Vitamin-Takers More Likely to Overindulge in Unhealthy Food, Habits
There is downside to taking vitamin pills, according to a recently-released research: people who take vitamins can become complacent, and are more likely to indulge in unhealthy food and activities.
According to a feature on the Daily Mail, taking multi-vitamin pills and other dietary supplements seem give people a false sense of security, so much so that they are more prone to gorge on fast food or neglect physical exercise.
The study was led by Wen-Bin Chiou of National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan, who drew inspiration from an instance where a colleague chose an unhealthy meal over a healthier alternative because he had taken a multivitamin. It involved two groups of volunteers; one group had been told that they were taking a multivitamin pill, while the other had been told that they were taking a dummy pill. In reality, however, both groups were given placebos.
It was determined that the group who believed that they were taking multivitamins was more likely to forego going out for a walk, and choose a buffet meal over a healthier, organic meal. Dr. Chiou said: “After taking dietary supplements in the morning, individuals should diligently monitor whether illusory invulnerability is activated by restored health credentials and subsequently licenses health-risk behaviours.”
Another member of the research team gave the following comment: “To put it simply, people who take dietary supplements may have the misconception that they are invulnerable to health problems and may make poor decisions when it comes to their health, such as choosing fast food over a healthy and organic meal.”
The study will be published in the journal Psychological Science.
Tags: taking vitamins, vitamin health, vitamin health benefits, vitamin health risks
