Could Dietary Supplements Have An Unhealthy Side Effect?

Dietary supplements have grown in popularity until today, an estimated half the U.S. population takes one or more on a daily basis.

While no one suggests they are detrimental to your health, at least one researcher thinks they might have an unhealthy behavioral side effect.

Wen-Bin Chiou of National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan was having lunch one day when he observed a colleague choosing an unhealthy meal, explaining that he had taken a multivitamin earlier in the day, and that he really didn't need to eat the healthy meal. Chiou wondered if millions of other supplement users subconsciously believed the same thought his friend has openly expressed.

There might be something to it

Some follow-up research caused Chiou to think he was on to something.

"After reviewing the literature of the prevalence of dietary supplement use, it seemed to show that use of dietary supplements is increasing, but it does not appear to be correlated with improved public health," said Chiou.

Chiou and fellow researchers conducted two different experiments. In one, participants in one group were instructed to take a multivitamin and participants in the control group were assigned to take a placebo. However, all the participants actually took placebo pills.

The results from the experiments and survey demonstrated that participants who believed they had taken dietary supplements felt invulnerable to health hazards, thus leading them to engage in health-risk behaviors.

Choosing the buffet

Specifically, participants in group that thought they were taking a supplement were less interested in exercise and showed a strong preference for the buffet, rather than an organic meal.

Does it mean anything?

"People who rely on dietary supplement use for health protection may pay a hidden price, the curse of licensed self-indulgence,” Chiou said.

Chiou says people who take dietary supplements should carefully monitor whether they are living a healthy lifestyle and not relying on a vitamin to magically provide good health.

To put it simply, he says, people who take dietary supplements may have the misconception that they are invulnerable to health problems and may make poor decisions when it comes to their health.