The Attorney
General’s Office of New York recently conducted an investigation to determine
if nutritional supplements sold by major retailers did indeed contain the
ingredients on the label. Six different herbal supplements sold at the four
major retail companies - Walmart, Target, GNC and Walgreens - were analyzed. A total of
390 tests were performed on 78 samples. Each sample was tested five times. Only 21% of the product test results
verified that the plants listed were in the supplement. The majority substituted
contaminants and fillers. Walmart was the worst offender, with only 4% verified
ingredients.
The
supplement industry in the US truly is a wild west with no sheriff and few
laws. There are an estimated 65,000 dietary supplement products on the market.
More than 150 million Americans regularly consume them. The FDA requires
companies to manufacture supplement products that are properly labeled and
safe, but unlike drugs, monitoring is not rigorous and sometimes non-existent.
Walmart:
-----Six
“Spring Valley” brand herbal supplements per store were purchased and analyzed:
Gingko Biloba, St. John’s Wort, Ginseng, Garlic, Echinacea, and Saw Palmetto.
-----None of
the supplements tested consistently revealed DNA from the labeled herb. One
bottle of garlic had a minimal showing of garlic DNA, as did one bottle of Saw
Palmetto. All remaining bottles failed to produce DNA verifying the labeled
herb.
-----Of the
90 DNA test run on 18 bottles of herbal products purchased, DNA matched label
representation 4% of the time.
-----Contaminants
identified included allium, pine, wheat/grass, rice mustard, citrus, dracaena
(houseplant), and cassava (tropical tree root).
Target:
-----Six “Up
& Up” brand herbal supplements per store were purchased and analyzed:
Gingko Biloba, St. John’s Wort, Valerian Root, Garlic, Echinacea, and Saw
Palmetto.
-----Three
supplements showed nearly consistent presence of the labeled contents:
Echinacea (with one sample identifying rice), Garlic, and Saw Palmetto. The
remaining three supplements did not revealed DNA from the labeled herb.
-----Of 90
DNA tests run on 18 bottles of the herbal products purchased, DNA matched label
identification 41% of the time.
-----Contaminants
identified included allium, French bean, asparagus, pea, wild carrot and saw
palmetto.
For
Walgreens and GNC see:
And then there’s Alex Jones
Labdoor is a
San Francisco–based lab that tests and grades dietary supplements. It ran
comprehensive tests on six popular Infowars supplements zealously promoted by
Alex Jones, who overnight suddenly became a self-styled health guru. Everything
was tested three times and wherever possible, the results were cross-checked
with at least two independent analytical laboratories.
The products tested were Super Male Vitality, Super Female Vitality, Anthroplex,
Child Ease, Survival Shield, and Oxy-Powder. The results for the first two are
below, with details on the others at the link.
Super Male Vitality, Super Female Vitality
“Both of these products claimed proprietary blends of 9+ herbal
ingredients. Based on our review of clinical research, the aliquot of 1.25 mL
per serving is not large enough to encompass effective levels of all 9+
ingredients. For the most studied ingredients in these products, these are some
of the lowest dosages found to show effects in research:
-----Tribulus terrestris - Tribulus terrestris seems to increase libido
in rats, and in one lone human study, improve erectile function, but this is at
a dose of about 300 mg per serving.
-----Ashwaganda - There's some evidence for ashwaganda being effective
for reducing anxiety and fatigue, but only at about 400 mg per serving.
-----Tongkat ali - There's possible evidence that this root might
increase sperm concentration in men, but does little to increase testosterone.
This effect has only been seen in limited research at about 300 mg.
-----Maca - There's limited evidence that maca root increases libido,
but only at a very large dose of around 2500 mg per serving.
-----Horny goat weed - In research, 80 mg/kg was found to increase
testosterone and improve erectile dysfunction in rats. This equates to 6350 mg
for a 175-lb person.”
Summary
“The 6
products we tested are most likely free from spiked drugs and stimulants and
are ‘clean’ in terms of the heavy metal contaminants we tested for. However,
the science behind many of their claimed ingredients are questionable. In some
cases, the dosing would too low to be appropriately effective. In other cases,
specialized forms of ingredients turned out to be simple, and relatively cheap
formulations, albeit effective in certain cases. As always, we recommend you
consult a licensed health professional when beginning any new supplement
regimen and do your research as to what is really inside each product and
whether it's right for your health.”
The
following products were not lab tested by Labdoor, but they were reviewed by
the lab's research team:
Joint Formula (pills) "Almost all of the listed
ingredients are not supported in research for joint health."
Caveman True Paleo Formula (shake powder) "They're using fancy ingredient
names for what are really simple ingredients."
Lung Cleanse (spray) "It's maybe like a spray liquid
cough drop in your throat — temporarily effective, but not worth $50."
DNA Force (pills) "There's no way to definitively
test 'DNA health', so having a claim of supporting DNA and/or mitochondrial
function seems far-fetched."
Myco-ZX (pills) "This product's ingredients are unsupported in
research and there's very little guidance on safe dosing."
Secret 12 Vitamin B12 (liquid) "There's nothing really 'secret'
about this product's main ingredient."
Heavy metals found in 40 percent of protein
powders tested (sold at numerous retailers and various providers online):
“Healthy eating enthusiasts may want to reconsider their protein powder
choices in light of a new study that shows 40 percent of 134 brands tested have
elevated levels of heavy metals, with certified organic products twice as
likely to contain heavy metals as non-organic powders.
“The 2018 study by the Denver-based Clean Label Project used the
independent analytical chemistry laboratory Ellipse Analytics to test the
animal- and plant-based protein powders. Clean Label selected and purchased the
powders from retail store shelves and from online sources……..
“The specific products tested in the Clean Label study are ranked the
top sellers, according to statistics from Nielsen and the Amazon.com
best-seller list. According to the research report released today, of the 134
products tested, 53 were found to have ‘substantially elevated’ levels of the
following heavy metals.”
Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Arsenic
BPA
Last Word by Scott Gavura, BScPhm,
MBA, RPh
“Without
reliable, consistent supplements, consumers don’t get what they pay for, and health
professionals can’t advise on their safe use. Given the limited evidence of
efficacy for supplements, and the repeated concerns about product quality, I
continue to advise that consumers approach supplements with great caution. The
potential benefits need to be pretty compelling to justify their use. There’s a
lack of good evidence to suggest most supplements offer any meaningful health
benefits. While the supplement market continues to grow, it’s becoming harder
to identify products that are truly safe and effective. We need better
regulation and product quality standards to ensure the consumers that purchase
supplements can do so with confidence, and use them safely.”
Additional Info
Spike in Harm to Liver Is Tied to Dietary Aids https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/us/spike-in-harm-to-liver-is-tied-to-dietary-aids.html?_r=1&
Tainted Products Marketed as Dietary Supplements https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/sda/sdNavigation.cfm?filter=&sortColumn=3a&sd=tainted_supplements_cder&displayAll=true
What 'USP Verified' and Other Supplement Seals Mean https://www.consumerreports.org/vitamins-supplements/what-usp-verified-and-other-supplement-seals-mean/
The Safety Reporting Portal https://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov/SRP2/en/Home.aspx?sid=e057a985-26e5-46b9-97d1-9bd5260a8763
Examples of FDA Warning Letters that cite unapproved or unsubstantiated claims, tainted products or other health fraud related violations https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ProtectYourself/HealthFraud/ucm255474.htm
Related Posts
Enough Already! The Great Dietary Supplement Scam http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2016/12/enough-already-great-dietary-supplement.html
8 Alarming Truths That Make Supplement Marketers Squirm http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2016/08/8-alarming-truths-that-make-supplement.html
Do Supplements Really Work? 8 Crucial Guidelines http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2013/10/do-supplements-really-work-8-crucial.html
19 Vitamin & Mineral Supplements: What Works And What’s Bogus http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2014/09/19-vitamin-mineral-supplements.html
9 Quick Ways to Detect Online Supplement Scams http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2015/06/9-quick-ways-to-detect-online.html
Testosterone Supplement Hype: Misguided Masculinity http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2014/11/testosterone-supplement-hype-misguided.html
Photo: https://www.lookingvibrant.com/blogs/lookingvibrant-com/the-best-foods-for-vitamins-and-minerals
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
0 comments :
Post a Comment
Feel free to leave any comments...