Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, January 5, 2017
by Andrew W. Saul, Editor
(OMNS, Jan 5, 2017) Not only are there no deaths from vitamins, there are also zero deaths from any supplement. The most recent (2015) information collected by the U.S. National Poison Data System, and published in the journal Clinical Toxicology (1), shows no deaths whatsoever from dietary supplements.
No deaths from minerals
There were zero deaths from any dietary mineral supplement. This means there were no fatalities from calcium, magnesium, chromium, zinc, colloidal silver, selenium, iron, or multimineral supplements. Reported in the “Electrolyte and Mineral” category was a fatality from the medical use of “Sodium and sodium salts” and another fatality from non-supplemental iron, which was clearly and specifically excluded from the supplement category.
No deaths from any other nutritional supplement
Additionally, there were zero deaths from any amino acid or herbal product. This means no deaths at all from blue cohosh, echinacea, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, kava kava, St. John’s wort, valerian, yohimbe, Asian medicines, ayurvedic medicines, or any other botanical. There were zero deaths from creatine, blue-green algae, glucosamine, chondroitin, or melatonin. There were zero deaths from any homeopathic remedy.
But when in doubt, blame a supplement. Any supplement.
There actually was one fatality alleged from some “Unknown Dietary Supplement or Homeopathic Agent.” This is hearsay at best, and scaremongering at worst. How can an accusation be based on the unknown? Claiming causation without even knowing what substance or ingredient to accuse is baseless.
The truth: no man, woman or child died from any nutritional supplement. Period.
If nutritional supplements are allegedly so “dangerous,” as the FDA, the news media, and even some physicians still claim, then where are the bodies?
References:
Mowry JB, Spyker DA, Brooks DE et al. 2015 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 33rd Annual Report. Clinical Toxicology 2016, 54:10, 924-1109, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/
Data for minerals, herbs, amino acids, and other supplements are presented in Table 22-B.
The complete 187-page article is available for free download from https://aapcc.s3.amazonaws.
