Most vitamins and supplements are non-prescription or natural so many people think self dosing and ingestion are risk free.
Dina Khader has been advising people about nutrition for more than 20 years and says she's seen many cases of supplement misuse.
“People start to take their own supplements without really checking if they really need it or if it's something that would benefit them in any way,” said Khader.
A Consumer Reports investigation found many surprising dangers in vitamins and supplements.
"There was a study published in June that showed that calcium supplements increased the risk of heart attack by 86 percent compared to the group who didn't get them. On the other hand, that same study showed eating calcium-rich foods can protect your heart," said Nancy Metcalf from Consumer Reports.
A recent study of antioxidant supplements shows that very high doses of some of them may increase cancer risk and not reduce it.
“Even more troubling, some supplements have turned out to contain prescription drugs like Viagra and Cialis that were not on the label,” asid Metcalf.
The supplements spiked with drugs like this and synthetic steroids were usually marketed for sexual enhancement, bodybuilding and weight loss.
Consumer Reports' study concluded that getting your vitamins from fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and lean proteins is always better than swallowing a pill.
"In some cases, the potential risks of supplements can outweigh the benefits. We say if you're generally pretty healthy person, you can skip them,” said Metcalf.
Consumers can report adverse reactions to supplements by visiting the Health Canada website.
To read the full Consumer Reports study, click here.
