Misconceptions about vitamin pills due to unsubstantiated claims and mislabelled bottles could cause more harm than good, reports the Daily Mail.
A consumer advocacy charity in the UK, Which?, discovered that many consumers have insufficient or incorrect information about the supplements they are taking.
Researchers checked store shelves and found that the packaging sometimes contained unsubstantiated claims and a lack of information. Worst among them were products meant to promote bone and joint health, such as glucosamine and omega-3. Claims about their health benefits have been denied by the European Food Safety Authority, but still appear on the labels due to lack of regulatory controls.
Many of the packages also failed to warn consumers about the potential risk of overdose. One third of the 1,263 people surveyed said that they were unaware that some supplements, when taken in excess, can pose health risks.
"We want to see the European Commission release a list of accepted and rejected claims as soon as possible, so consumers won’t continue to be bamboozled by health claims they can’t trust," urged Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive of Which?
The UK’s National Health Service recommends that a medical professional be consulted before taking supplements, and that the vitamin pills should be taken only in recommended doses for a determined period of time, not as a substitute for a healthy diet.