According to the BfR, the respondents perceive the hoped-for positive effects and possible health risks of vitamins in food supplements differently – depending on whether they take the corresponding products or not. “About half of the users, but only about one in ten non-users, see a high health benefit in taking it,” it says. According to the information, the respondents mentioned a possible overdose as the main health risk: Among non-consumers, almost 60 percent rated the probability of oversupply with daily intake of vitamins from food supplements as high. Among consumers, the proportion is lower at 42 percent.
Dietary supplements are considered food in this country and must therefore not endanger health, emphasizes the institute. The responsibility for this rests with the food companies. “Food supplements do not go through an official approval procedure in which their harmlessness to health has to be proven.” In Germany, the national regulation on food supplements (NemV) regulates which vitamins may be added to food supplements, explains the BfR further. “However, it does not contain any legally binding maximum amounts for the addition of vitamins.” The BfR publishes its own recommendations for such maximum amounts on his website.