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As many of our readers know, Worst Pills, Best Pills News generally advises against the use of dietary supplements because, with few exceptions, these products offer little to no benefit to well-nourished adults eating a Western diet. In many cases, they may be harmful.
Hardly a day goes by without the news media calling attention to a new safety or quality concern regarding dietary supplements. A recent flurry of news stories and research reports reinforces the importance of being...
As many of our readers know, Worst Pills, Best Pills News generally advises against the use of dietary supplements because, with few exceptions, these products offer little to no benefit to well-nourished adults eating a Western diet. In many cases, they may be harmful.
Hardly a day goes by without the news media calling attention to a new safety or quality concern regarding dietary supplements. A recent flurry of news stories and research reports reinforces the importance of being wary when considering the use of these products. Three in particular caught my attention.
In February, The New York Times reported that the New York state attorney general accused four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — of “selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements.”[1] An investigation by the attorney general’s office had revealed that multiple herbal supplements sold by these retailers did not contain the herbs listed on their labels.[2] For example, tests of ginseng pills at Walgreens found that the supplements contained only powdered garlic and rice.[3] The attorney general appropriately demanded that the retailers stop selling these products.
In March, researchers published a study in the British Journal of Cancer showing that use of muscle-building supplements by men was associated with a 65 percent increased risk of testicular cancer.[4]
Finally, in April, the Times reported that 11 popular supplements, sold across the country for bodybuilding and weight loss, contain a synthetic amphetamine.[5],[6] The amphetamine, known as BMPEA, undoubtedly has dangerous health risks, as do all other amphetamine stimulants. Each of the supplements was labeled as containing Acacia rigdula, a shrub native to Texas, but BMPEA has never been identified with or extracted from this plant.[7] Two years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) itself published research showing that BMPEA was found in several supplements labeled as containing Acacia rigdula, but the FDA never warned consumers about these findings.[8] In contrast, regulators in Canada in December announced a recall of two such supplements after testing revealed the presence of BMPEA[9]. In April, the FDA belatedly sent warning letters to five companies selling BMPEA-containing supplements, telling them that the chemical was not an appropriate dietary ingredient.
The lesson from these and many other reports is clear: Consumers cannot rely on the FDA to ensure the safety, effectiveness and quality of dietary supplements or to issue timely warnings when potential dangers with these products are uncovered. Therefore, consumers need to be highly skeptical about using these products and should avoid them unless there is strong scientific evidence that they are safe and effective.
References
[1] O’Connor A. New York attorney general targets supplements at major retailers. The New York Times. February 3, 2015. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers. Accessed April 17, 2015.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Li N, Hauser R, Holford T, et al. Muscle-building supplement use and increased risk of testicular germ cell cancer in men from Connecticut and Massachusetts. Br J Cancer. 2015; 112:1247-1250.
[5] O’Connor A. Study warns of diet supplement dangers kept quiet by F.D.A. The New York Times. April 7, 2015. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/study-warns-of-diet-supplement-dangers-kept-quiet-by-f-d-a. Accessed April 17, 2015.
[6] Cohen PA, Bloszies C, Yee C, Gerona R. An amphetamine isomer whose efficacy and safety in humans has never been studied, β-methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA), is found in multiple dietary supplements. Drug Test Anal. Published online April 7, 2015. DOI: 10.1002/dta.1793
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Health Canada. "Jetfuel Superburn" recalled after Health Canada tests find undeclared drug ingredients. December 24, 2014. http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2014/43087r-eng.php. Accessed April 17, 2015.
