By Pongphon Sarnsamak

Thailand - Drinking "healthy" beverages with dietary supplements to boost body and brain function does not achieve benefits claimed in advertisements, a nutritionist warns.

"There is no scientific proof to support claims such drinks, which contain collagen, peptide and L-carnitine, provide health benefits," says Prapaisri Sirichakwal, dean of Mahidol University's Institute of Nutrition.

She says advertisements like these mislead people into believing products containing so-called "boosters" provide health benefits.

The Internet, television and print media are full of advertisements for beverages that make people more relaxed, focused and smart.

A survey conducted by Daily Xpress found four products containing two to four grams of dietary supplements like collagen, peptide, coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine being sold at convenience stores. These products, sold for between Bt19 and Bt35, offer so-called health benefits if consumed on a daily basis.

However, Prapaisri says these claims are not true. "These advertisements mislead the public into thinking that drinking the products boost memory and refresh the body," she says, adding that the amount included in each of these "booster" drinks is not sufficient to give people any extra energy.

The acid in the stomach, she notes, will break these supplements down before they can be absorbed.

"Scientists still don't understand what these compounds do even if the body does absorb them. We don't know which parts of the body would benefit either," she says.

Prapaisri says a balanced diet containing carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals is better than drinking "health" beverages to supplement your diet.

Food and Drug Administration deputy secretary-general Manit Arunakul says claims made without the scientific support violate the 1979 Food Act.

Daily Xpress/Asia News Network