One in 5 Supplement Users Exceeds Intake Standards: Japan Survey

Tokyo, April 10 (Jiji Press)–Nearly one in five dietary supplement users exceeds maker-set daily intake standards, a Japanese survey has shown. The online survey of about 2,000 Japanese adults was conducted in November-December 2024 by a research team led by Toho University Prof. Keiko Asakura. About 370 of respondents who use dietary supplements, or 18.5 pct, reported above-standard intakes. This tendency was especially high among those aged 50 to 64, those with jobs, those who use tablet-type products, and those who have used supplements for six months or longer. The research team believes that these higher rates of excessive intake may partly reflect health concerns related to aging and the convenience of tablet-type supplements. Among users of supplements containing nutritional elements with upper intake limits for health damage prevention, about 300 people reported using these products beyond maker-set standards, with about 60 pct of them even exceeding at least one upper limit. Excessive intake of vitamin A and vitamin B6 is believed to pose risks of liver dysfunction and nerve damage, respectively. Too much iron and calcium can also damage health. “It’s important to check the appropriate intake amounts on the packaging and adhere to them,” Asakura said. “We hope that supplement users realize that excessive intake could be harmful.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]