Some food supplements may not cure chronic ailments, Expert warns

Dr Biodun Ogungbo, a Neurosurgeon with a private hospital in Abuja, has cautioned Nigerians on indiscriminate use of some food supplements with claims of curing chronic diseases.

Ogungbo, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja said there was no research to back these outlandish claims.

He said that companies selling these products were just marketing stuff “that are largely useless, ineffective, lacking good evidence, and sometimes even dangerous.’’

Ogungbo related his experience with a patient who had been prescribed a particular food supplement for treatment of her breast cancer, saying that doctors were not supposed to do that.

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“It is not okay for a fully trained and responsible medical practitioner in Nigeria to prescribe food supplements for the treatment of breast cancer,” he said.

Ogungbo said that many natural products and herbal medications were often touted as the secret to prevent ageing, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more such as autism and  Alzheimer’s disease.

“Supplements cannot stop the ageing process. It cannot return you to those glorious years. It cannot cure arthritis and degenerative diseases. It is not a treatment for cancer.

“The public also think these drug helps the body to heal itself and so can cure all illnesses. This is of course not true but you will not know from the hype surrounding the drugs.”

He, however, said that some food supplements might improve the wellbeing of some people, saying the improvement could also be a palliative effect and very short-lived.

Dr Ogungbo emphasised that those who use food supplements drugs in place of their normal medications for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma were playing with their lives.