No need for dietary supplements

A recent investigation finds that the third of Britons who take dietary supplements have no need to.

The academic study lead by John Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Warwick has concluded that the average person sees no health benefits from taking dietary supplements.

The title of their published editorial summarises their findings: “Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements”.

The scientist’s findings suggest that the majority of people in the Western world already consume sufficient vitamins and minerals within their diet.

The research found vitamin tablets to be surplus to requirements, having no effect on the average person’s health.

Of the three research papers which comprised this investigation, the first involved nearly half a million people and a retrospective examination of 24 previous trials concluded that vitamin tablets did not have any bearing on life expectancy or chronic disease.

The second found no evidence of reduced cognitive decline in 6,000 elderly men after 12 years of using supplements.

The third revealed no benefit within the 1,700 subjects with heart problems covered by the five year study.

The NHS advises that children under the age of five and those over the age of 60 take Vitamin D, and women trying to conceive take folic acid.

The scientists in this study support these recommendations and stress that specific supplements can be effective where someone’s diet is not sufficient in providing their daily vitamin needs.

The dietary supplement industry is worth £650 million.

There has as of yet been no response to this study from supplement manufacturers.