Vegetarians ‘unaware gelatin is in medicine’

VEGETARIANS and people who avoid animal products for cultural reasons may be consuming gelatin in medicines without realising it, a study suggests today.

Experts surveyed 500 people and found many on a restricted diet would prefer not to take a medicine containing animal products even if no alternative was available.

The survey was carried out among a mixed-ethnic population from Manchester.

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Of 283 people who were taking medicines, 200 said they were not supposed to eat animal products.

Most said they would prefer to take medicines containing only vegetable products and of these 43 per cent said they would not take a drug containing an animal product even if no other alternative was available.

But only around one in five said they would check with their doctor or pharmacist to see if the drug’s content was against their dietary requirements or beliefs.

Gelatin is a commonly used coating agent in medicines, but can also be used as a thickener.

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Writing in the Postgraduate Medical Journal, the experts, from Manchester Royal Infirmary and South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said doctors “are fairly ignorant” about some substances in medicines.

Their study found patients did not ask what the formulation contained before beginning treatment, which put them at risk of transgressing their beliefs.

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