Table 2.
Pharmacists’ knowledge about food supplements.
| Question | Overall knowledge, expressed as % of questionnaires reporting the correct answer | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | A balanced provision of nutrients is guaranteed by the adoption of a varied diet rather than by using multivitamin supplements | 94.0 |
| 1.2 | Multivitamin supplements may contain non-labeled toxic ingredients | 11.2 |
| 1.3 | Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that some types of cancer are caused by the abuse of multivitamins (commonly used as antioxidants) | 21.1 |
| 1.4 | Some lifestyles can reduce the absorption of vitamins or cause their complete depletion | 97.0 |
| 1.5 | The chronic use of some drugs can cause a significant deficit of vitamins | 97.4 |
| 1.6 | Important drug interactions and side effects can be enhanced by the concomitant intake of vitamin supplements | 85.8 |
| 1.7 | The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C for an adult woman (19–50 years old) is 70 mg | 45.3 |
| 1.8 | The recommended daily dose of vitamin K is 90 μg | 20.7 |
| 1.9 | Excessive intake of Vitamin D (higher than the RDA) can cause loss of appetite, vomiting and increased urination frequency | 50.0 |
| 1.10 | The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for folic acid in a man adult is 400 μg | 51.3 |
| 1.11 | The recommended daily allowance (RDA) in men and women between 51 and 70 years for Vitamin D is 400 IU | 60.3 |
| 1.12 | Excessive intake of Vitamin E can increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, development of skin hematomas, bleeding and headache | 32.3 |
| 1.13 | The presence of cracks in the corners of the mouth may indicate a deficit of Vitamin B12 | 75.0 |
| 1.14 | The presence of dandruff may indicate a Biotin deficiency | 62.5 |
| 1.15 | Conjunctival dryness can indicate a Vitamin A deficiency | 67.2 |
| 1.16 | Poor ability to concentrate can indicate a Vitamin B12 deficiency | 79.3 |
| 1.17 | The intake of high doses of antioxidant vitamins (A, C, E) can interfere with the effectiveness of some chemotherapy drugs | 62.9 |
| 1.18 | The administration of branched-chain amino acids and acid eicosapantenoic (EPA) can help reducing loss of weight and muscle mass in cancer patients | 41.8 |
| 1.19 | Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) is an active metabolite of leucine which could help reduce muscle loss, which is frequently observed in oncological disease | 34.9 |
| 1.20 | Pharmacists can dispense all vitamin supplements without prescription | 76.7 |