Scaremongering over Colorado University Multivitamin Study Could Do More Harm Than Good
The industry body for New Zealand’s natural products sector is concerned that media scaremongering over a recentColorado University multivitamin study’s findings could do consumers more harm than good.
Alison Quesnel, Natural Products NZ’s (NPNZ) Executive Director, says although the news media has played up the study’s
suggestion of possible risks associated with excessive vitamin and mineral consumption, it also stressed that if taken
at the correct dosage they can be beneficial, and that people need not be afraid of taking vitamins and minerals.
Natural Products New Zealand (NPNZ) is a national industry organisation representing this country’s natural products,
functional foods, complementary medicines, cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals industries.
Ms Quesnel noted that excessive consumption of most things could cause problems and expressed concern that consumers
could be misled by media headlines that wrongly suggested harm could arise from taking vitamins and minerals in
sensible, recommended doses.
She pointed out that this approach could put some people at risk, including women of childbearing age who could be
scared off taking folic acid.
“The Ministry of Health recommends that women planning a pregnancy should take folic acid supplements every day, so as
to prevent spina bifida and ancephaly. Most women don’t get enough folate through their diets, which is why it is
necessary to take folic acid supplements.
“Although it is always best to meet one’s nutritional needs through a healthy, balanced diet and life-style,
unfortunately this is not always possible or practicable,” says Ms Quesnel.
NPNZ encourages people to seek a health practitioner’s advice before taking any dietary supplement or other form of
health preparation so as to ensure that the right kind of product and dosage is being taken for that person’s needs. In
some cases the advice could be that there is no need to take anything at all.
Worldwide there is a growing consumer demand for natural products and there is also a need for affordable health
careoptions that complement or replace pharmaceutical products. NPNZ believes that the two need not be mutually
exclusive.
“Consumers and the health system alike would benefit from a focus on looking at how to integrate complementary and
mainstream medicine for the public's and health system's best advantage,” says Ms Quesnel.
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