Unconscious biases against vitamins and supplements
“Like many scary health scenarios where patients seek some modicum of influence, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to patient demand for ‘immune-boosting’ dietary supplements. Toilet paper wasn’t the only essential item being limited by stores; bottles of zinc and vitamin C flew off the shelves as consumers stocked up. The role of vitamin D in COVID-19 has been conflated and deflated depending on the study-du-jour. And of the eight ‘drugs’ in President Trump’s top-of-the line treatment, three of them were natural products. The medical professional has, for the most part, dismissed vitamins as nothing more than ‘expensive pee.’ But as an integrative medicine physician examining the data, I urge my colleagues to take a more thoughtful approach to supplement recommendations and consider whether unconscious biases are influencing how you counsel patients.”
Melinda Ring is an integrative medicine physician.
She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, “6 unconscious biases against vitamins and supplements.” (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/6-unconscious-biases-against-vitamins-and-supplements.html)
