Vitamins can be trusted
October 13, 2011
THE Australian Self Medication
Industry is reassuring consumers
and healthcare professionals about
the safety of dietary supplements
and multivitamins in the wake of a
damning US study published in the
Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study looked at the use of
vitamin and mineral supplements
in relation to total mortality in
38,772 older American women
(with an average age of 62) and
found that the use of multivitamins,
Vitamin B6, folic acid, iron,
magnesium, zinc and copper were
associated with an increased risk
of total mortality when compared
with corresponding non-use.
To arrive at their conclusion the
study authors from the University
of Minnesota and the University of
Eastern Finland, looked at selfreported
supplement use in 1986,
1997 and 2004.
Interestingly, during this time,
the total number of participants
taking vitamins rose from 66% in
1986 to 85% in 2004.
“Based on existing evidence, we
see little justification for the
general and widespread use of
dietary supplements,” said the
study authors.
ASMI has however hit back at the
report, saying the authors
acknowledged that they did not
have the nutritional status of
participants, and that they didn’t
hold detailed information on the
supplements being used, why they
were being used or the amount
taken each day.
Importantly, ASMI said that the
study did not show that vitamin
supplements cause early death,
and that it is possible that the
women were taking the
supplements in response to an
illness which itself could have
caused their death.
“It’s crucial to recognise that
general vitamin, mineral and
supplement products in Australia
are regulated under TGA guidelines,
which stipulate a safe maximum
daily intake (RDI) for many of the
active ingredients discussed in this
US study,” said ASMI Regulatory
and Scientific Affairs Director,
Steven Scarff.
“Dietary vitamin and mineral
supplements are important for
many people.
“Consumers have made it very
clear that they see a distinct role
for these complementary
medicines as part of an integrated
approach to personal health, and
they want GPs, pharmacists and
other healthcare professionals to
assist them in making the right
choices,” he added.
MEANWHILE the Complementary
Healthcare Council of Australia
(CHC) has weighed in on the debate
saying that consumers can have
confidence in Australian
complementary medicines.
Discussing the study’s findings
the CHC’s Executive Director Dr
Wendy Morrow said “In short, the
‘maths’ is wrong”.
Morrow said that because of the
methodology of the study there
was no way of differentiating
between the impact of individual
nutrients, when multiple
supplements were taken and
individual nutrient measures.
Morrow also criticised the
“flawed research” saying it did not
take into account any pre-existing
health conditions.
It terms of the study’s relativity to
Australian consumers, Morrow said
“it’s really difficult to draw
comparisons between Australia and
other countries such as the US, due
to the extremely tough regulatory
consumer protections in place for
medicines in Australia, as well as
the completely different product
formulations allowed elsewhere.
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