Monday, February 01, 2010

Treat vitamins as over-the-counter drugs: doctors' group

From the National Post:
With Health Canada poised to let food makers fortify a wide range of new products with vitamins and other nutrients, a group of leading emergency-department doctors is calling for vitamins to be treated like over-the-counter drugs because of their potentially dangerous side effects.

The physicians from children's hospitals in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario also recommend that vitamin A no longer be allowed as an ingredient in multivitamins, citing evidence that it can cause birth defects in high doses.

The researchers stress that vitamins are generally safe and healthy when consumed appropriately. But with many Canadians convinced that taking large quantities of certain supplements can stave off various medical problems, the doctors caution that the public needs to know more about the downsides of high doses or improper chronic use. ...more

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