Vitamin supplements could harm you

A US doctor has warned people against taking health supplements. Dr Paul Offit’s book Do You Believe In Magic? The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine, says that very few alternative health supplements are of any benefit. In fact they could carry health risks. People believe that supplements are harmless but that this simply isn’t true, Paul explained, particularly in the case of super-strength supplements which are becoming increasingly popular.

‘When you take large quantities of vitamins greater than the recommended daily allowance, the data is clear - it increases your chances of heart disease, cancer and can shorten your life,’ said the doctor in an interview with CBS This Morning. Paul, who is based at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, explained that he had recently seen a television advertisement that said you would need to drink two gallons of orange juice to get as much Vitamin C as was in the supplement being promoted. He said that there’s probably a good reason why nature doesn’t provide that much Vitamin C in one hit.

Paul said that certain supplements such as folic acid can be very useful. Also, that multivitamins would not do any harm however, although it is not really known whether or not they actually do any good.

When to take nutritional pills
* Pregnant mothers should take folic acid to prevent babies developing spina bifida, a condition that causes the spine to become deformed.
* Vitamin D is important for babies, particularly in those who are exclusively breastfed and do not get much exposure to sunlight.
* Elderly women should take calcium and Vitamin D to help prevent bones thinning.
* Omega-3 fatty acid oils might be beneficial to heart health.