Vitamin & Protein Supplements:
What you should know
There are many misconceptions about the use and benefits of food supplements.
Recent tests show that many supplements are not what they say they areAccording to DNA tests completed by the New York State attorney general’s office, supplements from all four of these giant retailers proved to contain none of the ingredients they were supposed to contain.
On top of that, researchers found lots of cheap fillers, some of which may be dangerous for individuals with food allergies. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about fraud in the supplement industry. Take a look in your cupboard. Do you have any supplements from Walgreens, GNC, Target, or Wal-mart? (or any other major store chain) If so, you may want to toss them out. In all four cases, the attorney general demanded that the companies stop selling the products immediately, and provide the office with information related to the manufacturing, production, previous DNA testing, distribution, and acquisition of the products. “Mislabeling, contamination and false advertising are illegal,” he stated. “They also pose unacceptable risks to New York families—especially those with allergies to hidden ingredients.” |
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In 2010:
A Congressional investigation of herbal supplements found traces of lead, mercury, and other heavy metals in nearly all products tested.
In 2012:
Researchers published a comment in the Archives of Internal Medicine warning that the current lack of regulation in the industry could lead to “adverse events.”
That same year:
In 2014:
Dr. Pieter A. Cohen published a perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine in which he noted that “more than 500 supplements have already been found to be adulterated with pharmaceuticals or pharmaceutical analogues, including new stimulants, novel anabolic steroids, unapproved antidepressants, banned weight-loss medications, and untested sildenafil analogues.”
A Congressional investigation of herbal supplements found traces of lead, mercury, and other heavy metals in nearly all products tested.
In 2012:
Researchers published a comment in the Archives of Internal Medicine warning that the current lack of regulation in the industry could lead to “adverse events.”
That same year:
- Consumer Reports found that more than 6,300 reports of serious adverse events associated with dietary supplements were sent to the FDA between 2007 and 2012, including
- 115 deaths and more than 2,100 hospitalizations,
- 1,000 serious injuries or illnesses,
- and 900 emergency-room visits.
In 2014:
Dr. Pieter A. Cohen published a perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine in which he noted that “more than 500 supplements have already been found to be adulterated with pharmaceuticals or pharmaceutical analogues, including new stimulants, novel anabolic steroids, unapproved antidepressants, banned weight-loss medications, and untested sildenafil analogues.”
More info will be added shortly.
Sources: www.renegadehealth.com
