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Food supplements can cause undesirable health effects
Food supplements are regulated as food under EU law. They are offered in large numbers in supermarkets, drugstores or online and are freely available for sale. This contributes to the fact that many consumers perceive them as largely harmless, health-promoting preparations. However, food supplements can also have undesirable effects on health.
Depending on the ingredients and their dosage, interactions with certain medicines cannot be ruled out. For example, an influence on the bioavailability and thus a strengthening or weakening of the effect of drugs is possible. This is known from vitamin K, which can weaken the effect of certain anticoagulant drugs, or from the plant ingredient quercetin, which is added to food supplements with the aim of strengthening the immune system. Another example of adverse effects is synephrine - a component of citrus fruits that is promoted as a slimming agent and often used in combination with caffeine and other stimulants in food supplements. As clinical studies have shown, synephrine can lead to an increase in blood pressure as well as heart rate after just one intake. Serious effects such as cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, ventricular fibrillation and hypertension have also been reported. Especially people who are taking medication should therefore only take food supplements after consulting their doctor.
Another undesirable effect concerns the seemingly harmless B vitamin biotin: the additional intake via supplements can falsify the results of certain laboratory tests, such as those used to diagnose a heart attack or in thyroid examinations. Since this has become known, the product information of biotin-containing medicinal products must contain a corresponding note. In the BfR's view, such a note should also appear on food supplements containing biotin.
8/11/2023
Opinion
(5)Date | Title | Size |
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15.01.2020 BfR opinion No 003/2020
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A questionable way to lower cholesterol: food supplements containing red yeast rice to be taken only on medical advice |
345.4 KB |
16.11.2012 BfR Opinion No. 004/2013
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Health assessment of sports and weight loss products containing synephrine and caffeine |
408.2 KB |
14.08.2009 BfR Opinion No. 004/2010
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Food supplements that contain glucosamine can constitute a health risk for patients who take coumarin anticoagulants as blood coagulation inhibitor |
114.1 KB |
29.10.2007 Updated BfR Expert Opinion No. 039/2007
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Isolated isoflavones are not without risk |
277.7 KB |
15.06.2007 BfR Opinion No. 032/2007
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Use of glucosamine and its derivatives in food supplements |
37.3 KB |