The day before yesterday (2018-10-2) The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a paper on supplements, titled Given Their Potential for Harm, It’s Time to Focus on the Safety of Supplements (because of their potential harm, the safety of supplements should be paid attention to now).
I translate the key points as follows:
Replenishing agents, including vitamins, minerals and herbal medicines, are a huge business in the United States. U.S. consumers spend about $30 billion a year on these commodities. Although there is no definite benefit, there is a possible harm, and the use of these replenishers is not hindered at all. Studies in the elderly have found that the potential possibility of supplements interacting with drugs has increased significantly from 2005 to 2011, from 8% to over 15%.replenishing is not only expensive, but often does not have any evidence of benefits, and may not even have the content mentioned by the bottle label. Worse, as people are already taking other drugs, many supplements can increase the likelihood of adverse consequences. There are about 20,000 emergency clinics in the United States every year that can be blamed on adverse events of dietary supplements.
replenishing manufacturers do not need to prove that they are valid before selling their products. Due to lack of management, these products often contain only a small amount of the supposed ingredients, even those that have been banned or have never been studied. In 2016, a researcher pointed out that, he was sued by a replenishing manufacturer.
Everything we do for health must be balanced between the benefits and the harm. As far as supplements are concerned, the benefits seem small or even non-existent to many, if not most. On the other hand, the potential harm of supplements is real and recorded. With this, it is difficult to understand why the use of supplements is increasing. Doctors may need to work harder than they have in the past to retreat this phenomenon.
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