Behaviors in Response to Adverse Events Associated with Health Food Use: Internet Survey of Consumers, Physicians and Pharmacists

Abstract

Adverse events associated with health food use appear to be quite common. Nevertheless, even though severe adverse events should be reported to the Japanese government via public health centers, the number of cases reported is relatively small. To clarify this discrepancy and to understand how consumers and physicians act when they or their patients develop adverse events due to health food use, we conducted an internet questionnaire with consumers (preliminary survey: n=44,649; full survey: n=3,000), physicians (n=500), and pharmacists (n=500). During 2016, 17% of consumers who used health foods developed adverse events. However, only 11% of them reported their adverse events to public health centers. Most physicians and pharmacists did not report these cases to public health centers because they were unable to establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship. It is important to encourage not only consumers, but also physicians and pharmacists to report adverse events to public health centers.