Some Vitamins and Supplements Can Do More Harm Than Good, Even Increasing the Risk of Cancer: Dr Babić from San Diego Warns of the Risks
Improper and irrational use of dietary supplements can lead to a deterioration or impairment of health, and in some cases, it can even increase the chances of developing cancer, experts warn..
Many people, especially with the arrival of colder weather and the increase in viral activity, start taking various expensive vitamins and other supplements as a preventive measure. However, the improper and irrational use of these supplements can result in worsening or damaging health, and in some cases, it even increases the chances of cancer, experts caution.
This warning was also echoed by Dr Miloš Babić, a renowned neurobiologist and molecular biologist from San Diego, who in his blog provided a detailed scientific analysis of the effects of the most popular supplements..
“Vitamin A is extremely important for many processes in the body, and it’s no surprise that its deficiency can lead to various problems: if we look at overall mortality rates, a lack of vitamin A nearly triples the risk of death. A massive difference. But it’s not the only one: people with excess vitamin A in their blood also have a higher mortality rate than normal, by a full 20%. On the surface, this might suggest it’s better to have too much than too little. But vitamin A is found in plenty of foods, including carrots, fish, cheese, eggs, and milk,” he began his analysis in the blog titled “Vitamins, Supplements, Benefits, and Dangers” and added that today, outside Asia and Africa, vitamin A deficiency is quite rare.
Most People Lack Vitamin D3
On the other hand, Dr Miloš Babić points out that there are supplements with clear and proven positive effects, especially in specific situations.
“For example, folate supplementation (folic acid, vitamin B9) is extremely important during early pregnancy because even a temporary deficiency can lead to serious developmental issues in the foetus,” he explains. He also highlights that vitamin D3 is generally useful because a vast majority of the population is deficient in it, but even then, consultation with a doctor is necessary. Magnesium, fish oil rich in EPA, and creatine can also be beneficial, but only for specific conditions and when used under the right circumstances.
“If you have a balanced diet, which is far more important for health than any supplement, it’s highly unlikely you’ll have a deficiency of this vitamin – which means for most of us, taking these tablets will only lead to harmful excess,” he notes.
Emergency Room Visits
He adds that studies have shown smokers who take additional vitamin A have a significantly higher chance of developing lung cancer.
“Men who take it are more likely to develop prostate cancer and have more deadly forms of it. People with angina pectoris have more problems if they take additional vitamin A,” he explains, adding that, on the other hand, women who have survived breast cancer have better outcomes when taking extra vitamin A, as do those who have survived skin cancer.
Recommendations
• Dietary supplements cannot replace a varied diet
• Consult a doctor and pharmacist when choosing dietary supplements
• Buy dietary supplements only from authorised sellers
• The label of every dietary supplement on the market must include the registration number and date in the Ministry of Health’s Register of Dietary Products
• Follow all instructions and warnings listed on the label
• The label must also warn about potential dangers when using supplements in combination with other products or medications
• The recommended daily dose of a supplement must not be exceeded
• Many supplements, due to the nature of active and inactive ingredients, are not intended for children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, or people with certain chronic illnesses
• Before use, check whether you are hypersensitive or allergic to any ingredients in the product
• Use supplements only within the stated expiration date
* The Dr Milan Jovanović Batut Serbian Institute of Public Health "
Vitamin B, he says, is a complex of various substances that are relatively safe and hard to overdose on. But with supplements, overdoses often happen:
“People take a daily multivitamin, then start adding a B-complex supplement, and then throw in something ‘for nerves’ that also contains B vitamins, and suddenly they end up in the emergency room. Excessive doses of vitamin B3 can cause dangerous drops in blood pressure, extreme fatigue, heart palpitations, and, in the long term, liver damage. Too much vitamin B5 leads to internal bleeding, and excess B6 results in progressive nerve damage and pain in the limbs.”
Vitamin C is taken by many people in extremely large doses and is sold in countless forms and packages. According to Dr Babić, it is indeed important for the immune system and many other processes in the body, but only when present in very specific concentrations.
“Our body very carefully regulates the level of vitamin C in the blood, primarily by limiting the maximum amount that can be absorbed from the intestines at any given time. Any extra vitamin C you take in multivitamins or tablets simply passes through the intestines; if you take a large dose at once, your body will expel it quickly, often resulting in diarrhoea. If a larger dose somehow makes it into the bloodstream, the kidneys will urgently filter it out and expel it through the bladder.”.
Herbal Supplements Without Control
The rise in the use of dietary supplements
Due to their highly diverse contents and purposes, there has been a steady increase in the use of dietary supplements across all age groups in recent decades, The Dr Milan Jovanović Batut Serbian Institute of Public Health previously warned:
“Research examining consumer awareness of these dietary products and the reasons for their use shows that the choice of supplements is often made without prior consultation with a doctor. Improper and irrational use can result in the worsening or damage of health,” according to Batut..
Zinc is crucial for many processes in the body, particularly the immune system, but in even slightly higher doses, zinc becomes highly toxic to nerve cells, eventually leading to severe anaemia and neutropenia, Dr Babić explains, adding that various other herbal supplements that do not undergo rigorous quality control can also be potentially dangerous.
“Supplements should be treated as something risky that you decide to take for a specific reason. If you’re taking a supplement long-term, it should be because it visibly and clearly helps with an issue you haven’t been able to resolve in other ways. To justify the risk, life with the supplement must be clearly and visibly better than life without it. If instead, you’re taking supplements as most people do – ‘oh, it’s good for something, it’s natural, it can’t hurt’ – chances are you’re doing yourself both financial and health damage.”
Professor Slobodan Janković, a clinical pharmacologist from the Medical Faculty in Kragujevac, told Kurir too that taking vitamins on your own, especially in amounts exceeding the recommended dose, carries risks.
“Vitamins A, D, E, and K, if taken in amounts larger than recommended, can cause hypervitaminosis. It’s well known that taking large amounts of vitamin A during pregnancy can cause abnormalities in children. B6 is used to treat nerve damage, but if taken in high doses, it can cause harm. These are just a few examples, so it would be best for people to consult doctors before using supplements, as this could help prevent damage and save money."