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A new study found that hundreds of nonprescription food supplements in the US contain unapproved and potentially dangerous drugs.
Researchers at the California Department of Public Health found that from 2007 to 2016, 776 products marketed as dietary supplements contained hidden ingredients that were neither safe nor studied.
Among them were dapoxetine, an unapproved antidepressant in the United States, and sibutramine, an appetite suppressant that was banned from the US market in 2010 due to cardiovascular risks.
Despite these findings, more than half the time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not imposed recall of supplements that knowingly contain potentially harmful ingredients.
The team based its research on the analysis of an FDA database that identifies "contaminated" supplements; which means that the product contains ingredients that are not listed on the label.
The study, published in the JAMA Network Open, revealed that more than one unapproved pharmaceutical ingredient had been found in 25% of these supplements.
Most of them, about 45%, were aimed at improving sexuality, weight loss (41%) and bodybuilding (12%).
Sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil are some of the medications contained in prescription drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction that, if overused, can potentially cause serious damage to blood vessels.
Similarly, the most commonly detected pharmaceutical ingredient in weight loss products was sibutramine, which had been withdrawn from the US market in 2010 due to cardiovascular risks.
Almost all muscle-building supplements, 82 of the 92 products, contained synthetic steroids or steroid-like ingredients, which, in the event of abuse, can lead to mental health problems, kidney and heart problems, as well as skin lesions. liver.
"These products can have serious adverse health effects due to accidental misuse, misuse or interaction with other drugs, health problems under or other drugs contained in the same dietary supplement, "wrote the authors, led by Madhur Kumar Food and Drug Directorate of the Department of Public Health.
"As the dietary supplement industry continues to grow in the United States, it is critical to further address this important public health problem."
So what did the FDA do about these supplements?
According to the study, very little. Of the 776 supplements identified as containing hidden ingredients, the FDA requested a voluntary recall of less than half (46.4%) and of that amount, only 334 recalls actually occurred.
"The failure of the agency to aggressively use all the tools available to remove the falsified pharmaceutical supplements from trade is putting the health of consumers at risk," commented Dr. Pieter Cohen, general internist. from the Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, Massachusetts, in the study.
In light of the results, the authors strongly recommend that anyone wishing to take a supplement should be in contact with their doctor.
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