SEASON AND THERE ARE 37,000 CASES OF THE FLU MORE THAN 9300 PEOPLE REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION IN NEW YORK STATE. MEANWHILE, THERE’S A CONCERNING NEW REPORT ON HOW SOME NEW YORKERS ARE WARDING OFF THE FLU. A NEW SURVEY FINDS THAT METRO AREA RESIDENTS ARE TAKING SUPPLEMENTS INSTEAD OF A FLU SHOT. CBS 2’S DR. MAX GOMEZ HAS MORE.
Reporter: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT VITAMINS, MINERALS, ESSENTIAL OILS, PROBIOTICS. WHATEVER BENEFIT THESE DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS HAVE, USING THEM TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST THIS YEAR’S PARTICULARLY NASTY FLU VIRUS IS A BAD IDEA. I PUT VINEGAR AND HONEY IN MY WATER. Reporter: YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOOK FAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO FIND HOME REMEDIES THAT PROTECT AGAINST ALL SORTS OF ILLNESS INCLUDING THE FLU.
BY FAR, THE MOST COMMON IS — VITAMIN C ASCORBIC ACID, CRYSTALS, POWDER FORM. YOU TAKE TWO TABLESPOONS IN WATER AND STIR IT AROUND AND DRINK IT. Reporter: ACCORDING TO A SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY SOUTH NASSAU COMMUNITIES HOSPITAL, NEW YORKERS ARE PART OF THIS TREND. ALMOST HALF OF THE METRO AREA SURVEYED TAKE SUPPLEMENTS.
A MAJORITY DO SO DAILY. AND THOSE WHO TAKE SOMETHING TO PREVENT COLD AND FLU ARE FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT IT WORKS. Reporter: IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE WORST FLU EPIDEMICS IN NEARLY A DECADE, THE TRUTH IN MEDICINE POLL FOUND WHAT DOCTORS CALL DISTURBING NUMBERS. NEARLY HALF, 46% OF METRO AREA RESIDENTS POLLED, SAID THEY TAKE DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS.
OF THOSE TAKING SUPPLEMENTS, 40% SAID THEY TOOK THEM HOPING TO WARD OFF COLDS AND FLU. AND MOST CONCERNING? 39% HAD NOT GOTTEN THE FLU SHOT! THEY WERE UNVACCINATED! ACCORDING TO THE CHAIRMAN OF MEDICINE IN SOUTH NASSAU, TAKING SUPPLEMENTS HOPING TO KEEP VIRUSES AT BAY IS RISKY BUSINESS … THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ORGANIZATION THAT RECOMMENDS ROUTINE USAGE OF SUPPLEMENTS. THEY ARE NOT PROVEN TO WORK.
Reporter: THE MOST COMMON SUPPLEMENT WAS SOME FORM OF VITAMIN C, FOLLOWED BY ZINC. THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY IS UNREGULATED. THE FDA IS PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM ENFORCING THE SAME STANDARDS OF SAFETY AND EFFICACY IT REQUIRES OF DRUGS. BECAUSE MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF SUPPLEMENT TAKERS DON’T DO IT WITH THEIR DOCTORS’ KNOWLEDGE, THERE’S ALSO A MEDICAL RISK BEYOND NOT WORKING.
IT COULD CREATE A SIDE EFFECT PROFILE WITH YOUR MEDICATION THAT CAN BE DANGEROUS OR MAKE YOUR MEDICATION INEFFECTIVE. Reporter: THE POLL RESPONDENTS SAID ON AVERAGE THEY SPENT ABOUT $25 A MONTH ON THESE SUPPLEMENTS. THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE MUCH, BUT IT’S A LOT TO SPEND ON THINGS THAT HAVE NO PROVEN MEDICAL VALUE. YOUR BEST PROTECTION IS A FLU SHOT AND PRACTICING HYGIENE.
WASH HANDS. AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND FACE. THAT’S A PRIME WAY TO GET INFECTED. AS YOU SAY, UNCLEAR WHETHER SUPPLEMENTS WORK ON ANYTHING.
[ PAUSE ] SOME PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT IT WORKS. IT’S UNCLEAR THAT THEY WORK ON
Source: CBS New York
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