What Doctors Don't Tell YouHealth claims for vitamins and dietary supplements that appear on product labels are to be tightly controlled by health authorities in the US. Any claims must be supported by “significant scientific agreement among qualified experts,” the Food and Dr
Manufacturers cannot state that the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E canreduce the risk of cancer, or that fatty acids in fish oils can help prevent heart disease, even though double-blind studies have shown that both have these benefits.
The only claims permissible by the FDA are that calcium can help prevent osteoporosis and that 0.4mg of folic acid a day can reduce the risks of neural tube birth defects.
However, current legislation passing through Congress could soon deregulate the whole vitamin and supplement industry, and may even become law before the FDA ruling comes into play.
Daniel Redwood DC
Tom Ferguson MD
