Vitamins, Minerals: Shouldn’t You Decide Your Dose?

A newly published study in the journal Toxicology questions the model used by European authorities when determining the upper safe limits for vitamins and minerals in dietary supplements.
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Dr. Rob Verkerk, scientific and executive director of the Alliance for Natural Health International, and the study’s lead author, charges that the methodology used by European Union regulators is that designed for toxic chemicals. Because of this “fatal flaw” as well as others, the upper safe limits (USLs) are likely to be set at low limits, and thousands of products will be removed from store shelves. Verkerk and his co-authors suggest that a range of measures should be employed in the level-setting process. After all, dietary supplements have an enviable safety record in the United States, according to government reporting agencies.

13 comments

  1. Enough meddling re vitamins and supplements by the government. They are just agents of the drug companies out to try to get us all to buy more dangerous drugs and not rely on much much MUCH safer vitamins and supplements. Very distressing, discouraging in fact maddening. Stop trying to keep me from being healthy, and safely curing any diseases and problems I might have easily and safely using treatments that have stood the test of time in many countries. Stop trying to kill me.

  2. In 2000, I published an article in the J. of Orthomolecular Medicne, 2nd quarter, “The NAS Risk Assessment Model for Establishing Upper Intake Levels for Nutrients: A Critical Review From a Psycho-physiological Perspective.” My article challenged the National Academy of Sciences position that used a toxic chemical risk assessment model applied to setting upper limits for vital nutrient supplements. In my view, the NAS risk assessment model applied to essential nutrients was on a very shaky scientific foundation, but the FDA accepted the NAS paper for supporting very restrictive dietary supplement standards at CODEX meetings. Rather than using a toxic chemical risk assessment model applied to life supporting nutrients, it makes a lot more scientific sense to recognize the concept of “biochemical individuality” in human nutrition. A practical application of this concept would at least distinguish the different nutritional needs of fast and slow metabolizers. It’s also important to recognize that each person’s nutritional needs change over time because the neuro-endocrine system that nutrients help to regulate changes over time in response to stress and other life style factors. The inappropriate methodology used by the European Union regulators is likely to cause substantial damage to people’s health by severely restricting their access to vital health and life sustaining nutrients. The only ones likely to benefit by such a restrictive government policy are drug companies as more and more people are unable to sustain good health and become sick.

    2. Richard: Did you ever get any feedback or follow-up with the NAS about your challenge? Why does the FDA stubbornly refuse to change the assessment model when it isn’t relevant and one or two other models could be adopted? I’ve worked in both the petrochemical industry (wrote a large industry report 20 years ago) and saw changes there on risk assessment in response to TSCA, and I’ve worked in several pharmas and seen how the regs (e.g. the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act) have shaped labeling, adverse event reporting and overall documentation, not to mention higher GMP standards. So what gives?

  3. Re: Vitamins, Minerals: Shouldn’t You Decide Your Dose? ….YES.
    We must ALWAYS have the RIGHT to decide what goes, or DOESN’T go, into our bodies, – Supplementation, ..Food, ..EVERYTHING.
    We must also have the right to obtain the quality of food which we desire, & seek advice from those, we choose, – if we choose to.
    It is the Government that does NOT have these rights. Things are made EVEN WORSE, because it is harm, BIG Brother wishes to inflict.
    HEALTH FREEDOM MUST REIGN. > That is what WE, the PEOPLE, CHOOSE.

    1. If you don’t know what Codex Alimentarios is, please, educate yourself right now. They are trying to pass Codex here in the United States. If it passes, say good-bye to just about any nutritional supplement that you now use, or get used to being able to only obtain the lowest possible dosage, as set by the government (and the dosage will not be what’s needed for a healthy or an optimal body). Codex is being pushed by the big chemical companies, who are working in cahoots with Monsanto and Big Pharma. National Solutions Foundation (USA) is on the forefront, working to try to get Codex eliminated or extremely watered down here in the U.S. In fact, they have been fighting SO HARD that the begin date of Codex to start in the U.S.–Dec 31, 2009–has been pushed back!! If more people join them in their fight and send letters to their representatives, saying we don’t want this!–we just might have a chance at defeating Codex. But we all have to work together. They have about 1-2 million people so far in their database, working on taking down Codex here in the States. I am proud to say that I am one of the people fighting for the right to say what I want to go into my body–not the government.

  5. Our Government is the biggest tyranical organization in the world. They are bringing this country to it’s knees. I cannot believe that GMO foods, pesticides ON our food, along with all the other disease causing ingredients are totally OK but nutrients are a problem that need regulating?

  6. I do not want to get my proper dosage of vitamins from the same people who deal in “recreational” drugs. I do not want to get my proper dose of essential nutrients from drug companies at extorted prices. Is there a way we can just lock away these wackos who want to destroy freedom and democracy?

  8. This sounds like rationed health care to an extreme! First of all we live in America…not Germany. Please people petition against such government control or we will end up like Germany and Russia. It’s difficult enough to find safe foods/supplements without supplements being reduced in dosage! Thank you for public awareness!

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