Pharmacist Says You Should Never Take These 3 Supplements
In a viral clip that's racked up over a million views, UK pharmacist Amina Khan rips into common and popular vitamins.
A viral TikTok video from a pharmacist is making waves—and sparking serious conversations about supplement safety. In the now widely shared clip, Amina Khan, MPharm, a UK pharmacist who goes by @aminathepharmacist on social media, says there are three supplements she would never take—and she’s urging her followers to make the same call. “I think you’re going to be surprised at most of these,” she said in her TikTok video, which now has over 1.5 million views.
With 75% of Americans taking a dietary supplement, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Khan’s advice underscores what many medical professionals have long cautioned: certain supplements can cause more harm than good, especially when taken in high doses or without medical guidance. Here’s a closer look at the three products she skips and why they’re not necessary for the average healthy adult.
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1. Gummy vitamins
Khan first recommends avoiding all gummy vitamins, noting that many people “binge” on these as they might with a bag of candy.
“These are basically just a sugar pill—you might as well go have a sweet,” she says. “They’re packed with sugar and filler ingredients. They can be so easily over-consumed and can lead to mineral toxicity.”
She’s right. According to GoodRx, overconsumption of gummy vitamins can lead to vitamin A toxicity, which can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches, or even liver damage. It can also lead to an overdose of iron, which is especially dangerous for children and can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, and organ failure. Digestive issues, like bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, are also a concern when taking too many gummy vitamins.
Always follow the dosage listed on the label and ask your doctor if you need to be taking a gummy vitamin supplement.
2. Daily multivitamins
Next, Khan suggests skipping general multivitamins, which are unlikely to adequately compensate for any vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
“These have a bit of everything in them. Some of the doses of each nutrient are so low that they hardly have an effect on you,” she says. “Also, you don’t need all of the vitamins in a multivitamin.”
Indeed. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), most healthy adults who eat a well-balanced diet don’t need a multivitamin. You’re already getting the essential nutrients you need from whole foods like fruits and vegetables, which offer the best form of vitamins, plus fiber, antioxidants, and other benefits.
That said, taking a multivitamin may help you if you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, following a restricted diet, or aging. Talk to your doctor to get personalized recommendations.
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3. Multivitamins for hair, skin, and nails
Finally, Khan says she doesn’t bother taking vitamins that claim to improve your skin, hair, and nails. These often take the form of multivitamins containing added nutrients such as biotin, keratin, or collagen.
“What do these focus on—hair, skin, or nails? They’re not solution-focused. The most important vitamins in these are often too low to even have an effect on you,” she notes.
Her skepticism is warranted. Research suggests there is limited clinical evidence that these supplements significantly improve skin, hair, or nail health in otherwise healthy people.
Plus, they can also lead to some serious side effects.
For instance, products containing high doses of biotin can interfere with blood test results for your thyroid and heart. They can mimic the appearance of hyperthyroidism and make it seem like you have a thyroid issue, Rebecca Hartman, MD, MPH, FAAD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, told Today.com. Or, they can show a falsely low level of troponin in cardiac tests, which are used to measure your heart attack risk.
Meanwhile, collagen supplements can be a common source of contamination. In 2020, when the Organic Consumers Association and the Clean Label Project tested 28 of the most popular brands of collagen supplements, they found that 64% tested positive for arsenic, 37% tested positive for lead, 34% tested positive for trace levels of mercury, and 17% tested positive for cadmium, Today reports.
Unfortunately, supplements are not regulated as strictly as medications in the U.S., meaning dosage and purity can vary.
So, if you find yourself shopping for supplements, ask your doctor to perform a blood test to confirm any suspected deficiencies. Then, they can custom-tailor an approach to fit your specific needs.
