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Working From Home - Impacts of Coronavirus

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Buriedcode:

--- Quote from: Zero999 on June 08, 2020, 12:32:28 pm ---
--- Quote from: nctnico on June 08, 2020, 09:38:10 am ---
--- Quote from: Zero999 on June 08, 2020, 07:59:47 am ---If there was a significant risk from taking the standard dose sold in pharmacies, then it would only be available on prescription.

--- End quote ---
That is wishfull thinking. A while ago I read a test in a consumer magazine and they found that there where several types of vitamin tablets which had harmful doses. If it isn't regulated it isn't regulated.

--- End quote ---
In the UK and perhaps the EU, vitamin supplements are regulated. They mustn't contain anything harmful or make any false claims. No doubt there are harmful doses available, but there are plenty of people selling things which are dangerous and don't comply with the relevant regulations. Buy from a reputable pharmacy and you should be fine.
https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/foodsupplementsenglish_0.pdf

If you're in a country which lacks proper regulations, then import from a reputable pharmacy in country which does.

--- End quote ---

They don't have to make claims - notice how an ad in the UK says "now with Turmeric!".  Or " added magnesium to support normal functioning.  The fact these ingredients are added implies that they have a purpose and some efficacy.  Water supports normal functioning. CO2 supports normal functioning.  My point is, supplements are not medicine in a legal sense, and provided no specific claims are made, they can be implied.  This is why you no longer hear about "anti-oxidants" "helping to protect against cancer" but rather the more subtle "as part of a healthy diet". 

The regulations aren't particularly strict - I mean you can buy homeopathic "remedies" at pharmacies still, because ultimately, its peoples choice, and it isn't in any way a medicine, just lactose and colouring.

In the US, some have found to contain contaminants: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-homeopathic-firms-putting-patients-risk-significant-violations-manufacturing-quality

I@m not anti-supplement.  Just that they are supplements, not a substitute for a poor diet, merely there to prevent severe deficiency for those who cannot get enough through diet.
The other myth I rant about (sorry) is the idea that with nutrients... not enough is bad, some is good... so more must be better? 

nctnico:

--- Quote from: Buriedcode on June 08, 2020, 05:22:38 pm ---
--- Quote from: paulca on June 08, 2020, 10:35:35 am ---Can we stop saying "boost your immune system".  It doesn't work like that.  You don't "boost" your immune system.  To do so would cause auto-immune syndromes.  What you can do is make sure you are not suppressing your immune system with poor diet, alcohol, drugs, vitamin deficiency, over weight, stress etc. etc. etc.

--- End quote ---

Thank you.  This myth simply will not die.  A "boosted" immune system is an inflammatory immune system: good in the short term for dealing with infection/injury, but causes collateral damage, and in the long term can significantly damage the circulatory system.  Thankfully, one cannot actually "boost" it, short of being exposed to lots of pathogens.   As as you alluded to, taking a supplement isn't going to improve an immune system that is hindered by poor diet, sleep etc..

--- End quote ---

This reminds me... Someone I talk to in the local swimming pool every now and then pointed me to a (what turned out to be) anti-carbohydrates video (which is utter nonsense BTW). One of the things they brought up in the video is that a shocking number of people have absolutely no clue what a healthy diet is. They showed some people who where eating food which could be best described as sweetened & salted card board. No wonder these people started to feel better when they started eating real food and not stomage filling. Another example: a while ago I read an article about a teenage boy somewhere in the UK which got permanently blind because he was only eating hamburgers. IOW: don't assume people know what they should eat to stay healthy.

SiliconWizard:

--- Quote from: Zero999 on June 08, 2020, 12:32:28 pm ---
--- Quote from: nctnico on June 08, 2020, 09:38:10 am ---
--- Quote from: Zero999 on June 08, 2020, 07:59:47 am ---If there was a significant risk from taking the standard dose sold in pharmacies, then it would only be available on prescription.

--- End quote ---
That is wishfull thinking. A while ago I read a test in a consumer magazine and they found that there where several types of vitamin tablets which had harmful doses. If it isn't regulated it isn't regulated.

--- End quote ---
In the UK and perhaps the EU, vitamin supplements are regulated. They mustn't contain anything harmful or make any false claims. No doubt there are harmful doses available, but there are plenty of people selling things which are dangerous and don't comply with the relevant regulations. Buy from a reputable pharmacy and you should be fine.
https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/foodsupplementsenglish_0.pdf

--- End quote ---

Yes, same over here. There are some vitamin supplements that are not regulated (sold as food basically), but I'm sure there is a regulation about doses, and whatever else that can classify them as food complements instead. (Would have to look that up.)

I may be wrong, but the typical food complements containing vitamins usually contain vitamins B*, C, maybe E, but I think I've rarely seen them containing vitamin D.

Anyway, I don't know for sure about the UK, but over here, another factor is that if under a prescription, vitamin supplements will be at least partly reimbursed by social security, so that's one more incentive to seek medical advice instead of self-medicating.

paulca:

--- Quote from: Buriedcode on June 08, 2020, 05:31:31 pm ---I@m not anti-supplement.  Just that they are supplements, not a substitute for a poor diet, merely there to prevent severe deficiency for those who cannot get enough through diet.

--- End quote ---

I have a collection of "supplementary vitamins and mineral".  Except for the vitamin C they are very lose doses and I don't take them everyday, actually maybe once a fortnight.

I use them to supplement my diet.  Just in case for whatever reason I didn't quite get all the rarer ones.

I have Vitamin C, which are like 3000% recommended daily requirement. LOL  So they make you pee Vitamin C.  I rarely use these and maybe have one if I feel run down or a bad hangover, not that they help.

I also have mixed vitamins and a specific iron supplement.  These I "use", in frequently, but it's because I know I don't eat enough greens.

I also have vitamin D, which I try to take at least once a week during winter when I barely see the sun for weeks at a time.

If I ate more greens and more veg and got outside more often I could probably do without any of them.  For what I use of them these days, the same bottles have lasted me for several years.

nctnico:

--- Quote from: Buriedcode on June 08, 2020, 05:31:31 pm ---I@m not anti-supplement.  Just that they are supplements, not a substitute for a poor diet, merely there to prevent severe deficiency for those who cannot get enough through diet.

--- End quote ---
This is getting slightly off-topic. The Dutch government health department does advice colored people to take vitamin D supplements from the age of 4 and all women from 50 and all men from 70 (ofcourse this is localised advice influenced by the Dutch climate).

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