Consumer Reports Issues List of Potentially Dangerous Supplements

[Guest guest]

Consumer Reports Issues List of Potentially Dangerous Supplements

Warner

April 2, 2004 ‹ Despite known hazards, many potentially dangerous dietary

supplements are readily available for purchase in stores and on the

Internet, according to a new report in the May issue of Consumer Reports.

The magazine released yesterday its " dirty dozen " list of dietary

supplements that it says are too dangerous to be on the market.

The list includes yohimbe, bitter orange, chaparral, and andro to name a

few. But researchers say the supplements are sold under many names, which

makes it hard for consumers to know what they are getting.

Many of the supplements that made the list have already been banned in other

countries. But researchers say regulatory barriers created by Congress have

prevented the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from taking similar

actions to protect consumers in this country.

The announcement coincides with a report on supplement safety issued

yesterday by the Institute of Medicine, which suggests that the FDA should

take action against potentially hazardous dietary supplements and asks

Congress to ease restraints on the agency.

Dirty Dozen of Dietary Supplements

Researchers from the consumer magazine say that the supplements that made

its list may cause cancer, severe kidney damage, heart problems, or death.

For example, they report that the herb aristolochia has been conclusively

linked to kidney failure and cancer in China, Europe, Japan, and the U.S.

Yohimbe, a supplement marketed as a sexual stimulant and an herbal Viagra,

has been linked to heart and respiratory problems.

Many of these dietary supplements are sold in both single and combination

products marketed for a wide variety of uses, from building muscle and

losing weight to easing stress and arthritis pain.

The researchers divided the list into three categories based on the amount

of available evidence about the dietary supplement: definitely hazardous,

very likely hazardous, and likely hazardous.

Because the brand names of the products containing the dangerous ingredients

vary widely, researchers say consumers should read ingredient labels

carefully and look for the following:

Definitely Hazardous

* aristolochic acid (Aristolochia, birthwort, snakeroot, snakeweed,

sangree root, sangrel, serpentary, wild ginger)

Very Likely Hazardous

* comfrey (Symphytum officinale, ass ear, black root, blackwort,

bruisewort, consolidae radix, consound, gum plant, healing herb, knitback,

knitbone, salsify, slippery root, symphytum radix, wallwort)

* androstenedione (4-androstene-3, 17-dione, andro, androstene)

* chaparral (Larrea divaricata, creosote bush, greasewood, hediondilla,

jarilla, larreastat)

* germander (Teucrium chamaedrys, wall germander, wild germander)

* kava (Piper methysticum, ava, awa, gea, gi, intoxicating pepper, kao,

kavain, kawa-pfeffer, kew, long pepper, malohu, maluk, meruk, milik,

rauschpfeffer, sakau, tonga, wurzelstock, yagona, yangona)

Likely Hazardous

* Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium, green orange, kijitsu, neroli oil,

Seville orange, shangzhou zhiqiao, sour orange, zhi oiao, zhi xhi)

* Organ/glandular extracts (brain/adrenal/pituitary/placenta/other gland

" substance " or " concentrate " )

* Lobelia (Lobelia inflata, asthma weed, bladderpod, emetic herb,

gagroot, lobelie, indian tobacco, pukeweed, vomit wort, wild tobacco)

* Pennyroyal oil (Hedeoma pulegioides, lurk-in-the-ditch, mosquito

plant, piliolerial, pudding grass, pulegium, run-by-the-ground, squaw balm,

squawmint, stinking balm, tickweed)

* Scullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora, blue pimpernel, helmet flower,

hoodwort, mad weed, mad-dog herb, mad-dog weed, quaker bonnet, scutelluria,

skullcap)

* Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe, johimbi, yohimbehe, yohimbine)

Experts advise about the importance of asking patients about any supplements

they may be taking. Not only do many supplements have significant adverse

effects, they may also interfere with the effectiveness of many prescription

medications, including birth control pills.

Reviewed by D. Vogin, MD

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/472871

[Guest guest]

Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, operates

independently from the government and pharmaceutical companies. I

believe they are a trustworthy organization.

From their own Web site:

" Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is an independent,

nonprofit testing and information organization serving only consumers.

We are a comprehensive source for unbiased advice about products and

services, personal finance, health and nutrition, and other consumer

concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the

public, and protect consumers. Our income is derived solely from the

sale of Consumer Reports and our other services, and from noncommercial

contributions, grants, and fees. Consumers Union is governed by a board

of 18 directors, who are elected by CU members and meet three times a

year. Consumers Union's President, Jim Guest, oversees a staff of more

than 450. "

http://www.consumersunion.org/aboutcu/about.html

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Re: [ ] Consumer Reports Issues List of Potentially

Dangerous Supplements

> How much you wanna bet that these herbs are not

> dangerous if taken in moderation as needed by someone

> knowledgable about them? Looks like another case of

> the mommastate trying to protect people from

> themselves and limiting the freedoms of responsible

> adults! I bet the drug companies are also pushing this

> behind the scenes because these herbs are competition

> for their products.

> --- a <paula54@...> wrote:

> > Consumer Reports Issues List of Potentially

> > Dangerous Supplements

> >

> > Warner

> >

> > April 2, 2004 < Despite known hazards, many

> > potentially dangerous dietary

> > supplements are readily available for purchase in

> > stores and on the

> > Internet, according to a new report in the May issue

> > of Consumer Reports.

> >

> > The magazine released yesterday its " dirty dozen "

> > list of dietary

> > supplements that it says are too dangerous to be on

> > the market.

> >

> > The list includes yohimbe, bitter orange, chaparral,

> > and andro to name a

> > few. But researchers say the supplements are sold

> > under many names, which

> > makes it hard for consumers to know what they are

> > getting.

> >

> > Many of the supplements that made the list have

> > already been banned in other

> > countries. But researchers say regulatory barriers

> > created by Congress have

> > prevented the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

> > (FDA) from taking similar

> > actions to protect consumers in this country.

> >

> > The announcement coincides with a report on

> > supplement safety issued

> > yesterday by the Institute of Medicine, which

> > suggests that the FDA should

> > take action against potentially hazardous dietary

> > supplements and asks

> > Congress to ease restraints on the agency.

> >

> > Dirty Dozen of Dietary Supplements

> >

> > Researchers from the consumer magazine say that the

> > supplements that made

> > its list may cause cancer, severe kidney damage,

> > heart problems, or death.

> >

> > For example, they report that the herb aristolochia

> > has been conclusively

> > linked to kidney failure and cancer in China,

> > Europe, Japan, and the U.S.

> > Yohimbe, a supplement marketed as a sexual stimulant

> > and an herbal Viagra,

> > has been linked to heart and respiratory problems.

> >

> > Many of these dietary supplements are sold in both

> > single and combination

> > products marketed for a wide variety of uses, from

> > building muscle and

> > losing weight to easing stress and arthritis pain.

> >

> > The researchers divided the list into three

> > categories based on the amount

> > of available evidence about the dietary supplement:

> > definitely hazardous,

> > very likely hazardous, and likely hazardous.

> >

> > Because the brand names of the products containing

> > the dangerous ingredients

> > vary widely, researchers say consumers should read

> > ingredient labels

> > carefully and look for the following:

> >

> > Definitely Hazardous

> >

> > * aristolochic acid (Aristolochia, birthwort,

> > snakeroot, snakeweed,

> > sangree root, sangrel, serpentary, wild ginger)

> >

> > Very Likely Hazardous

> >

> > * comfrey (Symphytum officinale, ass ear, black

> > root, blackwort,

> > bruisewort, consolidae radix, consound, gum plant,

> > healing herb, knitback,

> > knitbone, salsify, slippery root, symphytum radix,

> > wallwort)

> > * androstenedione (4-androstene-3, 17-dione,

> > andro, androstene)

> > * chaparral (Larrea divaricata, creosote bush,

> > greasewood, hediondilla,

> > jarilla, larreastat)

> > * germander (Teucrium chamaedrys, wall

> > germander, wild germander)

> > * kava (Piper methysticum, ava, awa, gea, gi,

> > intoxicating pepper, kao,

> > kavain, kawa-pfeffer, kew, long pepper, malohu,

> > maluk, meruk, milik,

> > rauschpfeffer, sakau, tonga, wurzelstock, yagona,

> > yangona)

> >

> > Likely Hazardous

> >

> > * Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium, green orange,

> > kijitsu, neroli oil,

> > Seville orange, shangzhou zhiqiao, sour orange, zhi

> > oiao, zhi xhi)

> > * Organ/glandular extracts

> > (brain/adrenal/pituitary/placenta/other gland

> > " substance " or " concentrate " )

> > * Lobelia (Lobelia inflata, asthma weed,

> > bladderpod, emetic herb,

> > gagroot, lobelie, indian tobacco, pukeweed, vomit

> > wort, wild tobacco)

> > * Pennyroyal oil (Hedeoma pulegioides,

> > lurk-in-the-ditch, mosquito

> > plant, piliolerial, pudding grass, pulegium,

> > run-by-the-ground, squaw balm,

> > squawmint, stinking balm, tickweed)

> > * Scullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora, blue

> > pimpernel, helmet flower,

> > hoodwort, mad weed, mad-dog herb, mad-dog weed,

> > quaker bonnet, scutelluria,

> > skullcap)

> > * Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe, johimbi,

> > yohimbehe, yohimbine)

> >

> > Experts advise about the importance of asking

> > patients about any supplements

> > they may be taking. Not only do many supplements

> > have significant adverse

> > effects, they may also interfere with the

> > effectiveness of many prescription

> > medications, including birth control pills.

> >

> > Reviewed by D. Vogin, MD

> > http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/472871