新奇事件簿 营养类药物禁止乱吃（在线收听）

Millions of people around the world take dietary supplements in the belief that they will boost their health. New research casts doubt on the benefits of these pills and tablets. A new report from the American organisation Consumer Reports (CR) found serious health risks from supplements that included vitamins, probiotics, and weight loss pills. CR said the biggest problem with supplements is that they are largely unregulated. While medicinal drugs have to be tested for safety and effectiveness, dietary supplements need far less government approval in many countries. This means that consumers are largely in the dark regarding the ingredients of the supplements and how the body will react to them.

全球数百万人食用营养品，认为它有助身体健康。新研究对这些营养类药物疗效产生了怀疑。来自《美国消费者报告》研究发现，包括维他命、益生菌以及减肥类药物会造成严重健康问题。据该杂志表示，营养类药品的最大问题是不受管制。政府要对医用药物进行安全和有效性检测，但在许多国家，营养类药物无需国家审批。消费者对营养品成分，以及身体自身反应模糊不清。

Lisa Gill, an editor at CR, said the report showed how dangerous many supplements were. She said they could cause liver failure, kidney failure requiring kidney transplants, seizures, and heart problems. Gill added: "Just because it's not prescription, you say, 'oh, it's safe,' but that's not necessarily true." Gill urges consumers to avoid 15 ingredients commonly found in supplements, including red yeast and caffeine powder. She warned: "There have been deaths associated with each of these." She told people to seek medical help before taking supplements. She said: "Tell your doctor and your pharmacist what you're taking. Treat it like a medication. It's that important. It's really about your health."

《美国消费者报告》杂志编辑丽莎·吉尔称，这份报告说明了某些营养药物的危险性。她称许多能导致肝功能衰竭、肾衰竭（需要肾移植）、癫痫以及心脏问题。吉尔还表示：“就是因为它不是处方药，所以人们会误认为它很安全，其实不都是如此。”吉尔呼吁消费者避免食用含有15种成分的营养药，包括红酵母和咖啡因粉。她警告称：“许多成分能造成死亡。”她告诫人们在服用前询问医生。她认为：“告诉医生你服用的营养品，像服药一样看待营养品。这点非常重要。它关乎你的健康。”