According to a 2021 survey by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, 80% of Americans report taking dietary supplements, an increase of 7% in one year. That’s no doubt due to the pandemic, as more of us are buying immune-boosting supplements like vitamins C and D. There’s strong evidence that both of those vitamins are beneficial. But at the same time, scientists have recently warned against taking certain supplements. You may have been buying some of them for years. These are five supplements you should stop buying right now. Read on to learn more, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss out on these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
Our bodies need B vitamins for energy production. But many multivitamin formulas and energy supplements contain extremely high doses, sometimes thousands of times more than the recommended daily amount. That could be dangerous. Some studies They have found An association between high levels of B vitamins like B12 and B6 and an increased risk of some types of cancer. on your websitethe Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center says that taking vitamin B12 in combination with folate and B6 “may increase the risk of lung or colorectal cancer. Further study is needed to determine how vitamin B12 levels may affect cancer risk.”
Brain health has become a hot topic in recent years, and social media is full of advertisements for supplements promising brain health benefits. The smart thing to do is save money, experts say at Harvard Medical School. There is no scientific evidence that these supplements work. A Better Bet: Improve your brain function with science-backed lifestyle changes, like eating a healthy diet (such as the Mediterranean diet, or DASH) and getting plenty of physical and mental exercise.
Last May, the United States Protection Task Force (USPTF) published a draft statement on their website officially recommending against taking beta-carotene supplements. Studies have found that beta-carotene supplements may increase the chances of lung cancer in people who are already at higher risk (such as people who smoke or have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace). In addition, five studies have found a “statistically significantly increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease” in people who took beta-carotene supplements.
The USPTF also said there was insufficient evidence to recommend taking vitamin E supplements. “Evidence shows that taking vitamin E has no benefit and that beta-carotene may be harmful because it increases the risk of lung cancer in people who are already on risk, such as those who smoke, and also increases the risk of dying from heart disease — or stroke,” John Wong, MD, of Tufts Medical Center, said in a statement.
In addition, vitamin E thins the blood, which increases the risk of serious bleeding episodes. “Unless you have a reason to take vitamin E, you shouldn’t take it as a random supplement,” Dr. Kathryn Bolinga family medicine doctor at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, said NTT Health. “The risk outweighs the benefit.”
Biotin (technically vitamin B7) is a component of many supplements intended to improve hair, skin, and nail health. The problem: there no scientific evidence to support those claims. Also, taking high doses of biotin (5 mg to 10 mg daily) has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in men. Biotin supplements can also interfere with the results of blood and hormone tests, including one used to diagnose heart attacks. In 2017, the FDA issued an official warning after a patient taking high doses of biotin died of a heart attack that his doctors couldn’t detect using a standard blood test. And to ensure your health do not miss these 101 Health Habits You Didn’t Know Were Deadly.
