Are Vitamins a Waste of Money? the EU Wants to Ban 250 Dietary Supplements and Curb Dosages of the Others. Is It Right to Do So? HEALTH & FITNESS

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Byline: DR MARK PORTER;JENNY SEAGROVE

YES SAYS Dr MARK PORTER

THE British market for supplements is worth [pounds sterling]400 million a year and driven by a potent mix of quackery and vested commercial interest. Why do the same people who pore over a leaflet listing side effects before taking a pill swallow handfuls of vitamins without question?

Because vitamins are vital for life, it's commonly believed that consuming more must enhance vitality - which is as naive as thinking your car will run faster if you put an extra litre of fuel in the tank.

Then there are the myths based on what happens if you become deficient in a vitamin. Vitamin A deficiency may …