Thursday, February 05, 2004

Supplements sale ban poser

The Malaysian Dietary Supplements Association (Madsa) today expressed
surprise over the ban by the Malaysian Medical Association on doctors selling health supplements.
In a Press statement, Madsa, which represents a group of companies selling dietary supplements, said the ban implied that supplements were detrimental to health.

On Monday, MMA president Dr N. Arumugam was quoted as saying that the association had banned doctors from selling health supplements since last April.

Madsa said there were supplements that had been on a typical doctor's prescription list, including iron for anaemic patients, calcium for osteoporosis and folic acid for pregnant mothers.

In fact, some supplements have entered mainstream medicine, such as the omega-3 fish oil used in the prevention of heart disease.

Prestigious medical journals such as the Journal of American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine had also supported the usage of health supplements, Madsa added.

In view of this, it said it was seeking clarification from the MMA on the move, as it ran counter to the Health Ministry's emphasis on the importance of supplements.

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