The professor warns – dietary supplements can be dangerous

There are around 100,000 different types of dietary supplements in the world. In most cases, it involves concentrating nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and other types of chemicals into capsules, pills, powders and drinks.

Recently, it has emerged that these can cause various types of damage. Martin Bergö, professor of molecular medicine, says that dietary supplements have a serious impact on the body.

– One of the most serious is that you can get damage to the liver if you get higher levels of these substances. Other effects are disturbances in the hormonal balance, the blood’s ability to coagulate can be affected. You can also reduce the effect of other vital medicines that you take. For example, blood-thinning drugs, antidepressants and so on, he says.

12 substances in dietary supplements must be investigated

Now there are twelve dietary supplements that the EU is looking at a little more closely. Among the substances that the EU will evaluate whether to ban or regulate are coumarin, which is found in herbal products, curcumin, which is found in turmeric and St. John’s wort. Ashwagandha is also commonly found in dietary supplements.

– As soon as you talk about having concentrated the substances in tablets, it is potentially harmful, says Martin Bergö.

As long as you use them in food, for example in spices in which many of the substances are found, there is no danger. Martin Bergö believes that there is nothing to worry about if, for example, you season the Christmas porridge with cinnamon, which contains coumarin. However, he believes that the idea that you can “boost” the body by taking these as dietary supplements is incorrect.

– It is enough to eat a well-balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables. As long as you don’t have a deficiency of any substance, as a doctor has determined, you don’t need to eat any of these, says Bergö.

The supplements you can still eat

Eating good food, exercising a lot, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and sunbathing in moderation are what have scientific support for curing fatigue and hangovers. A SIFU survey a few years ago showed that six out of ten Swedes ate dietary supplements and the market has remained unregulated since then.

However, there are some exceptions where it can actually be good to take supplements.

– In addition to, for example, folic acid for pregnant women and vitamin B12 for vegans, vitamin D can be a good thing for people in the northern hemisphere during the dark months, October to March. It is actually recommended by doctors as well, says Martin Bergö.