It is a more than usual product, to the extent that almost 75.1% of Spaniards claim to have taken some kind of food supplement in the last year, according to the study. Use of nutritional supplements in the Spanish population, carried out by the Mapfre Foundation and the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, seeks to identify why, for what, and how these products are used.
In this order, the most consumed are nutritional supplements (63.4%), followed by special medical products (30.2%), and those of plant-based extracts (28.6%).
It is the supplements and the plant-based products that are perceived as safer by 60 and 65 % respectively, a percentage that drops to 50% in those for athletes, for weight loss, and special medical products, but are less safe.
Are there any effects?
The main reason for respondents who take nutritional supplements or special medical foods is to improve the general state of health.
Half of those surveyed said they had noticed the effects claimed on the product, albeit mildly or temporarily. Therefore, those responsible for the study point out that “it is unknown whether these promised effects are of clinical and health relevance to those who consume them.”
In addition, the study indicates that “there is a wide range of nutrition-related products on the market whose effectiveness and safety have not been tested, which can represent a public health problem if their use is broad and widespread.”
Physicians and other specialists
It also points out that the need for a systematic and transparent evaluation of these products is evident, both before and after their marketing (monitoring or pharmacovigilance).
Researchers recall that supplement and food prescribers for special medical uses are health professionals, distinct from dietitians and nutritionists, although the latter are often involved in weight loss products.
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