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SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES shouldered a good deal of blame for the obesity epidemic worldwide.
Dutifully, Ireland introduced the ‘sugar tax’ in May 2018 on sweetened drinks. This has likely prompted some people to reduce their intake which would be ‘job-done’.
It also seems that some manufacturers have reduced sugar in their products and that too is a positive step. Others argue that consumers might simply have switched to cheaper brands as has happened in other countries that went before us. We will have no way of knowing yet whether this has made a dent on the Irish waistline.
There has been much debate over whether taxing fast food might help reduce obesity.
It is still cheaper to feed a family of four frozen pizza than it would be to give them all healthful vegetables or lean protein.
As it stands, take away foods benefit from a reduced VAT rate of 9%. So, while the tax on your takeaway pizza or burger remains at a reduced rate, the hike on vitamins, minerals, probiotics and fish oils is set to be 23% from 1 March.
The logic behind the sugar tax, as well as high taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, is based on the concept that the higher price will deter people from buying unhealthy items. So is the government trying to stop people from buying supplements?
Increased risk of disease
With regards to specific examples, it is truly hard to know where to start, but here are just a few.
In Ireland, we have the highest incidence of neural tube defects such as spina bifida in the EU. As a result, we are constantly trying to compel women to remember to take folic acid before and during pregnancy.
In fact, in efforts to reduce our shocking incidence rates, we now tell women to take folic acid every day for the duration of their childbearing years. That’s a lot of years and now the government would like to earn 23% off that highly effective prevention.
Much like the effect of the sugar tax on the obesity epidemic, we will have no way of knowing the immediate impact of this tax until the incidence of neural tube defects goes up. That’s not an outcome anyone wants to track.
People living in Ireland have typically low vitamin D levels. We could try to get out the oars and paddle the whole island a bit further south, but for the moment we are stuck with long winters and grey days.
Vitamin D is critical for bone health and plays a crucial role in your immune system and fertility, to name but a few.
Many people find taking vitamin-D-drops during the winter months helps to improve their mood and wellbeing, and mental health services are a cost to the health system just as much as any other department.
The Mediterranean diet is the most widely studied diet in the world as it has numerous health benefits, including many which would have a serious price tag such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
The Mediterranean diet has an omega-3: omega-6 ratio of about 1:1. While our diet has a ratio of about 25:1. Long story short – we should eat more fish.
Omega-3 has been shown in many studies to be useful in inflammatory conditions, reduce the incidence of diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, another massive and costly epidemic on its way. Supplementation is very useful in people who don’t eat enough fish, which incidentally, is most people.
Has anyone done the maths?
Do highly processed, high fat, high sugar take-away foods have a greater impact on the public finances in the long run? Of course they do -we know that the health care costs associated with the obesity epidemic are astronomical.
On the other hand, those people who mind their health and take supplements cost the state less by needing less healthcare. Supplements are all about preventative care and prevention has always been better than cure.
We should be promoting an ethos and standard of living that encourages self-care, health awareness and people being proactive about staying well.
That will reduce healthcare costs and help the state to balance the books. It means fewer doctors visits, fewer hospital stays, fewer ambulances call outs, less sick days off work, reduced reliance on statutory sick pay – the list of ways that being healthy saves the state money is simply endless.
Taxing health supplements appears to be an extremely ill-thought out policy.
Ciara Wright PhD DipNT, Senior Nutritional Therapist and Director of Glenville Nutrition and The Wellness Crew: www.glenvillenutrition.ie www.thewellnesscrew.ie
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Taxing them and taking the really beneficial ones off the shelves has been talked about for some time; and once again a lot of the driving force for this is coming from the EU, you would almost think that the powers that be don’t want us to stay healthy
@George O Neill: can you provide references for that? Herbal “medicine” companies have got so big they are now the the new “Big Pharma” with multimillion lobby budgets, and the scams they pull are just incredible.
@Brendan Cooney: Go into any health food shop and ask a few questions from the people who work in the sector and you will find out the truth
@George O Neill: There is lots of research saying that the only ‘benefit’ of supplements is expensive urine. What’s wrong with fruit and vegetables?
@Jindrich Marz: If you believe that then don’t take any
@George O Neill: hey George I have these magic beans here and they cure all known medical ailments ! I’ve made millions from selling these to vulnerable gullible people but if you don’t believe just don’t buy them.
@George O Neill: in a moment of boredom, I self diagnosed as deficient in selenium. I looked up the recommended daily amount which was 50 micrograms, if I remember correctly. I went off to my local health shop. Their tablets were 400 micrograms. When I pointed out the discrepancy, I was told that it was no problem because it’s natural. Regardless of the fact that selenium doesn’t occur naturally in little brown tablet form, belladonna, toadstools, polonium are naturally occurring substances, but I wouldn’t put them in my tea. The sales assistant then tried to interest me in curative crystals and angel figurines. I’m not disputing the benefits of many supplements. Folic acid supplements have been transformative, but so many people selling them haven’t a clue.
@Jindrich Marz: the Earth is compromised through centuries of farming, good and bad. Pesticides and other things being added to ‘improve’ the Earth. Our diets are very bad. I have read about vitamins and minerals and.use them when l feel I need them
I 72, very rarely ill, I have managed joint problems with vits and herbs. I am not easy to convince. I have to prove first that something works. All my brothers and sisters (7) are dead. Most died young. So yes to supplements.
@Anne Marie Devlin: Good for you keep doing the research before you buy
@George O Neill: you mean the people selling healing crystals?
@Patricia Mcnamara: sorry to hear that about your brothers and sisters.
@Patricia Mcnamara: Fair play to you. My old grandmother passed away aged 102, never took vitamins supplements, my grandma is 84 and she also never took those supplements. You have a long walk to go.
How much lobbying have Big Pharma done to achieve the annihilation of health food stores throughout the country. Support your health food store . How can ‘essential vitamins’ be described as ‘non essential’
That tag should really only apply to our politicians
@Sean Ryan: how are Big Pharma trying to suppress my local supermarket?
@Sean Ryan: a vitamin that is essential to your health (eg Vit C) doesn’t mean it will work in capsule form. The “health food” companies are making quick bucks by skirting around laws that make false advertising illegal. Vit C has only been proved to be beneficial to your health in natural form – by eating sufficient fruit and veg every day
@Alan Lawlor: Alan how dare you bring evidence based arguments to the journal comments
@Alan Lawlor: not true, read Prof Linus Pauling on the subject.
@Patricia Mcnamara:
Pauling’s work has been discredited. His work on Vit C was considered ground-breaking but later studies proved his views false.
Or perhaps, rather than looking to increase sales by placing a low VAT rate on supplements, we put it up to 23% but drop the VAT rate on fruit and vegetables, and natural sources of vitamins and minerals?
I accept there is 0% on the free vitamin D from the non existent Irish sun, so perhaps allow lower VAT on that one
@Vocal Outrage: The VAT on fresh foods is already 0%. The rate mentioned applies to restaurant or takeaway sales.
@Vocal Outrage: there is zero VAT on fruit and vegetables.
@Darius Guppy: thanks guys, didn’t realise that. Sort of undermines the authors point though, if we have 0 VAT on the natural sources, why would having a low VAT rate on the supplements solve our health crisis? VAT rate doesn’t appear to be a significant factor if 0% hasn’t stimulated fruit & vegetable consumption
@Vocal Outrage: because it’s not just vitamins and minerals that will be taxed. It’s also going to be on probiotics and other supplements that can help people live a healthy life, and fruit and vegetables cannot replace those health supplements. My son requires probiotics for a condition he has and now we will have to pay huge money for the ones that work for him. Ridiculous.
@Vocal Outrage: exactly: this author’s article is disingenuous. There are a VERY few supplements that both have been proved to work AND and you can’t get sufficient amounts from a healthy diet: Folic acid, Vit D, Omega oils. Most of the remainder are unproven: Vit A, B, C etc when taken as a supplement. In fact, studies have shown it encourages unhealthy eating, as ppl think that can make up for it with a few multi-Vit capsules
.. having said that, the government should have not raised the VAT on those minority of supplements that are useful to health, while raising it on the rest (which are snake oils)
@Lorraine Boland: but this isn’t an article just about VAT upon supplements required, as per your son, both rather all supplements, all upon the pretext of combatting obesity whereas for the vast majority of the population can get their requirements from their diet cheaper. I did also point out merit in cutting VAT on vitamin D supplements due to the shortage of natural sunlight in ireland.
People on here talk about Big Pharma, what are the authors links to the supplements industry?
@Alan Lawlor: that’s not true, especially when you consider herbal medicine. I rely on an array of these to counteract the damage chemotherapy does to my body and I guarantee that this supplements make a difference without all the side effects of big pharma drugs.
Imagine moving towards a system where the same tax rate applies to everything and people make a choice based on what’s best for them? Shocking!
Tax.. Government policy..
The almighty fix..
Eat fish? From the ocean? Good god you can’t be serious, filthy place the ocean is. Those sea creatures have polluted the lot and ruined it for everyone
@Neil Mac: lol.poor fish. We humans are destroying the oceans, the Earth and.ultimately ourselves.
What happens if your allergic to fish and eggs
@Anastasia: you come out in a rash? Your nose swells up? You have a laughing fit? I give up, what’s the answer?
vitamin supplements should only be supplements. fruit and veg are more important and we have farmers complaining when they are being sold on offers. folic acid can already be bought for 50c for 90 tablets. in this case price isn’t keeping women from taking it. if you go for non branded supplements you can get good value. and what does the EU have to do with it? our government is introducing taxes. our government are the ones introducing taxes.
“Many people find” does not equal science. The large majority of the products now being VAT rated have little or no science to back them up.
Snow Patrol Album
Final Straw
Leo’s recent comments in the Dail that supplements were like ‘snake oil’ were ill informed and childish. Many GP’s and consultants now recommend supplements to complement their treatment protocols. I’ve come across many older people taking glucosamine for stiff joints, fish oils, vitamin D all advised my their medical professional.
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