Professor Tim Spector, a genetic epidemiology expert at King’s College London, said people should eat ‘real food’ instead, reports the Daily Mail.
He vouched for a primarily plant-based diet with minimal, if any, ultra-processed food. Spector said most supplements are made in Chinese factories and research has shown they don’t work at all.
Spector is quoted as saying, “These supplements are being run by the same companies … they’re going to be the new giant food companies of the future.”
“Their budgets are massive. They’re not these artisanal little guys making a fabulous organic supplement in the back of a shed in Somerset. They’re all made in China in massive factories and you have no control [over] What is it – and 99 percent of them have been shown not to work at all.
“So we’re giving all the money to supplements, when we should be spending it on real food,” said the scientist.
He added that the only supplemental B12 with any benefit is for vegetarians who are not eating enough iron-rich foods than they should be.
Spector said that although “it is impossible to completely eliminate all unhealthy foods”, people should be educated about recognizing them.
He said that real food “could massively increase the life expectancy of the poor and the duration of our health”.
The report states that Spector also said that switching to a plant-based diet would prove beneficial to the planet, claiming that giving up meat is more effective than not driving and not taking flights abroad for the holidays.