“I grew up with a mum who gave vitamin C for colds, and Echinacea. She wanted to give me the best nourishment possible. Now I’m a father, and I too want to do the best for my son and my family. I’m also a scientist and, like most people, I have questions... We made this documentary with SBS to help empower Australians to make reasoned and informed decisions about vitamins — decisions that may save them money, but might also save their lives.”
-Dr Derek Muller
The vitamin and supplement industry makes billions of dollars each year, telling us that we’ll live longer, healthier lives by popping their pills. In fact, globally, almost one billion of us take one regularly – or give one to our children. In a world where even the scientists can disagree, how do we decide whether to take them, or not? For some, it can literally be a decision of life or death. How do we separate the sense from the nonsense? Premiering on Sunday August 12, at 8.30pm on SBS, the Australian-made Vitamania delivers a fresh, insightful and surprising investigation of the global vitamin and supplements craze.
Created by Emmy® Award-winning filmmakers, Genepool Productions, Australian-born Dr Derek Muller takes us on an epic journey to uncover why scientists disagree on the effectiveness and safety of these products, while also investigating what exactly a vitamin is and what we actually know about them. What he uncovers will confound opinions on all sides.
The 90 minute investigative documentary combines powerful personal stories with breath-taking photography, surprise discoveries, vivid animations — and music. Vitamania features an original score with songs contributed by Australian composer and performer Casey Bennetto. It’s the first science documentary to have its own libretto.
Along the way, Dr Derek interviews some of the world’s leading researchers and health experts who offer comprehensive explorations of the omnipresent vitamin obsession.
In Australia, Dr Derek discovers that the daily amount of each vitamin the human body needs to survive is tiny — in some cases, so tiny that it can barely be seen by the naked eye. He also travels inside the Arctic Circle in Norway to eat rotten fish and trace the game-changing story of cod liver oil. In the US, he attends a natural health trade show, exploring the hype and hysteria that drives the multi-billion-dollar global trade.
Vitamania premieres Sunday 12 August, 8.30pm on SBS. The documentary will be available after broadcast via .
