Consumer Center NRW Warns of Uncontrolled Supplement Use in Seniors

The Verbraucherzentrale NRW cautions that dietary supplements marketed to older adults can pose serious health risks when taken without proper dosing control. Ecotrophologist Angela Clausen explains that excess intake of fat‑soluble vitamins such as vitamin D may raise blood calcium levels, leading to nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, kidney stones or even kidney damage. Effervescent tablets often contain hidden sodium, which can aggravate hypertension. Plant‑based supplements may also interact with medications and distort laboratory results—for example, biotin can interfere with a heart‑attack biomarker. Clausen advises seniors to rely on an active lifestyle, regular exercise, adequate sleep, strength training, outdoor activity and a balanced diet rich in calcium from dairy products rather than relying on supplements. She stresses that “more is not better” and that supplements are “no miracle cures.”