Germany launches national anti-obesity drive (AFP)

AFP - The German government on Wednesday unveiled a bundle of measures and incentives to whip millions of overweight adults and children into shape.

Most people seem to take some form of supplementation, including vitamins and minerals, either regularly or irregularly. Evidence is accumulating for more and more supplements, that taking high levels can be harmful. Additionally, some supplements should not be taken in certain combinations or with some medications, and not under particular circumstances. Further the ratios in which some are consumed may be important.

Often people feel that they do not eat a complete healthy balanced diet and therefore feel the need to take various supplements to compensate. Additionally there are a wide range of plant extracts that are taken for an array of reasons from improved eyesight to depression. It interesting that many who are skeptical about prescription drugs, will happily take all sorts of supplements with no or little thought. Everything you swallow can be considered to be a drug, and can have good and bad consequences depending on the form, how much, when, current health status, your age, what also is consumed at the same time, weight and a range of other parameters.

Probably every human has the feeling that if something is good, more is even better. For a lot of things this may be correct, but some things it is not true. For an increasing number of supplements high doses have been found to be harmful or at least associated with an increased risk of something bad.

For instance, recently there has been evidence that regularly consuming high levels of vitamin B6 can cause neuropathy (nerve damage) in some people. Take a look at the contents of B complex tablets that are on the shelf in the grocery or drug store. Many have 2500% (i.e. 50mg) of the buy pure l-ornithine hydrochloride supplement value. That is 25 times the daily value. If you cut the pill into 25 equal pieces you could get your daily vitamin B6 for almost a month from one pill.

One vitamin that has been known for a long time to be harmful when regularly consumed at high levels is vitamin A. Overdosing on this vitamin can result in increasing the rate of development of osteoporosis with the increased risk of bone fractures. At high doses there are a range of symptoms including blurry vision, irritability, hair loss and insomnia. Really high doses cause significant damage to the liver.

Ginkgo biloba is an example of a supplement that may have complications when taken with certain medications and is usually stopped before surgery. Extract of ginkgo leaves is often taken for a number of potential benefits including improved circulation, memory enhancement and dementia. This extract also decreases platelet aggregation so that blood-clotting times are increased. Taking ginkgo can be a problem for surgery, so generally it is advised that none should be taken for a period of time prior to surgery. Usually taking this supplement when also taking blood thinners may cause problems, since it there can be an additive effect, and internal bleeding (hemorrhaging) can occur. Be aware that aspirin is also a blood thinner, so care should be taken if ginkgo and aspirin are both taken. So gingko biloba is a popular supplement that may have health benefits, but users should take into account the potential problems with some medications and under certain circumstances.

Some supplements may just be bad for you. The classic example is beta-carotene. This orange pigment is found in fruits and vegetables such as carrots, and is an antioxidant. Studies of daily supplementation with beta-carotene found that the rate of some cancers increased particularly in smokers. Why foods containing beta-carotene seem to lower lung cancer rates, and beta-carotene supplementation seems to raise lung cancer rates is currently not known. It does indicate that not all substances in supplements should be considered equivalent to the foods that contain them.

Perhaps it is a question of a balance, so that if certain substances are too high relative to others, the imbalance is actually harmful. Recent studies have demonstrated that excess vitamin B9 (folate or folic acid) relative to levels of vitamin B12 in the diet can result in an increased rate of cognitive impairment as we age. Also, it could be that for optimal health we need to have nutrients (known and unknown) in certain combinations that are found in foods but not in supplements or plant extracts.

The bottom line is to try to eat a healthy diet and be moderate in your supplement consumption. Be an informed consumer.

Judith Airey PhD. is a biomedical researcher with a range of interests including health and aging. She has a blog http://www.lifeagingand.com/ and several health-related websites including a blood pressure information site http://www.infobloodpressure.com/