A doctor has issued a warning about supplements, claiming “we don’t know exactly how much of everything is in these things”. According to the expert, the industry is not regulated, meaning you might not be getting what you expect.
Speaking on the Lorraine show on ITV, Doctor Amir Khan issued some words of caution about doing so. Firstly he spoke about gummy supplements.
While these may make you more likely to take them regularly, they can be high in sugar.
“With gummies – most supplements now come in gummy form, so whether it’s vitamin D, magnesium, creatine, they all come in gummy form and that is fine,” he said.
“The thing about supplements is, if you need them, the best way to take them are the ways that you are going to take them regularly.
“And for gummies, because they taste like sweets, people will take them regularly and they will get their supplementation. So that’s all right.”
However, he said: “The danger with gummies is they can contain sugar and sweetness, which is a bad thing, really if you have too much.” This could also cause people to overdose on the supplement.
Dr Amir said: “But also because they taste so good, people just go back and eat and eat and eat them so you can overdose on gummies.” Speaking more generally about all supplements, he explained that you don’t always know what you’re getting.
He continued: “But the problem with the supplement industry as a whole is that it’s not regulated in the same way medicines are. So we don’t know exactly how much of everything is in these things and some studies have shown that actually they contain 10 or 12 times more than the recommended dose or some contain very little as well.
“So there’s no regulating that and that’s a problem.”
Recommended supplements
If you are going to take supplements, Dr Amir recommended three specific ones: vitamin D, omega 3, and creatine. “Vitamin D, I would say,” he said. “Omega-3 fatty acids and creatine. That’s where the evidence lies.
“Those are the only three I take.” It is recommended to speak with your GP before starting any new dietary or vitamin supplement
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
