Results from the Institutes survey of around 1,000 people also found one in six take food supplements every day in a finding that could have long-term health implications.<\/p>\n
The market for vitamins in the form of food supplements is growing continuously. says BfR President Professor Dr Andreas Hensel.<\/p>\n
The diverse range of tablets, capsules and liquids give the impression that a sufficient vitamin intake is not possible from diet alone. However, in most cases taking vitamins via food supplements is not useful.<\/p>\n
On the contrary: Taking high-dose food supplements in addition to a balanced diet increases the risk of an oversupply of the respective vitamins.<\/p>\n
The representative population survey or the BfR Consumer Monitor sets out to ask which health risks the population are aware of and what aspects worries them.<\/p>\n
Conducted regularly since 2014, this latest survey also finds the majority of respondents (93%) think vitamins to be essential for human life.<\/p>\n
Additionally, around half of respondents believe they pay attention to adequate vitamin intakes with fruit and vegetables considered the most important vitamin sources, followed by fish and legumes.<\/p>\n
Only around one quarter of respondents consider food supplements to be an important source of vitamin intake.<\/p>\n
With one in six respondents confessing to taking supplements daily, the survey finds vitamin D, followed by vitamin B12, vitamin C and multivitamin preparations to be the most popular.<\/p>\n
When questioned further, a deficiency of a vitamin was the most popular reason for taking the food supplement.<\/p>\n
Further analysis of the respondents thought processes finds they perceive expected positive effects and potential health risks of vitamins in food supplements differently - depending on whether they take the respective products or not.<\/p>\n
About half of consumers, but only around one in ten non-consumers, see a high health benefit in taking them.<\/p>\n
As regards the issue of overdosage, with non-consumers, three out of five (59%) rate the likelihood of an oversupply (when vitamins via food supplements are taken daily) as high.<\/p>\n
Among consumers, this figure dropped to 42%. In fact, state the survey team, the risk of an oversupply increases when high-dose vitamin preparations are taken in addition to a balanced diet.<\/p>\n
Food supplements are food, hence must not endanger health. The responsibility for this generally lies with the food companies, the BfR points out.<\/p>\n
Food supplements do not undergo any official authorisation procedure, during which actual health safety must be proven. <\/p>\n
The German Food Supplements Regulation (NemV) specifies which vitamins may be added to a food supplement.<\/p>\n
However, it does not contain any legally binding maximum amounts for the addition of vitamins.<\/p>\n
The recommendations published by the BfR for maximum levels of vitamins in food supplements can contribute to the discussion on establishing standardised EU-wide regulations.<\/p>\n
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Link: <\/p>\n
Around a third of Germans take vitamin food supplements every week, say BfR - NutraIngredients.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Results from the Institutes survey of around 1,000 people also found one in six take food supplements every day in a finding that could have long-term health implications. Continue reading