Americans have been taking multivitamin and mineral supplements since the early 1940s, when the first such products became available. Today, millions of Americans continue to search for ways to boost their health and immunity through supplements. One of the most popular ways that people try to achieve a balanced blend of essential vitamins and minerals is through taking a daily multivitamin, such as Centrum vitamins.
Multivitamins accounted for 40 percent of all supplement purchases, which totaled $5.7 billion out of the nearly $37 billion in supplement sales in 2014 alone. (1)
Centrum vitamins are the No. 1-selling multivitamins in the country but not without contention. The enormous vitamin brand is now owned by Pfizer, the largest pharmaceutical company in the world that deals mainly in manufactured chemicals. Pfizer is no stranger to controversy, fraud and legal battles.
For instance, the drug company was recently threatened to be sued over false claims about Centrum vitamins in 2012 by the consumer watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest. The company settled and was forced to pull claims about breast and colon health but still clung to other controversial language on its bottles pertaining to various health-promoting benefits. (2)
Another concerning issue with the multivitamin market in general is its lack of specificity, regulation and even standards. Multivitamins, “multis,” “MVMs” or “multiples,” as they’re sometimes called, require no set standards or levels, and can blend any various cocktail of supplements in order to be considered a multivitamin. When billion-dollar companies place huge amounts of money into ad campaigns for vitamins like Pfizer does with Centrum vitamins, the ramifications for blindly taking chemically and synthetically enhanced supplements can be very damaging for your health.
So you must ask yourself, is your multivitamin hurting or helping you?
Centrum Vitamins Contain Dangerous Substances
I have previously discussed how vitamins have many whacky fillers — like supplements being made from shower scum. Would you believe some of the same chemicals used to make coal, line tin cans and propel jets might be found in your multivitamin? It’s true, and it’s why you should avoid these dangerous vitamin fillers.
Centrum makes many claims (still) about the benefits of taking its multivitamin, from immune boosts to metabolism kicks, yet there are many additives used in these mass-market pills that can be harmful or downright toxic to your body. At least three preservatives and several color additives, along with various chemicals and additives that are toxic to your health and even carcinogenic, are found in the ingredients of Centrum vitamins. (3)
Centrum Vitamins’ Dangerous Ingredients List:
GMO Corn Starch — The genetically modified version of corn, Bt-corn, has numerous negative effects on the body and is specifically damaging to the detoxifying organs like the liver and kidneys, as well as the heart, adrenal glands and spleen. Hepatorenal toxicity is a concern with GMO foods, including GMO corn, which causes kidney failure and is typically fatal. (4)
Calcium Carbonate — While this compound found in rocks, shells and even pearls is sometimes used to help increase calcium levels on the body, it’s also been linked to strokes and heart disease, especially in the elderly. There have been many recent studies to suggest its link to heart issues and myocardial infarction. It can also negatively interact with medications. (5)
Hydrogenated Oil — Otherwise typically safe in their natural state, hydrogenated oils quickly turn toxic when processed under extreme heat, atmospheres of pressure and injections of metals. Ingesting these oils clogs the arteries, causing massive heart and arterial issues, as well as producing cholesterol to bandage artery walls that have been impacted. Because of the vascular problems, the brain is often affected, and side effects can lead to Alzheimer’s and ADHD. In some cases, it can only take minutes after ingesting to start impacting your system!
Food Dye Yellow 6 — This toxic food dye is a carcinogen and can lead to allergies, tumors on the kidneys and testes, as well as chromosomal damage. It can also lead to hyperactivity, restlessness and even ADHD. The increase in processed snack and fast foods in correlation to the rising number of children on behavioral medications cannot be dismissed. (6)
Titanium Dioxide — This naturally occurring mineral has recently been found to possibly be carcinogenic to humans. It’s used in many products to increase whiteness, such as paints, ink, paper, and even cosmetics and toothpastes. The FDA has previously listed it as a safe pigment when 99 percent pure. However, in recent studies on rats, exposure to the dust fragments of titanium dioxide caused lung cancer. (7)
Polyethylene Glycol — This compound is often used in the manufacturing of coal-burning plants, rocket fuel as well as over-the-counter laxatives. This additive can cause hives and other allergic reactions, kidney damage and esophageal bleeding, or tears. It ‘s also been linked to autism. One other side effect, sometimes more common in children, is called encopresis, which is a continuous leakage of semi-formed feces.
Read More: Here
