About the Dangers of Supplements

I was asked to cover in detail the topic of dietary supplements (dietary food supplements). I dug up interesting research and this is not only about the known 70% of toxic hepatitis from the use of dietary supplements.

A large study was published in 2019, and in 2023 the American Drug and Food Association published a guide to dietary supplements.

According to both publications, there are a lot of myths about dietary supplements. For example, calcium in supplements is much more harmful and less absorbable than calcium obtained from foods. So it is better to eat more foods containing calcium than to swallow a capsule. Calcium from dietary supplements increases vascular atherosclerosis and there is evidence that it increases mortality from cancer.

It has been proven that magnesium, zinc, vitamins A and K reduce the risk of death, but only if they come from food and not from dietary supplements. In general, everything about vitamin D is still scandalous. Yes, it is useful, but in moderation; everything else is excessive enthusiasm. Too much vitamin D causes muscle pain, mood disorders, kidney stones and does not prevent fractures in postmenopausal women, and also increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

In addition, many medications do not combine well with this vitamin. In the state of Iowa, they studied 40,000 women and found that women who took dietary supplements and multivitamins had a higher risk of early death. Multivitamins did not protect any of them from cancer, cardiovascular disease or early death.

Vitamin A may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. The herb kava, used to treat anxiety, can cause toxic hepatitis, meaning it is more harmful than antidepressants.

As a result, if you want to take something yourself from dietary supplements, then at least check the blood level of one or another substance (vitamins, omega acids, etc.).

It’s better to discuss with your doctor the advisability of using dietary supplements. All these substances are absorbed much better with food than from dietary supplements.

The saddest thing is that in 2018, 800 different dietary supplements were analyzed: 80% of them contained one pharmacological drug, almost 20% contained 2 drugs, and 33 of them contained 3 drugs not listed on the label or listed neutrally.

All these pharmaceuticals were either discontinued long ago or were never approved for use.