Between hype and misconception: common misunderstandings about food supplements The new issue of the BfR2GO Science Magazine, with a focus on food supplements, has been released
What it's about:
They’re on the tip of everyone’s tongue: food supplements are en vogue, for several reasons. Some people want to get their daily dose of vitamin C or D, others are trying to meet their iron requirements. And yet others want to supplement vitamin B12 or omega-3 fatty acids. In a survey conducted by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment), more than two thirds of respondents reported consuming a food supplement within the past 12 months and almost half of them did so in order to treat illness or other health conditions. The frequent discussions of such pills and powders in the media are matched by a high number of misunderstandings about food supplements. The new BfR2GO Science Magazine takes a closer look at five of them. “One common misunderstanding addressed in the new issue of BfR2GO is the assumption that food supplements are freely available and officially approved medical drugs,” says BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Vice-President Dr Tewes Tralau. According to the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment study, a quarter of respondents believe that supplements are freely available medical drugs, while another 33 percent somewhat believe that this is the case. Legally, however, these vitamin and mineral preparations are foodstuffs. More than two thirds of the respondents believe this true statement is false or somewhat false. However, those who eat a balanced diet can typically do without these supplements anyway.
Almost half of the respondents surveyed by the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment stated that they consumed food supplements in order to treat illnesses or other health conditions. However, unlike medical drugs, food supplements are not intended to be used as treatment. They are not allowed to be promoted with illness-related claims. It is undisputed that vitamins and minerals generally fulfil important functions within the body and that deficiencies can lead to health impairments. However, unnecessary additional intake of vitamins or minerals can lead to undesired health effects, as is explained in the new issue of BfR2GO. In an interview, BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment scientist Dr Nadiya Bakhiya details possible health risks posed by consumption of food supplements with plant-based ingredients.
In addition to the main topic and just in time for summer, the new issue provides tips for better barbecuing to help avoid pathogens and the development of health-hazardous substances which might sully festive gatherings. In an interview with BfR2GO, Dr Inge Paulini, the President of the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection, explains that while sunscreen offers protection against skin cancer-causing UV radiation, other measures are more important.
The article “Exposed” illuminates the concept of exposureExposureTo glossary: the degree to which the human organism is exposed to a potentially hazardous substance – via food intake, inhalation or through the skin – is a major factor in the associated health risk. Additionally, the new issue of BfR2GO takes a look at chili, a spicy risk, as well as at the undesired health effects which may arise from flavouring substances in e-cigarette liquids. Further topics include miniature organ replicas meant to eventually replace animal experiments, foodborne diseases and their increasing prevalence due to climate change, and the intake of substances potentially hazardous to health through the use of period products or the consumption of beverages from PET bottles.
As always, the BfR2GO Science Magazine is compact and knowledge-packed and provides up-to-date and well-founded information about research and the assessment of this research in consumer health protection and for the protection of laboratory animals. Each issue of BfR2GO presents an issue related to one of the BfR’s current fields of work as the main topic. It additionally includes reports, interviews, and news from all of the BfR’s areas of work.
The magazine is published on the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment website in both German and English and can be downloaded there for free. Anyone who wishes to receive future issues of BfR2GO can subscribe for free at:
External Link:https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/publications/bfr2go/
About the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) is a scientifically independent public health institute within the portfolio of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). It provides advice to the Federal Government as well as the Federal States (‘Laender’) on questions related to food, feed, chemical and product safety. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment conducts its own research on topics closely related to its assessment tasks.
This text version is a translation of the original German text, which is the only legally binding version.