Several well-known brands, retailers, and social media platforms have pulled certain supplements from their offerings following safety concerns. An investigation revealed that some supplements being sold online contain up to 12.5 times the recommended safe upper limit of popular vitamins and minerals, as reported by Which?.
Consumer safety experts examined Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, and Zinc supplements listed on various popular marketplaces like AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Superdrug, Temu, and TikTok Shop.
While the NHS suggests a daily intake of 10 micrograms (µg) of Vitamin D for adults, with a safe upper limit of 100µg, some platforms were found selling Nuke Nutrition 10,000 IU (250µg) vitamin D3 supplements, exceeding the recommended dose. Notably, AliExpress featured vitamin D3 supplements in 50,000 IU doses, which is 12.5 times the daily recommended limit.
Taking excessively high doses of vitamins and minerals can pose health risks, such as hypercalcaemia, cautioned the NHS. For instance, consuming 10,000 IU of Vitamin D can lead to adverse effects. Which? also discovered Vitamin D supplements for children with higher than recommended doses, like the Pslalae brand’s “Growth” and “Height Growth Maximiser” supplements containing 2,500 IU (62.5µg) of vitamin D3.
Vitamin A is essential for vision, immune system support, and healthy skin. While the NHS advises a maximum daily intake of 1500µg of Vitamin A, some supplements like Mother Nature’s 25,000 IU (7,500µg) vitamin A were found on Etsy, TikTok shop, and eBay.
Similarly, exceeding the recommended dose of Vitamin B6 and Zinc can have negative consequences. Holland & Barrett and other platforms were found selling supplements with higher doses than advised.
Which? emphasized the need for better regulation in the supplements industry to prevent consumers from unknowingly consuming potentially harmful doses of vitamins and minerals. Various platforms responded to the findings by either withdrawing the products or affirming compliance with existing regulations.
In conclusion, the importance of adhering to recommended dosage levels for supplements is crucial for consumer safety.