Are All Health Supplements Healthy?

We live in a very unique time in history. People today have access to more information than any other generation before us. As a result, we must be aware of what is good and what is bad data - what to let in as valid information and what to net out. Hard to do when we are inundated with tempting phrases like, “No dieting! Just take one Hoopdedoo pill a day and be twenty pounds thinner in just one week!” Our brain tells us that’s just nonsense, but then a little voice goes off and says “Hmm…I wonder if its true…” Some unscrupulous manufacturers count on that little voice. These manufacturers are allowed to advertise with little constraint due to U.S. marketing laws regarding anything under the banner of “health supplements”. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is engaged in an ongoing crusade to regulate some health supplements that could cause severe potential health risks and even death, however, Congress isn’t making the struggle any easier. “In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), which effectively allowed manufacturers of everything from weight loss pills to cholesterol-lowering supplements to put their products in front of consumers without regulatory oversight.” (Dangerous Supplements Pose Challenges to FDA - article on www.HG.org. Sept. 29, 2009 provided by the Law Offices of Tyler & Perry).

As a result, supplements not regulated by the FDA can and do make it to local pharmacy shelves and are freely advertised on television and radio. The problem is, though the FDA is trusted with the daunting task of approving prescription and over the counter drugs, costing hundreds of thousand of dollars and requiring years of testing before being brought to market, they have to fight with one hand tied behind their back when it comes to regulating health supplements. In fact, the FDA faces law suits brought by some companies based on First and Fifth Amendments rights. “The plaintiffs contend that the FDA is guilty of censorship, overzealous application of the qualified health claims system and the imprecise wording of the Good Manufacturing Practices regulations.” (Dangerous Supplements…Sept. 29, 2009, HG.org).

There are some regulations in place, however, they seem to be paper in nature and lend little substance in stopping untested supplements from getting on the market. Though each potential manufacturer must file a petition under the Qualified Health Claims section of the FDA guidelines, where they must outline the specific use and claims of the supplement, no further testing or studies are required to back up the claims. This allows many untested supplements to fly under the regulatory radar. To make matters worse, the FDA can only move on a supplement after it is on the market and complaints have been issued against it by consumers or healthcare professionals. By that time, many consumers have bought and ingested the product. A good case in point were the complaints lodged against the supplement Hydroxycut, which had been advertised extensively on television, radio, newspapers, and magazines before finally being pulled after an FDA warning - “In May 2009, the FDA issued warnings stating that the weight-loss product Hydroxycut may cause serious liver damage. After the warning was issued, the manufacturer instituted an immediate voluntary recall of the product.” (Dangerous Supplements…Sept. 29, 2009, HG.org). As always, the best source for questions regarding any drug or health supplement is your local pharmacist

Read Dangerous Supplements Pose Challenges to FDA article on HG.org in its entirety.

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