Insight brings everyone together to find out what the evidence says about vitamins and supplements. Watch it on SBS On Demand.
Vitamins and supplements don’t have the same regulations that other medicines do.
Consumers are expected to navigate their way through the ‘ocean of information’ that exists as well as the polarised view-points to come to their own conclusions about what to take.
“Every day, I take about ten [vitamins],” Susan Willoughby says.
The 65-year-old spends between $300 and $400 per month on a range of supplements and says rather than relying on scientific evidence the proof is in the pudding.
“I mean I'm completely healthy … so yeah, whether it's psychosomatic, I don't care,” she explains.
Ken Harvey, who specialises in preventative medicine from Monash University, says plural anecdotes do not count as scientific evidence.
For me it's a triumph of celebrity endorsement and hype over science.
“To my knowledge, apart from a few specific instances that we've talked about, there is no evidence that routinely consuming multi-vitamins, or whatever, gives you extra benefits. Food and good diet is the crucial thing.”
John Skerritt, from the department of health admits manufacturers of vitamins and supplements don’t have to prove their products work before they make it on to supermarket shelves.
“We can call in evidence as to whether or not they work after they're on the market and we call in a few hundred a year out of the 11,000."
“What's most important however is safety and the products can only contain ingredients that are shown to be safe and they have to be produced within a medicines grade facility.”
Joanna Harnett, who researches complementary medicines at Sydney University, says at the end of the day consumers can be assured that the Australian regulatory framework is considered to be one of the highest in the world.
“The real risk for consumers is when purchasing products online where the origin is unknown and from countries with little, to no regulation.”
