Author: Dean Rouseberg
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Most of the users of food supplements do not really need them, but can provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals only through a balanced diet ...
Many new scientific studies show that the supplements we often take are not only ineffective, but can even be dangerous.
A study conducted by Danish scientists shows that daily intake of supplements containing vitamin A, E and beta-carotene shortens life, according to Deutsche Welle.
According to experts, an overdose of vitamin A during pregnancy can lead to abnormalities in fetal development and even abortion.
Another commonly used supplement, selenium, increases the risk of diabetes, scientists warn.
A study of 12,000 participants found that the risk of heart attack was 30% higher in those taking calcium without vitamin D.
The study's authors warn that supplements can not only cause side effects, but can and affect the effectiveness of medications.
For example, calcium reduces and even completely eliminates the effect of antibiotics, which in turn can make pathogenic microorganisms resistant to the drug.
Experts recommend that supplements such as vitamin K and E, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, garlic and St. John's wort not be taken during therapy with blood-thinning drugs.
St. John's wort is also incompatible with cholesterol-lowering drugs and birth control pills.
Grapefruit, on the other hand, should not be combined with drugs to lower blood pressure, as it alters their pharmaceutical activity.
Another, older study conducted by American scientists shows that taking herbal supplements in combination with drugs for the treatment of heart disease can be harmful to patients.
Various herbal and nutritional supplements can interact with drugs,
increasing or decreasing their effect. Although in rare cases, herbal supplements can disrupt heart rhythm and even cause bleeding.
The combination of drugs and herbal remedies is especially dangerous in older people who have more than one disease and take several different medications.
Scientists are adamant that most consumers of supplements do not really need them, but can provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals only through a balanced diet.