The Risks of Vitamins and Supplements

Are you aware of the supplements you take on a daily basis may be harmful to your health? Really, really harmful and downright deadly in fact!

Supplements are something that half of all Americans consume every day and think very little about. They are stocked on almost every store shelf in this country, so they must be safe. Right? Wrong!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has very little, if any, oversight into supplement industry and their resources to inspect facilities that manufacture them are simply miniscule. And, usually it’s too little, too late when they do. It’s only when something has gone terribly wrong and people are permanently injured or killed. And, the latter is the only time when the manufacturers have to stop producing the said problematic product. Upon death before the manufacturer of supplements has to stop making a product that is harming the public! No other industry has such free rein to do whatever they want. It is essentially the “wild west.”

Many people are surprised to learn that supplements are not approved drugs by the FDA. They do not even know what is lurking in the bottles sold. Don’t assume because the label says there’s echinacea, it’s truly echinacea. Or, melatonin is melatonin. It could also be mixed with numerous harmful fillers, often cheaper and harmful to consume. Last year, the New York Attorney General investigated supplements and the findings were disgusting. The bottles did not match the labels with numerous fillers and many products exceeded the daily recommendations of vitamins – which in high doses is toxic. 

If this has you a little up in arms and thinking about what you are putting in your body, then you need to check out this informative PBS Frontline where they take on the tough subject of supplement safety. There are dangers with taking unapproved, untested drugs. Regardless the fact that there’s no prescription or doctor visit needed, these are drugs for all intents and purposes.

The next time you open your medicine cabinet, remember this investigative piece and decide for yourself if you want to take a chance with your health, your life.

I’d love to hear from you here, or on our Facebook or Twitter. What do you think about supplements? What, if anything, did you learn by watching this PBS program? I truly hope it was an eye-opener for you.

I’m just so glad I never fell for the supplement scam. I never took Vitamin D or calcium to help with my bones. Nor, did I ever take a multivitamin or subject my 5 kids to them. I am also thankful my late physician husband had the foresight to share his wise medical view on them – he was more than 50 years ahead of his time on so many things, and supplements being one of them. Thank you, Kelly!