misleading information about their safety risks...
Needless to say, a blanket statement like this is extremely harmful to the supplement industry! Delve a little deeper and you’ll find that this entire case is built around the ‘safety concerns’ of vitamin B6 and beta- carotene.
Words actually cannot describe the amount of frustration I felt when I read yet another damning supplement headline: ‘Vitamin supplements may be harmful to health’...
Ignorant blanket-statements
According to the UK consumer watchdog, ‘Which?’, pharmacies and health shops in and around London are selling vitamin supplements which are labelled incorrectly or with misleading information about their safety risks...
Needless to say, a blanket statement like this is extremely harmful to the supplement industry! Delve a little deeper and you’ll find that this entire case is built around the ‘safety concerns’ of vitamin B6 and beta- carotene.
The Chief executive of ‘Which?’, Peter Vicary-Smith, said that high-power supplements that come with vitamin B6 and beta-carotene do not warn consumers about the harms of excessive usage of these products.
For the man on the street, Mr. Vicary-Smith’s attack on B6 and beta-carotene may sound alarm bells, when in actual fact it simply reeks of ignorance...
Up to 200 milligrams of vitamin B6 per day is safe to take in the short-term. Whilst an overdose can damage your sensory nerves, leading to numbness in your extremities that may cause walking difficulties, studies have revealed that for long-term use, it is best to take less than 100 mg of vitamin B6 per day.
Beta-carotene is a safe source of vitamin A. Due to the regulated conversion of beta-carotene into vitamin A, overconsumption does not produce hypervitaminosis A (like some sources suggest).
However, excessive intake of beta-carotene may cause carotenodermia — a yellowish tint of the skin, mainly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The yellow colour disappears when carotenoid consumption is reduced or stopped.
High doses of beta-carotene (up to 180 mg/day) used for the treatment of erythropoietic protoporphyria (a genetic disorder) have shown no adverse effects.
The British Expert Committee on Vitamins and Minerals (EVM) recommends a Safe Upper Level for supplementation of 7 mg/day. Other agencies such as the European DACH Society (German Society of Nutrition, Austrian Society of Nutrition, Swiss Society of Nutrition Research) have concluded that a recommended daily allowance (RDA) of up to 10mg of beta- carotene is safe.
What’s on the label
Using these RDAs and safe upper limits, I decided to do my own investigation. My local health food store supplied me with middle-range supplements of vitamin B6 (50mg per capsule), beta-carotene (6mg per capsule), a liquid herbal iron and vitamin formula (containing 0.4mg - 20% RDA - of B6 per 10ml) and a time release multivitamin supplement (containing 3.144mg of beta-carotene and 41mg of B6 per capsule)...
Much as I tried, I could not find either of the two vitamins in quantities that exceeded the RDA... or, for that matter, that even came close to safe upper-limits.
All the labels carried extensive safety warnings and in the case of multivitamin combinations the labels meticulously indicated how much of each vitamin was contained per serving... again, all levels were well below the RDA or safe upper-limit.
To complete my investigation, I also looked at vitamin- enriched water, which has become very popular in the past year. In the entire range of vitamin water, B6 only features at levels between 0.1 - 0.14mg... and none of theses products contained beta-carotene.
So what’s the big fuss about?
It may be fair to say that more can be done to warn consumers about possible safety concerns and side-effects, but to launch a full attack on two vitamins that have minimal risks simply seems irresponsible and extremely damaging to the vitamin and supplement industry.
Not only is ‘Which?’ inaccurate in their claim, but they’re also biased... saying that "people are being taken for a ride, needlessly paying a premium for many products on the basis of health claims that haven't been backed up by scientific evidence."
Paying a premium?
None of the products I saw on the shelf were overly expensive. In fact, their prices ranged between £2.50 and £10.
Scientific evidence?
The latest research on B6, published in the June issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that vitamin B6 and methionine are strongly associated with reducing lung cancer risk in smokers, people who never smoked and those who have quit.
Beta-carotene, the vitamin A precursor, is essential for normal growth and development, immune system functioning, vision and other vital functions in the human body.
Recent data from national nutrition surveys, published in The Journal of Nutrition, suggests that the dietary intake of beta-carotene from food sources is insufficient. Consequently, experts are calling for guarantees that recommended intakes of beta-carotene are met. This would ensure that at least 95 per cent of the population consumes an adequate amount of total vitamin A.
Perhaps if studies like these were printed on the labels of vitamins it would prevent the ill-informed mainstream and their sidekicks from pulling the wool over consumers’ eyes with misleading headlines and half-baked anti-supplement campaigns...
As is the case with prescription drugs, always read the label and speak to your healthcare practitioner when you plan to add a vitamin or supplement to your daily regime, especially if you are taking any medication, in order to prevent possible cotraindications.
Anti-Vitamin Campaign Related Reading:
Dangerous 'Herbal' Tea: Don’t Be Fooled By Misleading Headlines
Big Pharma... Or Should That Be Big Bully?
Harmonising Maximum Permitted Levels of Supplements is a BIG Mistake...
Sources:
‘Beta-carotene from food sources is insufficient in substantial part of population’ published online 14.12.10, news-medical.net
‘Vitamin B6 Linked to Lower Lung Cancer Risk’ published online 15.06.10, medicinenet.com
The Facts about Beta-carotene, published online, vitamin- basics.com
The Facts about Vitamin B6, published online, vitamin- basics.com
‘Vitamin supplements may be harmful to health’ published online 20.12.10, frenchtribune.com
Back to topIgnorant blanket-statements
According to the UK consumer watchdog, ‘Which?’, pharmacies and health shops in and around London are selling vitamin supplements which are labelled incorrectly or with misleading information about their safety risks...
Needless to say, a blanket statement like this is extremely harmful to the supplement industry! Delve a little deeper and you’ll find that this entire case is built around the ‘safety concerns’ of vitamin B6 and beta- carotene.
The Chief executive of ‘Which?’, Peter Vicary-Smith, said that high-power supplements that come with vitamin B6 and beta-carotene do not warn consumers about the harms of excessive usage of these products.
For the man on the street, Mr. Vicary-Smith’s attack on B6 and beta-carotene may sound alarm bells, when in actual fact it simply reeks of ignorance...
Up to 200 milligrams of vitamin B6 per day is safe to take in the short-term. Whilst an overdose can damage your sensory nerves, leading to numbness in your extremities that may cause walking difficulties, studies have revealed that for long-term use, it is best to take less than 100 mg of vitamin B6 per day.
Beta-carotene is a safe source of vitamin A. Due to the regulated conversion of beta-carotene into vitamin A, overconsumption does not produce hypervitaminosis A (like some sources suggest).
However, excessive intake of beta-carotene may cause carotenodermia — a yellowish tint of the skin, mainly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The yellow colour disappears when carotenoid consumption is reduced or stopped.
High doses of beta-carotene (up to 180 mg/day) used for the treatment of erythropoietic protoporphyria (a genetic disorder) have shown no adverse effects.
The British Expert Committee on Vitamins and Minerals (EVM) recommends a Safe Upper Level for supplementation of 7 mg/day. Other agencies such as the European DACH Society (German Society of Nutrition, Austrian Society of Nutrition, Swiss Society of Nutrition Research) have concluded that a recommended daily allowance (RDA) of up to 10mg of beta- carotene is safe.
What’s on the label
Using these RDAs and safe upper limits, I decided to do my own investigation. My local health food store supplied me with middle-range supplements of vitamin B6 (50mg per capsule), beta-carotene (6mg per capsule), a liquid herbal iron and vitamin formula (containing 0.4mg - 20% RDA - of B6 per 10ml) and a time release multivitamin supplement (containing 3.144mg of beta-carotene and 41mg of B6 per capsule)...
Much as I tried, I could not find either of the two vitamins in quantities that exceeded the RDA... or, for that matter, that even came close to safe upper-limits.
All the labels carried extensive safety warnings and in the case of multivitamin combinations the labels meticulously indicated how much of each vitamin was contained per serving... again, all levels were well below the RDA or safe upper-limit.
To complete my investigation, I also looked at vitamin- enriched water, which has become very popular in the past year. In the entire range of vitamin water, B6 only features at levels between 0.1 - 0.14mg... and none of theses products contained beta-carotene.
So what’s the big fuss about?
It may be fair to say that more can be done to warn consumers about possible safety concerns and side-effects, but to launch a full attack on two vitamins that have minimal risks simply seems irresponsible and extremely damaging to the vitamin and supplement industry.
Not only is ‘Which?’ inaccurate in their claim, but they’re also biased... saying that "people are being taken for a ride, needlessly paying a premium for many products on the basis of health claims that haven't been backed up by scientific evidence."
Paying a premium?
None of the products I saw on the shelf were overly expensive. In fact, their prices ranged between £2.50 and £10.
Scientific evidence?
The latest research on B6, published in the June issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that vitamin B6 and methionine are strongly associated with reducing lung cancer risk in smokers, people who never smoked and those who have quit.
Beta-carotene, the vitamin A precursor, is essential for normal growth and development, immune system functioning, vision and other vital functions in the human body.
Recent data from national nutrition surveys, published in The Journal of Nutrition, suggests that the dietary intake of beta-carotene from food sources is insufficient. Consequently, experts are calling for guarantees that recommended intakes of beta-carotene are met. This would ensure that at least 95 per cent of the population consumes an adequate amount of total vitamin A.
Perhaps if studies like these were printed on the labels of vitamins it would prevent the ill-informed mainstream and their sidekicks from pulling the wool over consumers’ eyes with misleading headlines and half-baked anti-supplement campaigns...
As is the case with prescription drugs, always read the label and speak to your healthcare practitioner when you plan to add a vitamin or supplement to your daily regime, especially if you are taking any medication, in order to prevent possible cotraindications.
Anti-Vitamin Campaign Related Reading:
Dangerous 'Herbal' Tea: Don’t Be Fooled By Misleading Headlines
Big Pharma... Or Should That Be Big Bully?
Harmonising Maximum Permitted Levels of Supplements is a BIG Mistake...
Sources:
‘Beta-carotene from food sources is insufficient in substantial part of population’ published online 14.12.10, news-medical.net
‘Vitamin B6 Linked to Lower Lung Cancer Risk’ published online 15.06.10, medicinenet.com
The Facts about Beta-carotene, published online, vitamin- basics.com
The Facts about Vitamin B6, published online, vitamin- basics.com
‘Vitamin supplements may be harmful to health’ published online 20.12.10, frenchtribune.com
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