posted May 01, 2004 11:31 AM
I got this off of Pam Smith's Living Well On-Line...a free monthly health e-newsletter.
DIRTY DOZEN OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
Despite known hazards, many potentially dangerous dietary supplements
are
readily available for purchase in stores and on the Internet, according
to a new report from Consumer Reports. This month's issue of the
magazine
released its "dirty dozen" list of dietary supplements that it says are
too dangerous to be on the market.
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. Sadly, these supplements
are
sold under many names, which makes it hard for consumers to know what
they're 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 FDA from taking similar actions to protect
consumers in this country.
The announcement coincides with a report on supplement safety just
issued 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.
Researchers from Consumer Reports say the supplements that made its
"dirty dozen" list may cause cancer, severe liver or kidney damage,
heart problems, or even death. They 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.
Since the brand names of the products containing the dirty dozen
supplement ingredients vary widely, researchers say consumers should
read ingredient labels carefully and look for the following:
Definitely Hazardous
Aristolochic acid (Aristolochia, birthwort, snakeroot, snakeweed,
snagree
root, sangrel, serpentary, wild ginger). They list this as having
caused
documented human cancers, and it is linked to kidney failure.
Very Likely Hazardous -- These are banned in other countries, have an
FDA
warning, or show adverse effects in studies:
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale, *** ear, black root, blackwort,
bruisewort,
consolidae radix, consound, gum plant, healing herb, knitback,
knitbone,
salsify, slippery root, symphytum radix, wallwort). Abnormal liver
function or damage, often irreversible; deaths reported.
Androstenedione (4-androstene-3, 17-dione, andro, androstene).
Increased
cancer risks and decreases in "good" HDL cholesterol have been
reported.
Chaparral (Larrea divaricata, creosote bush, greasewood, hediondilla,
jarilla, larreastat). Abnormal liver function has been linked to use.
Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys, wall germander, wild germander).
Abnormal liver function has been linked to use.
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). Abnormal
liver function has been linked to use.
Likely Hazardous -- These have adverse-event reports or theoretical
risks.
Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium, green orange, kijitsu, neroli oil,
Seville orange, shangzhou zhiqiao, sour orange, zhi oiao, zhi xhi).
High
blood pressure; increased risk of heart arrhythmias, heart attack, and
stroke are risks associated with use.
Organ/glandular extracts (brain/adrenal/pituitary/placenta/other gland
"substance" or "concentrate"). Theoretical risk of mad cow disease,
particularly from brain extracts.
Lobelia (Lobelia inflata, asthma weed, bladderpod, emetic herb,
gagroot,
lobelie, indian tobacco, pukeweed, vomit wort, wild tobacco).
Difficulty
breathing and rapid heart rates are thought to be associated with this.
Pennyroyal oil (Hedeoma pulegioides, lurk-in-the-ditch, mosquito plant,
piliolerial, pudding grass, pulegium, run-by-the-ground, squaw balm,
squawmint, stinking balm, tickweed). Liver and kidney failure, nerve
damage, convulsions, abdominal tenderness, burning of the throat are
risks; deaths have been reported.
Scullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora, blue pimpernel, helmet flower,
hoodwort, mad weed, mad-dog herb, mad-dog weed, quaker bonnet,
scutelluria, skullcap). Abnormal liver damage.
Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe, johimbi, yohimbehe, yohimbine) Blood
pressure changes, heart beat irregularities and heart attacks have been
reported.
Experts say it's important to tell your doctor about any dietary
supplement you may be taking. Not only do many supplements have
significant side effects, but they may also interfere with the
effectiveness of prescribed medications, such as birth control
pills.
Age old Wisdom: Just because something is natural does NOT mean its
safe;
When it Doubt, Leave it out!
SOURCES: Consumer Reports, May 2004. News release, Consumer's Union.
FDA.
Institute of Medicine.
posted May 01, 2004 11:31 AM