Quest'anno nel mondo si spenderanno oltre 100 miliardi dollari per l'acquisto di vitamine e integratori alimentari, grazie ai quali le persone sperano di trovare una soluzione facile a problemi di salute.
La dietista di Adelaide Anne Schneyder non è convinta che la maggior parte della gente abbia bisogno di assumere regolarmente vitamine sotto forma di integratori per stare bene.
“I think that you can obtain the vitamins and minerals that you require from food and good healthy eating. I think that a range of foods from all of the food groups is able to give you what you need without relying on supplements. There are probably a few people who have got particular medical problems or particular issues that might need a supplement but by and large the majority of us don't need to take anything extra.”
Regole diverse potrebbero essere applicabili a persone anziane e a coloro che per via di problemi medici sono suscettibili a deficienze vitaminiche. La stessa Anne Schneyder assume regolarmente olio di pesce Omega-3 per via dell'artrite, ma cita anche altri esempi in cui un integratore può rivelarsi utile.
“So a person that might have medical problem - that means that they’re not eating a good range of foods. So, let’s say, for example, a person who is quite a bit older, their appetite might have decreased, they might be living alone, they might not be cooking meals for themselves adequately, then they might benefit from a multivitamin. Someone who’s a strict vegetarian might need a B12 supplement. A person that doesn't eat much red meat might need an iron supplement, but, by and large, we can get everything that we need from foods whether you’re a vegetarian or not.”
Anita Jarvis ha oltre 50 anni ed è una podista di resistenza. Prende normalmente quattro intergratori al giorno per riprendersi dagli allenamenti.
Acquistare integratori può diventare costoso, ma secondo Anita la spesa vale la pena a fronte dei benefici.
Il divulgatore scientifico Dr Derek Muller ha appena completato un documentario che esplora l'assunzione di vitamine, un integratore consumato da quasi un miliardo di persone in tutto il mondo.
“So I take a turmeric-based vitamin which helps the inflammation in my legs. I take magnesium for the same benefits. I get a lot of cramping when I run. Tablets during winter to ward off getting sick, and, so far, it’s helped. The last two years, I haven’t been sick at all. Botanical-based vitamin that keep my insides working well. Beetroot juice to help with my running.”
Ma qual è il ruolo degli integratori vitaminici?
L'Australia è tra i maggiori consumatori al mondo, ed è facile perdersi tra le oltre 85,000 tipologie di vitamine e integratori disponibili qui.
“I think the consumer can do a lot of research, a lot of homework to try to figure out where these things are coming from. Ultimately, it is a little tricky and it is a trust-based system whereby Australian manufacturers are meant to test their raw ingredients to make sure they are what they say they are. But there’s not always that level of follow up or testing by an independent regulator to find out whether they have achieved actually the correct product. There’s also a question of ‘do they deliver on the promises that they claim to make?”
Sally Brooks, una farmacista al Peter MacCallum Cancer Research Centre, spiega che integratori come olio di pesce, zenzero e té verde possono rivelarsi più dannosi che benefici, in quanto talvolta inteferiscono per esempio con i farmaci convenzionali.
“There are concerns associated with taking some supplements or vitamins in patients over the age of fifty or any age who have cancer. Although many supplements or complementary medicines may be safe when they’re taken by themselves, there are some which may interfere with conventional cancer treatments.”
Controllare con il proprio dottore, farmacista o nutrizionista prima di assumere un nuovo prodotto è importantissimo.
“If your doctor identified a deficiency and prescribes a supplement to rectify that then it’s also a good course of action to take. So it’s really in those cases of deficiency where vitamins are essential and must be used to achieve the proper improvement in health.”
Per evitare danni alla salute, il dottor Muller incoraggia tutti ad adottare un atteggiamento critico nei confronti dell'assunzione di integratori.
“When you are trying to ask the question which pills should I be taking I would say, ‘stop’ and first ask yourself, ‘What food should I be eating? What lifestyle changes can I be making to achieve this without adding something to my diet?”
Vitamania con il Dr Derek Muller debutta domenica 12 agosto su SBS dalle 8.30pm e sarà poi disponibile su SBS On Demand.
