[BabyPeanut]

The European Court of Justice in Brussels said the EU law was "appropriate for securing the free movement of food supplements and ensuring the protection of human health."

The law setting up a "positive list" of food supplements approved for sale across the 25-nation EU is due to come into force on August 1.

Food supplements not on the list will be banned.

evidence:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 33,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 86,00.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=27322
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=27316
http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap ... 33517.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... altop.html

[Licho]

Some vitamines are already prescription only here, to prevent overdose, as well as antibiotics (to prevent creation of resistant strains by people who are abusing it).
This law is only ensuring that vitamines and supplements are checked and tested like other medicines before they go to market. It's even less strict than current local law here.

[BabyPeanut]

I'm hoping the answer is Europeans just don't like vitamins because that would mean things like this would not happen to the USA.

Many, many people in the USA use nutritional suppliments to deal with illnesses and injuries because the medical system here is a collasal insurance scam.

If you are young and healthy this post and this thread will not make sense to you.

[lorenzo]

As you know, Europe is the only Free and Rational place on the planet. Over here, we do not like to be controlled by pharmaceutical corporations + marketing terrorists. In the US, this is very different. People there are trained to be consumers, from the first seconds on they're born. They are taught to buy crap, from day one onwards, without asking themselves any questions.
The vitamin consumer cult in the US is really a pathology in itself. I'm very glad that the EU limits the terror of this industry. We've all seen documentaries about Americans swallowing more than 50 pills a day (none of which have been proved to be healthy, often, the contrary is true). They use a lot of fantasy, construct their own imaginary world of eternal youth and health, while in fact they're merely fooling around. (As one of the posters says: this also has to do with the fact that there's no health care system in the US, while the EU has the world's best health care system in the world; - we don't need to treat ourselves with fantasy, fake drugs, and desperate hope; we go to a doctor instead).

So yes, I'm very glad for this particular bit of legislation. The European Parliament limits all irrational consumerism and protects its citizens. Thank God!

[lorenzo]

Moreover, babypeanut, the EU is obviously way beyond your grasp. You don't have the slightest clue about the ideas behind this legislation.
You go on and just keep swallowing stuff, ok?

[Daculling]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BabyPeanut', 'I')'m hoping the answer is Europeans just don't like vitamins because that would mean things like this would not happen to the USA.

Many, many people in the USA use nutritional suppliments to deal with illnesses and injuries because the medical system here is a collasal insurance scam.

If you are young and healthy this post and this thread will not make sense to you.

[lorenzo]

Daculling, I feel sympathy for you. It must be horrible to live in a country with a health care system as deficient as the one you describe.

[Ludi]

It's European countries which have done the most research on nutritional supplements, especially herbal supplements. Germany in particular has provided much knowledge in this field. The US is way behind Europe in this area. We're more likely to just ban supplements rather than study their effect.

Many people with various disorders can benefit greatly from nutritional supplements, has been indicated by many studies.

[julianj]

Scarcely a PO topic this, but, in the UK we did not have these vitamin restrictions in the past, unlike some other European countries.

I am certainly against them, I don't think they make sense. I signed the petition about this.

For example, the EC RDAs are a nonsense. They are the same for a 6 st woman as a 24 stone man, a 16 year old and a 70 year old. There are rather a lot of arguments about what a bad and restrictive piece of legislation this is.

Here is a site which summarises the situation:
Alliance for Natural Health

Lorenzo:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'E')urope is the only Free and Rational place on the planet.