The DAILY MAIL is by no means my favourite paper (see, for instance, here, here and here). This week, the Mail published another article which, I thought, is worth mentioning. The Mail apparently asked several UK doctors which dietary supplements they use for their own health (no mention of the number they had to approach to find any fitting into this category). The results remind me of a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby in the famous TV series YES MINISTER: “if nobody knows anything then nobody can accuse anybody else of knowing nothing, and so the one thing we do know is that nobody knows anything, and that’s better than us knowing nothing”.
Below, I present the relevant quotes by the doctors who volunteered to be interviewed and add the most up-to date evidence on each subject.
Professor Christopher Eden, 57, is a consultant urological surgeon at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.
“I take a 1g supplement of vitamin C daily. (The recommended daily amount, or RDA, is 40mg, which is equivalent to a large orange.) This amount of vitamin C makes the urine mildly acidic and increases the levels of an antimicrobial protein called siderocalin, found naturally in urine, which makes the environment less favourable to bad bacteria and reduces the risk of infection.”
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) cannot be recommended for the prevention of urinary tract infections.
Louise Newson, 48, is a GP and menopause specialist based in Stratford-upon-Avon.
“Women going through the menopause or perimenopause may get bowel symptoms such as bloating which are due to hormone imbalances affecting the balance of gut bacteria. Probiotic (good bacteria) supplements correct this imbalance and are also linked to levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which can improve mood. This is important during the menopause. I make sure I take a probiotic daily, specifically one with a high bacteria count including Lactobacillus acidophilus. I look for one that has to be kept in the fridge, as this is a sign of a quality product.”
Professor Tony Kochhar, 45, is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at London Bridge Hospital.
“Having taken statins for a couple of years, I developed tendonitis, inflammation in the foot, which caused pain around the outside of it. My GP told me to stop taking the statins, which helped, and I now control my condition with diet. I also take a supplement of collagen (a natural protein found in the tendons) to build up tendon structure and reduce pain. I take two 1,200mg collagen supplements daily and it has really helped. Within two weeks of starting them, my pain had gone.”
Dr Anne Rigg, 51, is a consultant oncologist at London Bridge Hospital.
“One theory is that vitamin D may help control normal breast cell growth and may even stop breast cancer cells from growing. The body creates vitamin D from sunlight on the skin when we are outdoors, but because of the British weather and the rightful use of sunscreen, it’s easy to become deficient. I take the recommended daily dose of 10mcg. [Fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel are good sources, too, but you’d have to eat them in large amounts to get the recommended daily dosage.] It’s vital not to overdose, as it can increase the risk of kidney stones: the vitamin helps absorb calcium from the diet, which can build up into stones.”
Supplementation with vitamin D did not result in a lower incidence of invasive cancer…
Dr Rob Hogan, 62, is an optometrist at iCare Consulting.
“I’m aware, too, of the increased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of sight loss in people over 60. This is where the small central portion of the retina (the macula) at the back of the eye deteriorates. So I take MacuShield, a supplement which, studies have found, can help improve vision and keep the back of the eye healthy. It contains a mixture of natural compounds — lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin — which are antioxidants that have been found in studies to improve vision and eye health. I take one a day, usually with a meal.”
Dr Milad Shadrooh, 37, is a dentist in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
“I take a varied supplement daily to maintain good health and, specifically, healthy teeth. It contains calcium (an adult’s RDA is 700mg, which is equivalent to three 200ml cups of milk) as most people, including me, don’t get enough in their diet.”
Dr Joanna Gach, 49, is a consultant dermatologist at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
“Every so often, I take a multivitamin capsule containing zinc, selenium and biotin. These are all helpful for sorting out my brittle nails and maintaining healthy hair.”
Luke Cascarini, 47, is a consultant maxillofacial surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
“I take a daily vitamin drink containing a high-dose vitamin B complex, which is necessary for good oral health.”
Dr Jenni Byrom, 44, is a consultant gynaecologist at Birmingham’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
“I take evening primrose oil for premenstrual symptoms such as breast pain. I take 1g of evening primrose oil daily and have found it really makes a difference.”
Dr Sarah Myhill, 60, is a GP based in Wales.
“I take 10g of vitamin C dissolved in a glass of water every day before I start my shift — and I never get colds. I believe that high doses of vitamin C can kill bad microbes on contact — or, at least, help reduce the severity of infections such as colds and sore throats.”
Jonathan Dearing, 49, is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon specialising in sports injuries at BMI Carrick Glen Hospital in Ayrshire.
“I carry a vitamin D oral spray and use it after exercise, as it helps improve muscle recovery by regulating various processes that help them repair and grow.”
Dr Glyn Thomas, 46, is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist at the Bristol Heart Institute.
“I take a magnesium supplement as it can help address an extra heartbeat — something I suffered with for 20 years.”
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Firstly, let me congratulate those colleagues who actually might have got it right:
- Dr Hogan
- Dr Shadrooh
- Mr Cascarini
- Mr Dearing
I say ‘MIGHT HAVE GOT IT RIGHT’ because, even in their cases, the evidence is far from strong and certainly not convincing.
Secondly, let me commiserate those who spend their money on unproven supplements. I find it sad that this group amounts to two thirds of all the ‘experts’ asked.
Thirdly, let me remind THE DAILY MAIL of what I posted recently: journalists to be conscious of their responsibility not to mislead the public and do more rigorous research before reporting on matters of health. Surely, the Mail did us no favour in publishing this article. It will undoubtedly motivate lots of gullible consumers to buy useless or even harmful supplements.
And lastly, let me remind all healthcare professionals that promoting unproven treatments to the unsuspecting public is not ethical.
3 Responses to Trust me, I’m a doctor (but know little about dietary supplements)
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It goes without saying that most doctors are not scientists. Can’t imagine why #DailyFail would consult the former, not the latter. #ScienceOfHandwaveology #PrimarySourcesOrGTFO
BTW, dunno about the others, but MyHill certainly (notoriously) has form.
maybe they did not find any scientist who take supplements?
I think you were a bit unfair on Dr Rigg, who was recommending taking a supplement equivalent to the recommended daily dose of Vitamin D, on the grounds that many in the UK are deficient, and that it is required for normal calcium metabolism, and also that it is important not to overdose. She did not make any claims about the effects of vitamin D on cancer growth, but only mentioned that there was a theory to that effect.
Indeed, it seems to me that vitamin D must do something pretty important over and above its function in calcium metabolism, as it is thought to be the reason why those in Northern latitudes evolved their fair skin, even though this gives an increased susceptibility to skin cancer. I would be very interested to see how future research pans out here.
I am rather worried about my colleague in Guildford, Chris Eden, and Dr Myhill in Wales taking such large doses of vitamin C. There is robust research going back decades showing that it can substantially increase the risk of cancer.
How an orthopaedic surgeon can believe that a collagen supplement is in any way beneficial baffles me. He should know that, along with other proteins, it is digested and broken down into its constituent amino acids, and so is no different from ingesting any other kind of protein. Personally I prefer my collagen in the form of slow-cooked casseroles.
As a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist in a large specialist unit, I would expect Glyn Thomas to be very familiar with the effects of magnesium on cardiac rhythm and also with relevant research. The paper you quoted in refutation seems irrelevant; it was a pilot study with the stated aim of assessing the feasibility of doing a larger scale trial looking at magnesium supplementation and atrial fibrillation, and they concluded that their methods were workable in such a trial, both in terms of compliance and in the supplements being effective in raising serum magnesium levels.
Dr Thomas’s description of suffering from “an extra heartbeat” does not to my mind conjure up atrial fibrillation at all, and from what he said I would imagine that he is suffering from frequent extrasystole, which can be ventricular or supraventricular, and which can be uncomfortable but not dangerous. This is his area of specialist expertise, and if he is taking magnesium supplements he probably has good reason for it.
Of course many of these supplements are important in the treatment of other condition. For instance the cytotoxic drug cisplatin causes magnesium loss through the renal tubule and supplementation is routinely given intravenously. I believe high doses of vitamin C are used in the treatment of certain kinds of poisoning where oxidising agents have been ingested. I was also interested to read of a study recently looking at the problem of restoring normal gut flora after antibiotics, and a probiotic supplement was found to replace the normal flora, slowing down recovery; the most effective measure was to give a preparation of bacteria derived from the patient’s own stools.
I would imagine the Daily Mail’s choice of doctors was a matter of rounding up the usual suspects (i.e. those who have previously been sources on other health-related topics).