careful with supplements...

[Guest guest]

http://news./s/ap/20090609/ap_on_bi_ge/us_med_unproven_remedies_safety

Tests show many supplements have quality problems

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione, Ap

Medical Writer Tue Jun 9, 12:48 pm ET

Lead in ginkgo pills. Arsenic in herbals. Bugs in a baby's colic and

teething syrup. Toxic metals and parasites are part of nature, and all

of these have been found in " natural " products and dietary supplements

in recent years.

Set aside the issue of whether vitamin and herbal supplements do any good.

Are they safe? Is what's on the label really what's in the bottle?

Tests by researchers and private labs suggest the answer sometimes is

no.

One quarter of supplements tested by an independent company over the

last decade have had some sort of problem. Some contained

contaminants. Others had contents that did not match label claims.

Some had ingredients that exceeded safe limits. Some contained real

drugs masquerading as natural supplements.

" We buy it just as the consumer buys it " from stores, said Dr. Tod

man, president of ConsumerLab.com. The company tests pills for

makers that want its seal of approval, and publishes ratings for

subscribers, much as Consumer Reports does with household goods.

Other tests, reported in scientific journals, found prenatal vitamins

lacking claimed amounts of iodine, and supplements short on ginseng

and hoodia — an African plant sparking the latest diet craze.

" There's at least 10 times more hoodia sold in this country than made

in the world, so people are not getting hoodia, " said Dr. Mehmet Oz, a

heart surgeon and frequent Oprah Winfrey guest who occasionally has

touted the stuff.

Industry groups say that quality problems are the exception rather

than the rule.

" I believe that the problem is narrow, that the well-established and

reputable brands deserve their reputations, " said McGuffin,

president of the American Herbal Products Association.

Of course, prescription drugs have had problems, too. Dozens of deaths

were linked last year to tainted heparin, a blood thinner produced in

China, for example. However, pharmaceutical drugs must show evidence

to the government of safety and effectiveness before they go on sale.

Not so for dietary supplements.

Fifteen years ago, Congress passed a law that treats supplements like

food and allows them to go straight to market without federal Food and

Drug Administration approval. The FDA can act only after consumers get

sick or a safety issue comes to light.

" We called it 'the body rule,' " said Obermeyer, a chemist who

left the FDA to found ConsumerLab.com with man. If a supplement

was harmful, " we had to have so many adverse events before we could

make a move on it. It was really like closing the barn door after all

the animals left. "

The law said the FDA could write quality control rules for products

sold in the U.S. It took the FDA 13 years to adopt these, and they are

just now taking effect. But the rules do not say what tests companies

must do to prove what is in their products, and some tests can be

fooled by subbing other ingredients. The rules also set no limits on

toxins such as lead; nor do they change the fundamental way these

products are sold to the public.

" It leaves the level of quality up to the manufacturer, " man said.

In a written statement, FDA spokeswoman Cruzan said the new

rules contain what is " needed to ensure quality, " and that products

that contain contaminants or whose labels do not honestly describe

their contents, are considered adulterated and subject to further

action by the agency. But she conceded that the agency is spread thin.

" In that FDA has limited resources to analyze the composition of food

products, including dietary supplements, it focuses these resources

first on public health emergencies and products that may have caused

injury or illness, " she wrote.

Millions of Americans take vitamin, herbal or other dietary

supplements. Annual sales exceed $23 billion, and more than 40,000

products are on the market. Tens of thousands of supplement-related

health problems are handled by U.S. poison control centers each year,

according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002.

Until last year, supplement makers were not required to report

problems to the FDA, and even now they must report only serious ones.

The agency estimates that more than 50,000 safety problems a year are

related to supplement use.

The Institute of Medicine, an independent science panel that advises

the government, studied the situation in 2005.

" The committee is concerned about the quality of dietary supplements

in the United States. Product reliability is low, " says its report,

which urged amending the 1994 law to tighten consumer protections.

Trade associations say the FDA's new rules do that.

" We are FDA-regulated products, " though not in the same way as

prescription or over-the-counter drugs, said Mister, president

of the Council for Responsible Nutrition.

The FDA can ask law enforcement to act against any company selling an

adulterated product, said McGuffin of the herbal products association.

" You can go to jail, you can have your company seized, " he said.

" We represent companies that we consider the responsible center of the

industry, " who are working to comply with the new rules, he said.

But his group only represents 250 of the 1,500 companies selling such

products. And even though millions of people take supplements with no

apparent ill effects, there have been many quality problems that a

consumer might never realize because they don't always produce

symptoms:

_CONTAMINANTS

ConsumerLab.com found lead in at least one brand each of zinc, black

cohosh and ginkgo products tested in recent years. Lead can accumulate

and cause many health problems, and the testing company wants a

national limit of 0.5 micrograms per day — a level that in California

requires a warning on the label.

A fungal toxin was found in four red yeast rice products in March

2008. And in 2007, federal officials warned about a liquid herbal

supplement sold for colic and teething pain after finding

cryptosporidium, a waterborne parasite that causes severe diarrhea.

Ayurvedics — popular herbals used in traditional medicines from India

— often contain hazardous metals, studies in medical journals report.

In 2004, researchers tested 70 ayurvedic remedies in the Boston area

and found that one in five had potentially harmful levels of lead,

mercury or arsenic. Tests in Houston, Chicago, San Francisco and New

York City turned up similar results.

Metals naturally accumulate in certain herbs and come from the soil

they are grown in. Many supplement ingredients come from Europe, India

and China.

" We don't know how much of the ingredients are imported — whether

they're coming from across town or across the world, " Mister of the

trade association conceded.

But even manufacturers get duped, said Jana Hildreth of the Analytical

Research Collective, a group of scientists advocating better

supplement testing.

" Companies started going to China and demanding lower prices, " and

unscrupulous suppliers sometimes spiked products with cheap

ingredients that can trick lab tests, she said. An example: a

buckwheat derivative, rutin, in place of pricier ginkgo.

_POTENCY PROBLEMS

In ConsumerLab.com testing last November, four out of seven

supplements contained less ginkgo than claimed on their labels, and

one failed to break apart properly to release its ingredients. Seven

out of nine failed in tests in 2003, as did six out of 13 in 2005.

" It is now believed that ginkgo is among the most adulterated herbs, "

the company reports.

Tests by California scientists of two dozen ginseng supplements,

reported in a nutrition journal in 2001, found that many differed from

their labels. The concentrations of some ginseng compounds varied by

up to 200-fold from product to product.

In ConsumerLab.com tests, six out of nine chondroitin supplements

failed testing in April 2007. One had only 8 percent of what it

claimed to contain, and one " maximum strength " product had none.

Vitamins and minerals had problems, too. A " high potency " iron

supplement contained less than half the amount claimed. Of 23

top-selling vitamin C pills, one provided less than half the amount

promised; the suggested dosages of some others were beyond recommended

safe levels. Of 10 vitamin A supplements, one provided twice its

stated amount, raising concern about toxic side effects.

Last year, nearly 200 people were sickened by supplements containing

up to 200 times the amount of selenium stated on the label. Symptoms

included hair loss, discolored and painful fingernails, muscle cramps,

joint pain, diarrhea and fatigue.

_HIDDEN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

The FDA has repeatedly warned about herbal pills found to contain

versions of Viagra and similar drugs to help men get an erection.

These can pose a heart hazard, especially when taken with certain

medications.

In December, the FDA expanded warnings about dozens of brands of

weight loss pills. Though the labels did not say so, some contained

sibutramine, a controlled substance that poses heart risks;

rimonabant, a drug not approved in the United States; a seizure

medicine, and a diuretic.

Red yeast rice, a traditional Chinese medicine, has compounds that may

block cholesterol in a way similar to statin drugs. Some red yeast

rice products have been found to contain lovastatin, the active

ingredient in the drug Mevacor. Problems can occur at high doses or

with other medicines.

_OTHER RISKS

Even " safe " supplements can be harmful. Beta-carotene takers still had

increased rates of lung cancer six years after one study was stopped.

These supplements " appear to increase rates of the disease,

particularly among smokers, " the National Cancer Institute warns.

In another study, men taking vitamin E were slightly more likely to

get prostate cancer, and those taking selenium were a little more

likely to develop diabetes. The results could have been due to chance,

but federal officials were taking no chances and stopped the study

last October.

Other studies suggest that high doses of vitamin C may help shield

cancer cells from treatments designed to kill the cancer.

" Antioxidants are not the magic bullets that the supplement industry

would like consumers to believe, " said Schardt, a nutrition

expert with the consumer advocacy group, the Center for Science in the

Public Interest. " They're not even necessarily benign. "

Herbal sex pills containing the African tree bark extract yohimbe have

landed men in hospitals with heart rhythm problems. This herb can

cause high blood pressure, increased heart rate and other symptoms,

the government warns.

The most serious side effects occurred with diet pills containing

ephedra — heart problems, seizures and even deaths. The FDA banned it

in 2004. The battle started in 1997, when the agency wanted strong

warnings on labels, and it became a test case of FDA authority that

went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where the FDA ultimately

prevailed.

_DRUG INTERACTIONS

Ginkgo, vitamin K, garlic, ginseng and other herbals can cause

bleeding or clotting problems if taken with certain medications or

before surgery. St. 's wort, promoted for depression, affects

metabolism of more than half of all prescription drugs and can

undermine birth control pills. Other supplements that can interfere

with medicines include glucosamine, saw palmetto, soy and valerian.

_OVERSTATED HEALTH CLAIMS

Makers can say a supplement addresses a nutrient deficiency, supports

health, or reduces the risk of developing a problem, but then must say

the product " is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any

disease. "

So consumers will see vague claims, such as " promotes healthy immune

system function. " The immune system has dozens of parts, and modifying

one can be helpful or harmful, so " it's a quack concept, " said Dr.

Barrett, a retired physician who runs Quackwatch, a Web site

on medical scams.

The Federal Trade Commission has stepped up actions against deceptive

ads, said commission lawyer Rich Cleland.

" It is a little like playing Whack-A-Mole, " because each time one

problem is resolved, more seem to pop up, he said.

Last year, his agency reached a settlement against the makers of

Airborne, a supplement aimed at people in crowded places such as

airplanes, offices and schools. Company founders " made false claims

that Airborne products are clinically proven to treat colds, " and

there is also no evidence the products can prevent colds, the FTC

complaint says.

Airborne's makers agreed to add $6.5 million to the $23.5 million they

had already agreed to pay to settle a related private class-action

lawsuit, bringing the total settlement fund to $30 million.

Industry also has stepped up self-policing. The Council for

Responsible Nutrition gave money to the Council of Better Business

Bureaus so it could hire a lawyer to investigate some supplement

sellers' sketchy claims.

" There were cancer cures and 'blast off 29 pounds in 39 days' — really

the Wild West of advertising. It was totally out of control, " said the

BBB's advertising division director, Levine.

The BBB council targets the worst claims in popular categories, such

as diet, cold and flu, menopause, joint problems and sleep aids.

" We can't do them all, " but want to send a broad signal about what

kinds of claims are over the line for each type of product, she said.

___

Kelvin

[Guest guest]

I have found the book, NutriSearch Comparative Guide To Nutritional Supplements

an excellent guide when deciding what brand of supplements/vitamins to purchase.

The top ten companies according to this Canadian study for " stand alone "

products were:

Creating Wellness Alliance, Laboratories, Truestar Health, USANA,

Allergy Research Group, HealthyWize, Life Extension Foundation, Neutraceutical

Sciences Institute (NSI), Rejuvenation Science, Source Naturals, Swanson. All of

these distributors received five stars (higest grade).

In the category of " combination products " the research found these companies

five stars:

Laboratories, TrueStar, USANA, Colgan Institue, NSI, Ortho Molecular

Products, Carper (4.5), n Whitaker (4.5) Mountain Home Daily Advantage

(4.5 stars).

My ND reports that Laboratories is a distributor for other name

products, normally the products you would purchase from a Health Care

Practioner. To no surprise, products purchased from Walgreens, Walmart, were

rated low.

All companies volunteered their products for testing, with the understanding

that this information would be made public.

Hope this helps when deciding what reputable company to purchase from.

________________________________

From: Kelvin <kelvin.internet@...>

Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:01:08 AM

Subject: [ ] careful with supplements...

http://news./s/ap/20090609/ap_on_bi_ge/us_med_unproven_remedies_safety

Tests show many supplements have quality problems

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione, Ap

Medical Writer Tue Jun 9, 12:48 pm ET

Lead in ginkgo pills. Arsenic in herbals. Bugs in a baby's colic and

teething syrup. Toxic metals and parasites are part of nature, and all

of these have been found in " natural " products and dietary supplements

in recent years.

Set aside the issue of whether vitamin and herbal supplements do any good.

Are they safe? Is what's on the label really what's in the bottle?

Tests by researchers and private labs suggest the answer sometimes is

no.

One quarter of supplements tested by an independent company over the

last decade have had some sort of problem. Some contained

contaminants. Others had contents that did not match label claims.

Some had ingredients that exceeded safe limits. Some contained real

drugs masquerading as natural supplements.

--------------------------------------------<snip>

[Guest guest]

This type article needs to be read with a bit of knowledge about what is

really behind its publication.

Much of it is vague enough to raise eyebrows, scare people, and leave one

with the thought they had better not use supplements. Unfortunately there

is also validity to the report and doubly unfortunate because people will

take 'anything' that is advertised. It is true many supplement companies

have leaped the oceans to use Chinese made products and why? Profit. They

cost less and some Chinese companies, in all industries, are notorious for

doing anything to lower the cost and increase profits. I have heard it said

that most of the Vitamin C is now produced in China.

One defense is for us to keep away from overly hyped supplements and also so

strive to use products offered by well-known companies that have a lot to

lose if their products are found adulterated or not living up to labeled

ingredient levels.

To sum it up? With all of the warnings in this article, we still do better

than following Big Pharma's party line because without adulteration, with

'approved' FDA products, more people get sick, wind up in Emergency Rooms

and die taking the 'approved' medications than all of the so-called

problems with supplements.

It is too bad a study isn't made whereby nobody took any FDA approved

medications for six months and then see what the mortality rate is. I

suspect it would decrease. Of course people 'stuck' (pardon the pun) on

Diabetes injections would need to be excluded because that would skew the

results quickly.

Joe C.

[Guest guest]

We are the people that wind up buying and often because a 'Health-Care provider'

recommends something but here again yet another 'study' and yes, we are having

to rely upon some group/organization we know nothing about.

I have reached the point where I 'entertain' the information in studies but keep

a wary eye out.

I have purchased Swansons products but here again Swansons purchases from China

like every other producing company. Obviously all Chinese products are not

poorly made and how can a study put large organizations such as Swansons on a

list when it would be almost impossible to test such a large line that is

carried? Did they test one..........or 25 of a company's line? How about

100?

In fact I recently received one of my regular Swansons orders.

Here's an interesting thought. If Swansons is put in the category of being

rated as well as a Health-Care Providers products why on earth would I buy the

very expensive products some practitioner suggests? I don't.

There were names left off the list I trust, without a lot of evidence to prove

why, but supposedly with good reputations. It's not an easy choice we all make

but choices we must.

Joe C.

[Guest guest]

Joe wrote:

If Swansons is put in the category of being rated as well as a Health-Care

Providers products why on earth would I buy the very expensive products some

practitioner suggests?

>

I would imagine that you trust what your ND promotes, better than buying

Walmart's products???

I found the book quite extensive and I like the idea that it was open to all

companies who had faith in what they were selling.

Other distributors who fell into the category of 4.0 to 3.0 ratings for

Combination Products:

ViSalus Vi-Pak 4.5

BioX Multi Vitamin Pack 4.0

Jarrow Formulas All Capsul Health Pak 4.0

Lorna Vanderhaeghe FemmEssentails 4.0

Metagenics Wellness Essentials 4.0

Nutrilite Perfect Health Pack 4.0

Pharmanex lifepak nano 4.0

Pro-Caps Laboratories Ultimate Complete for Men 4.0

Propax with NT Factor 4.0

Dr. Lark Daily Answer MultiNutruent for Women 3.5

Enzymatic Therapy Energy 3.5

ForMor International Core Nutrition 3.5

Great American Products Master Health Pack 3.5

Great Earth Nutritional Starter Pack 3.5

Highland Laboratories Mens Sport Pak 3.5

LifeLine Total Health Formula 3.5

Metagenics Wellness Essentials for Women 3.5

Pharmanex Life Pak Prime 3.5

Pro-Caps Laboratories Complete for Women 3.5

Colgan Institute Mens First Defense 3.0

CVC 4 Health 3.0

Hopefully this is encouraging news for novice vitamin shoppers.

" JCastron1 " <jcastron1@...> wrote:

>

> We are the people that wind up buying and often because a 'Health-Care

provider' recommends something but here again yet another 'study' and yes, we

are having to rely upon some group/organization we know nothing about.

>

> I have reached the point where I 'entertain' the information in studies but

keep a wary eye out.

>

> I have purchased Swansons products but here again Swansons purchases from

China like every other producing company. Obviously all Chinese products are not

poorly made and how can a study put large organizations such as Swansons on a

list when it would be almost impossible to test such a large line that is

carried? Did they test one..........or 25 of a company's line? How about 100?

> In fact I recently received one of my regular Swansons orders.

>

> Here's an interesting thought. If Swansons is put in the category of being

rated as well as a Health-Care Providers products why on earth would I buy the

very expensive products some practitioner suggests? I don't.

>

> There were names left off the list I trust, without a lot of evidence to prove

why, but supposedly with good reputations. It's not an easy choice we all make

but choices we must.

>

> Joe C.

>

[Guest guest]

Is this referring to distributors or the companies that manufacture the

supplements? Because the distributors, Swanson, for example, carry many

different brand names. Or does it mean only the Swanson house brand?

I have found the book, NutriSearch Comparative Guide To Nutritional

Supplements an excellent guide when deciding what brand of

supplements/vitamins to purchase.

The top ten companies according to this Canadian study for " stand alone "

products were:

Creating Wellness Alliance, Laboratories, Truestar Health, USANA,

Allergy Research Group, HealthyWize, Life Extension Foundation,

Neutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI), Rejuvenation Science, Source

Naturals, Swanson. All of these distributors received five stars (higest

grade).

In the category of " combination products " the research found these companies

five stars:

Laboratories, TrueStar, USANA, Colgan Institue, NSI, Ortho Molecular

Products, Carper (4.5), n Whitaker (4.5) Mountain Home Daily

Advantage (4.5 stars).

My ND reports that Laboratories is a distributor for other name

products, normally the products you would purchase from a Health Care

Practioner. To no surprise, products purchased from Walgreens, Walmart,

were rated low.

All companies volunteered their products for testing, with the understanding

that this information would be made public.

Hope this helps when deciding what reputable company to purchase from.

________________________________

From: Kelvin <kelvin.internet@...>

Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:01:08 AM

Subject: [ ] careful with supplements...

http://news./s/ap/20090609/ap_on_bi_ge/us_med_unproven_remedies_safety

Tests show many supplements have quality problems

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione, Ap

Medical Writer Tue Jun 9, 12:48 pm ET

Lead in ginkgo pills. Arsenic in herbals. Bugs in a baby's colic and

teething syrup. Toxic metals and parasites are part of nature, and all

of these have been found in " natural " products and dietary supplements

in recent years.

Set aside the issue of whether vitamin and herbal supplements do any good.

Are they safe? Is what's on the label really what's in the bottle?

Tests by researchers and private labs suggest the answer sometimes is

no.

One quarter of supplements tested by an independent company over the

last decade have had some sort of problem. Some contained

contaminants. Others had contents that did not match label claims.

Some had ingredients that exceeded safe limits. Some contained real

drugs masquerading as natural supplements.

--------------------------------------------<snip>

------------------------------------