UK debates safety of supplements
where consumers spend £300m on them every year- the Science Museum,
London will open up the debate on September 30, when it invites
experts and amateurs to air their views on the subject.
Vitamins were pushed to the front pages of the British media last week, when a Horizon programme screened on BBC2 entitled "The Truth about Vitamins" suggested that vitamin toxicity is a real danger for supplement users.
The programme looked at fears that large doses of vitamins could in certain cases be dangerous, concentrating on evidence that vitamin A, could be linked to the debilitating bone disease osteoporosis.
"For most people there's absolutely no benefit in taking high dose vitamin supplements," said Catherine Collins, chief dietician at London's St George Hospital.
"At best they are a waste of money and at worst they could seriously affect your health."
On the other side of the fence is Patrick Holford, a nutritionist and founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, he believed that the Horizon programme had little merit.
"This programme fell a long way short of providing an unbiased and intelligent report on what we know about antioxidants to date," he writes on his website.
Moreover, he thinks it extremely unlikely that supplements are toxic unless taken in extreme quantities.
"Our conclusion from a survey we conducted at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition of the results of over one hundred research papers in scientific journals is that for the majority of vitamins, with the exception of A and D, levels one hundred times greater than the RDA are likely to be safe for long-term ingestion," he writes.
Such conflicting opinions are bound to cause confusion for even the most health-conscious customer. This could cause problems for an industry, which relies heavily on consumer confidence.
Catherine Collins, Patrick Holford and Nigel Stephens, Consultant cardiologist at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, London will be arguing the case for and against supplements at the Science Museum's Dana Centre on 30 September 30. Tickets can be pre-booked on +44 (0) 20 7942 4040 and it is also possible to take part online at www.danacentre.org.uk.
