Piramal’s Supradyn: Illusory Vitality and Expensive Urine

Posted on 2nd October, 2025 (GMT 07:10 hrs)

ABSTRACT

This communication critically examines Piramal Pharma’s over-the-counter multivitamin supplement Supradyn, highlighting concerns of pharmacological redundancy, cumulative risks, and misleading advertising. While promoted as a universal “energy booster,” Supradyn’s formulation—comprising multiple water- and fat-soluble vitamins, trace minerals, and herbal additives like ginseng—offers limited physiological benefit for healthy adults: water-soluble vitamins are largely excreted, fat-soluble vitamins and trace minerals may accumulate to toxic levels, and ginseng poses risks of insomnia, cardiovascular effects, drug interactions, and psychiatric destabilization. Evidence from Indian and global experts underscores that routine supplementation is unnecessary in non-deficient populations, and clinical trials consistently show minimal to no outcome benefit, contrary to perception-driven surveys like the EIGEN 2020 study. Piramal’s marketing strategies, which exploit fatigue, lifestyle anxieties, and survey-based claims, risk contravening the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, Food Safety regulations, and ethical standards of pharmaceutical communication, while fine-print disclaimers fail to ensure informed consumer consent. The analogy with financial exploitation through DHFL underscores how trust is commodified in both finance and health, extracting costs under the guise of benefit. In light of public health ethics, global regulatory frameworks, and consumer safety, the letter urges Piramal Pharma and relevant authorities to adopt transparent labeling, evidence-based advertising, and stricter oversight, emphasizing diet-first strategies and targeted supplementation for clinically confirmed deficiencies rather than universal promotion of multivitamins.

“लाभनम् श्रेयः आरोग्यम्” 

“Among all profits, cure is the highest good.” (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva)

To:
Mr. Ajay Piramal,
Piramal Pharma Limited

Subject: Comprehensive Concerns Regarding the Redundant and Potentially Misleading Use of Supradyn as an OTC Multivitamin in India

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Prologue

This letter raises evidence-based concerns regarding the routine advertised promotion of Piramal Pharma’s Supradyn in India. Redundant supplementation, cumulative risks of fat-soluble vitamins, inclusion of pharmacologically active ginseng, and ethically questionable advertising present safety, clinical, and public health challenges that require immediate attention. While Piramal Pharma tends to promote Supradyn as somewhat like a “panacea,” it also makes absolute truth-claims about its efficacy. How far are those claims substantiated?

As a DHFL victim, I need more than multivitamins. The parallel is striking: just as DHFL systematically extracted my life savings under the guise of trust and security, Supradyn encourages repeated daily intake under the guise of vitality and energy—promising benefits that, for most healthy adults, are largely illusory while quietly imposing cumulative physiological costs. Both exploit trust: DHFL in the financial system, Supradyn in consumer confidence in health and science. In each case, what is presented as essential—whether capital accumulation or daily supplementation—may actually yield negligible real benefit, while the cost is quietly extracted, whether in lost savings or in unnecessary nutrient load, potential interactions, and misleading consumer expectations. The comparison underscores the ethical imperative for transparency, accountability, and evidence-based stewardship, whether in finance or in public health.

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Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you in my capacity as an academic researcher, pharmacology and public health observer, and concerned citizen, to raise detailed concerns regarding Supradyn, a multivitamin and mineral supplement marketed as an over-the-counter (OTC) product in India under Piramal Pharma Ltd. Over and above all these identities, I write as a deranged DHFL victim, whose life savings have been allegedly gulped by the crony collusion.

While multivitamin supplementation may be clinically indicated in select populations with documented deficiencies, the routine promotion and use of Supradyn among the general population presents several scientific, ethical, and public health issues. These issues are grounded in the pharmacology of vitamins, independent clinical evidence, Indian consumer behaviour, and international standards on rational supplementation.

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1. Supradyn Composition and Potential Adverse Effects

Piramal Pharma highlights Supradyn’s composition as a strength, emphasizing its combination of 12 vitamins, 5 trace elements, 2 minerals, and 1 amino acid (L-glutamic acid). However, closer pharmacological scrutiny of these ingredients indicates potential redundancies and risks with indiscriminate daily use.

Table: Key Supradyn Ingredients vs. RDA

Ingredient	Amount in Supradyn	Adult RDA	Comment / Potential Risk
Vitamin C	150 mg	90 mg	Exceeds RDA; largely excreted (“expensive urine”); kidney stone risk if chronic high intake
Vitamin D3	400 IU	600 IU	Acceptable; cumulative risk with other sources; hypercalcemia risk
Vitamin B6	2 mg	1.3 mg	Slight excess; neuropathy risk if combined with other supplements
B12	2.4 mcg	2.4 mcg	Generally safe; chronic over-supplementation uncommon but redundant
Vitamin A	600 mcg	600 mcg	Fat-soluble; chronic intake risk: hepatotoxicity, bone loss
Vitamin E	10 mg	10 mg	Fat-soluble; high doses increase hemorrhagic stroke risk
Zinc	12 mg	8–11 mg	May impair copper absorption, alter lipid metabolism
Selenium	40 mcg	55 mcg	Chronic excess → selenosis
L-Glutamic Acid	1 mg	–	Weak evidence in healthy adults; excessive intake may cause excitotoxicity

Other vitamins (B1, B2, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid) follow similar patterns: redundancy in healthy adults, excreted if water-soluble, or cumulative risk if fat-soluble.

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1A. Supradyn Ginseng: Specific Concerns on Herbal Additives

Piramal highlights that newer Supradyn formulations include ginseng (marketed as “Supradyn Ginseng” variants). The addition of a herbal stimulant to a multivitamin matrix raises pharmacological, safety, and regulatory issues that deserve explicit scrutiny.

A. What Ginseng Is and Why It’s Added

• Ginseng (commonly Panax ginseng or Panax quinquefolius) is an adaptogenic herb traditionally used in East Asian medicine, especially in Chinese pharmacopoeia, prescribed for vitality, stamina, and longevity.
• Its inclusion in Supradyn is marketed for “energy,” mental alertness, and “immunity.”
• Transplanting an ancient herbal remedy into a mass-market OTC vitamin pill, outside the frameworks of traditional Chinese medicine, removes contextual safeguards and amplifies risks.

B. Specific Adverse Effects and Risks of Ginseng in OTC Multivitamins

1.    CNS stimulation: insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, headaches; amplified with B-complex and caffeine.

2.    Cardiovascular: blood pressure fluctuations, arrhythmias; unsafe for hypertensive/cardiac patients.

3.    Hypoglycaemic interactions: potentiates antidiabetic medications, risking severe hypoglycaemia.

4.    Drug interactions: reduces efficacy of warfarin/anticoagulants, altering INR.

5.    Psychiatric: mania or mood destabilization in bipolar or psychotropic drug users.

6.    Endocrine: weak estrogenic activity may worsen hormone-sensitive conditions.

7.    Allergic/idiosyncratic: rashes, rare anaphylaxis, organ dysfunction.

8.    Quality control: variable ginsenoside content, adulteration, inconsistent dosing.

C. Concerns Combining Ginseng with Supradyn Matrix

• Additive stimulation → jitteriness, insomnia, palpitations.

[DHFL victims like me already suffer from extreme anxiety, insomnia, chronic depression, and mood disorders. If, in the long list of so-called “remedies,” only Supradyn is offered, our suffering will hardly lessen—indeed, it may even deepen. Therefore, I request Mr. Piramal, celebrated in public discourse as a philanthropist, to consider whether DHFL victims deserve something more humane than hollow vitamin tablets. If true relief is sought, then perhaps sedatives—rather than supplements—would be a more fitting prescription. And if corporate benevolence has become indistinguishable from contraband logistics, then one imagines that even illicit narcotics supplied from Adani’s Mundra Port could become a pharmacy for the distressed. This, of course, is not a proposal but a satire—a bitter medicine of words for a bitter reality.]

•  Masked clinical signs → hypoglycaemic effects may worsen fatigue/dizziness.
• Polypharmacy risks in older adults.
• Perception vs. physiology → energy “boost” mostly subjective/placebo.

D. Regulatory & Ethical Implications

• Herbal botanicals with systemic effects must carry explicit warnings:
  “Contains Panax ginseng — consult physician if pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, hypertensive, on anticoagulants, or on psychiatric medications.”
• Marketing using “ancient Chinese wisdom” narrative risks romanticizing tradition while ignoring contextual safeguards, transforming the product into a herbal-pharmaceutical hybrid requiring stricter oversight.

2. Pharmacological Considerations: Water-Soluble vs Fat-Soluble Vitamins

The scientific literature establishes a clear distinction between water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins with respect to absorption, metabolism, storage, and excretion:

• Water-soluble vitamins (B-complex, Vitamin C) are absorbed according to the body’s immediate requirements. Excess intake above the physiological need is rapidly excreted through the urine. Multiple pharmacokinetic studies, including those conducted in Indian adult volunteers, demonstrate that after intake of high-dose water-soluble vitamins (e.g., vitamin C >200 mg/day or B-complex above RDA), a substantial fraction is eliminated within 24 hours, creating what is often described as “expensive urine.”
• Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), by contrast, are absorbed with dietary fat and stored in the liver and adipose tissue. Chronic intake above the recommended daily allowance can lead to accumulation and potential toxicity, with risks including liver dysfunction, hypercalcemia, and other systemic effects.

Implication: Routine daily supplementation of Supradyn, which contains a mixture of water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins along with trace minerals, often results in redundant intake. For water-soluble vitamins, the body eliminates the majority of excess; for fat-soluble vitamins and trace minerals, chronic use may pose cumulative risk.

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2. Evidence from Indian Pharmacology and Nutrition Experts

Several Indian medical and pharmacological authorities have commented on the widespread misuse and redundancy of multivitamins:

• Dr. V. Mohan, Padma Shri awardee and leading diabetologist, has publicly stated that “There is nothing called multivitamin deficiency. Unless there is deficiency of specific vitamins, e.g., Vitamin D or B12, giving multivitamins may not be beneficial and may even do harm.”
• Dr. Anirban Chattopadhyay (Internal Medicine) emphasizes that “unchecked intake of multivitamins leads to excess levels of vitamins like B12 or Vitamin D, which can have clinical consequences.”
• Senior pharmacologists from Delhi medical institutions have highlighted the irrational prescription of vitamin complexes, pointing out that B-vitamin supplementation is frequently unnecessary for the general population.
• Public awareness articles and surveys (e.g., Times of India, India Today) repeatedly note that while water-soluble vitamins are excreted in urine, fat-soluble vitamins accumulate, making routine use scientifically unwarranted for healthy adults.

Collectively, these perspectives indicate a knowledge gap among consumers, who are often unaware of the pharmacokinetics of vitamins, the limited utility of routine supplementation, and potential risks associated with indiscriminate use.

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3. Clinical Evidence on Routine Multivitamin Use

Global and Indian clinical evidence suggests:

1.    Randomized and observational trials in generally healthy adults consistently show minimal to no improvement in mortality, major clinical outcomes, or functional health parameters from routine multivitamin supplementation.

2.    Subjective benefit reported in industry-sponsored studies, including “energy surveys” conducted by Supradyn, are prone to placebo effects, selection bias, and cannot substitute for objective clinical evidence.

3.    Indian studies examining urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins confirm that much of the excess intake is eliminated without physiological benefit. For example:

o   Sustained-release vitamin C studies in healthy Indian volunteers show measurable urinary excretion within 24 hours for doses exceeding the RDA.

o   Pediatric and adult studies demonstrate that after dietary sufficiency is reached, additional B-complex or vitamin C intake largely appears in urine.

Implication: There is no strong clinical rationale for blanket, daily use of multivitamins such as Supradyn in the healthy population.

Addendum: Counter-Arguments Regarding the EIGEN 2020 Quant Study (220 HCPs)

While Piramal Pharma may refer to the EIGEN Quant Study (2020) involving 220 health care professionals (HCPs) through its marketized advertisements⤡ to support the widespread use of Supradyn, several important limitations reduce its scientific weight:

1.    Nature of Evidence

o   The EIGEN study was a market research survey based on perceptions and prescribing practices of HCPs, not a peer-reviewed clinical trial.

o   Such data cannot establish causality or prove physiological benefit.

2.    Selection and Confirmation Bias

o   Survey participants may already be inclined to prescribe or endorse multivitamins, leading to biased reporting.

o   Their opinions are often influenced by prevailing prescription culture and industry marketing.

3.    Subjective vs. Objective Outcomes

o   Reported benefits like “more energy” or “better vitality” are subjective and susceptible to placebo effects.

o   Clinical endpoints such as reduction in morbidity, disease prevention, or measurable nutritional improvement were not evaluated.

4.    Mismatch with Global Evidence

o   High-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) across diverse populations consistently show minimal or no benefit of routine multivitamin use in generally healthy adults.

o   Therefore, a survey of 220 HCPs cannot outweigh large-scale evidence synthesized in Cochrane reviews, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines, and WHO recommendations.

5.    Conflict of Interest Concerns

o   Industry-funded perception studies often function as marketing tools rather than scientific inquiry. Without full disclosure of methodology and peer review, such findings should be treated with caution.

Conclusion:
The EIGEN 2020 Quant Study only demonstrates that some Indian HCPs believe multivitamins like Supradyn have utility. It does not provide robust pharmacological or clinical justification for promoting daily multivitamin use in the general healthy population. Consequently, the concerns raised in this letter—redundancy of water-soluble vitamin supplementation, cumulative risks of fat-soluble vitamins, and ethical advertising practices—remain unaddressed.

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4. Advertising and Ethical Concerns

Piramal Pharma’s marketing of Supradyn heavily leverages perceptions of fatigue, lifestyle inadequacy, and survey claims of ‘widespread deficiency,’ potentially exaggerating consumer need without meeting sufficient ‘caveat emptor’ (Buyers Beware) standards. Specific concerns include:

• Positioning Supradyn as a “daily energy booster” implies therapeutic benefit for all adults without deficiency, which is scientifically unsupported. Such claims blur the line between a dietary supplement and a medicinal product, raising ethical questions about whether it is appropriate to market Supradyn as a solution to general fatigue.
• Media campaigns and advertisements often use survey-based fear of deficiency to encourage habitual use among healthy individuals, a practice that could be considered commercial medicalization. This strategy risks misleading consumers, creating dependency on supplementation, and diverting attention from dietary or lifestyle solutions.
• Legally, such advertising may conflict with the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, which prohibits claims that a product can treat, prevent, or cure certain conditions. While Supradyn is marketed as a supplement rather than a drug, suggesting that it enhances energy or immunity could be interpreted as making therapeutic claims. Similarly, the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, require that health claims be scientifically substantiated, which current evidence does not robustly support.

·        From an ethical standpoint, principles outlined in frameworks like the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) emphasize transparency, accuracy, and integrity. Marketing strategies that exaggerate benefits or exploit consumer fears violate these principles and undermine public trust. Moreover, the very tiny disclaimers on such medical advertisements—often in fine print, barely noticeable, or ambiguously worded—function similarly to disclaimers like “subject to market risks” in mutual fund investment advertisements. In both cases, the disclaimers are insufficient to truly inform the consumer of potential harms or limitations. For Supradyn, this means that while an advertisement may claim “boosts energy” or “enhances immunity,” the small disclaimers fail to convey the limited physiological benefits for healthy adults, the risks of fat-soluble vitamin accumulation, or possible adverse effects from ginseng. Such minimal disclosures place the burden of critical evaluation entirely on the consumer, who may lack the pharmacological knowledge to interpret these claims safely. Ethically, this raises concerns about informed consent in consumer health decisions: individuals are encouraged to take a product under the assumption of benefit, without clear, accessible information on potential redundancy, interactions, or long-term consequences. In this sense, the marketing practices exploit trust while providing the bare minimum legally, falling short of the ethical responsibility expected in healthcare communication.

Overall, Piramal Pharma’s advertising practices for Supradyn, as currently implemented, raise both ethical and legal concerns, highlighting the urgent need for evidence-based claims, transparent labeling, and consumer education to ensure responsible marketing of health products.

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5. Regulatory and Public Health Considerations

• While Supradyn complies with Indian OTC regulations, current regulatory frameworks do not fully address evidence-based marketing claims, especially in digital and broadcast media.
• International authorities, including WHO, stress the judicious use of micronutrient supplementation: supplements should be targeted to populations with documented deficiency or clinical need, not marketed for universal use in healthy adults.
• While Piramal Pharma may assert that Supradyn carries appropriate labelling, there remain concerns regarding its clarity, prominence, and comprehensibility for the average consumer. Existing labels may technically disclose ingredients and recommended dosages, but they often fail to communicate critical nuances: the limited benefit of routine supplementation for healthy adults, the potential cumulative risks of fat-soluble vitamins, or the pharmacological interactions and adverse effects of added herbal components like ginseng. In many cases, disclaimers are printed in small font, positioned inconspicuously, or couched in technical language that is unlikely to be fully understood by non-expert users. Therefore, compliance with labeling regulations, while necessary, is not sufficient to ensure informed consumer choice. There is an urgent need for enhanced transparency, clear risk communication, and public education so that consumers can make truly informed decisions regarding multivitamin use.

6. Recommendations

Given the evidence and ethical concerns, I respectfully urge:

1.    Piramal Pharma to review its advertising of Supradyn, clarifying:

o   Limited role of routine multivitamins in non-deficient adults;

o   Risk of unnecessary intake and potential cumulative toxicity for fat-soluble vitamins;

o   Excretion of water-soluble vitamins and consequent redundancy of excess supplementation.

2.    Indian authorities (DCGI, ICMR, Ministry of Health) to:

o   Issue updated guidance on multivitamin OTC advertising and labelling;

o   Promote public awareness on diet-first strategies and evidence-based supplementation.

3.    WHO and global public health agencies to:

o   Reaffirm international recommendations on judicious, targeted micronutrient supplementation;

o   Highlight the redundancy and potential risks of indiscriminate OTC multivitamin use in policy advisories.

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Conclusion
The routine promotion of Supradyn as a universal OTC multivitamin is not supported by evidence-based pharmacology, rational nutrition, or ethical advertising practices. While supplementation may be justified for specific populations with documented deficiencies, marketing to the general healthy adult population risks redundancy, financial waste, and potentially cumulative harm. The composition of Supradyn—including vitamins C, D3, B-complex, A, E, zinc, selenium, and L-glutamic acid—provides limited physiological benefit when consumed daily by healthy adults; water-soluble vitamins are largely excreted in excess, whereas fat-soluble vitamins and trace minerals can accumulate, potentially causing hepatotoxicity, hypercalcemia, neuropathy, or metabolic disruption.

The addition of ginseng in “Supradyn Ginseng” variants introduces further pharmacological and safety concerns, including CNS stimulation, insomnia, cardiovascular effects, hypoglycemic interactions, anticoagulant interference, endocrine and psychiatric effects, and allergic or idiosyncratic reactions, compounded by variability in ginsenoside content and potential adulteration. Indian experts, including Dr. V. Mohan and Dr. Anirban Chattopadhyay, emphasize that routine multivitamin supplementation is often unnecessary in non-deficient populations, a finding supported by global and Indian clinical studies showing minimal impact on mortality, morbidity, or functional outcomes. Marketing claims such as “daily energy booster” are therefore scientifically unsubstantiated and may mislead consumers. Similarly, perception-based surveys like the EIGEN 2020 study of 220 healthcare professionals cannot substitute for rigorous clinical evidence due to selection bias, subjectivity, and potential industry influence.

Regulatory frameworks in India and globally reinforce that supplementation should be targeted to populations with confirmed deficiencies, underscoring the need for transparent labeling, evidence-based advertising, and public education. Taken together, the concerns raised regarding redundancy, potential cumulative toxicity, drug–herb interactions, and ethical marketing are factually supported, and a transparent, evidence-informed approach—coupled with consumer education and regulatory oversight—is imperative.

I urge Piramal Pharma and relevant stakeholders to take proactive measures to ensure that multivitamin use in India aligns with scientific evidence and public health ethics, and I look forward to engagement on strategies for responsible supplementation.

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Sincerely,

Dr. Debaprasad Bandyopadhyay

References

1.    Padhy et al., 2018, Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry: Vitamin C excretion kinetics.

2.    Geng et al., 2019, Phytotherapy Research: Ginseng cardiovascular/CNS effects.

3.    Cochrane Reviews on multivitamins (2012, 2018 updates).

4.    WHO Guidelines: Micronutrient Supplementation, 2020.

5.    Indian pharmacology experts: V. Mohan, Anirban Chattopadhyay, public statements, 2015–2020.

COPY TO:

•  Shri A.H. Laddhad, Prothonotary and Senior Master, Bombay High Court (With reference to Case No. S/42/2025)
• Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)
• Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI / CDSCO)
• Chairperson, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
• Secretary, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
• Director General, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
• President, All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN)
• Director, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)
• President, Indian Medical Association (IMA)
• Secretary, Indian Pharmacological Society (IPS)
• Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) / WHO Essential Medicines Division
• Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights
• Director, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
• Executive Director, Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA)
• Chairperson, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)
• Prasar Bharati (Chairman, CEO, Member-Finance)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Disclaimer:
This communication is submitted for informational and advocacy purposes only. The contents reflect the author’s independent research, observations, and interpretations of publicly available data and scientific literature. It is not intended as legal, medical, or regulatory advice. Recipients are encouraged to independently verify all facts, consult qualified experts as needed, and exercise their professional judgment in considering the matters raised herein. The author assumes no liability for any decisions, actions, or outcomes arising from the use of this information.