Assignment
Maria is suffering through her third cold of the winter. When she complains at a local health food store, the clerk recommends several supplements to keep her healthy. These include a vitamin C supplement, a stress formula B vitamin supplement called B50, a supplement called Prevention Plus, and the herbal supplement echinacea. Maria checks the labels of the supplements she has purchased. The information is summarized in the table.
Table of dietary supplements Maria is taking
|
Supplement/ingredients
|
Dose
|
%DV/Dose
|
Frequency
|
|
Mega Vitamin C
|
|
|
3 per day
|
|
Vitamin C
|
500 mg
|
833%
|
|
|
B50 Complex
|
|
|
3 per day
|
|
Thiamin
|
50 mg
|
3333%
|
|
|
Niacin
|
50 mg
|
250%
|
|
|
Vitamin B6
|
60 mg
|
2500%
|
|
|
Riboflavin
|
50 mg
|
2941%
|
|
|
Biotin
|
50 mg
|
16.6%
|
|
|
Pantothenic Acid
|
50 mg
|
500%
|
|
|
Folic Acid
|
50 mg
|
12.5%
|
|
|
Vitamin B12
|
50 mg
|
833%
|
|
|
Prevention Plus
|
|
|
1 per day
|
|
Vitamin C
|
1000 mg
|
1667%
|
|
|
Zinc
|
15 mg
|
100%
|
|
|
Echinacea
|
|
|
6 per day
|
|
Echinacea
|
125 mg
|
|
|
Task
A. Review the ingredients in Maria's supplements. If she takes all these products at the frequency recommended in the table, will she be exceeding the UL for any nutrients? List them.
B. Did you find a UL for echinacea? Why or why not?
C. Would you recommend that Maria take these supplements at the suggested amounts? Why or why not? Answer must be based on scientific evidence not "because I think so".