Tainted-Supplement Headlines

I’d like you to read these three headlines, stop, and identify the first thought that comes to your mind:

“Hundreds of Supplements Are Tainted With Hidden Pharmaceutical Drugs”

“Hidden Drugs and Danger Lurk in Over-the-Counter Supplements, Study Finds”

“Supplements Often Tainted by Hidden Drugs”

No matter what supplements you’re taking, the thought “I wonder what’s really in my supplements?” must have passed through your mind, even just for a second. I know my readers were thinking that. Should you be concerned? Will that multivitamin or B complex you’re taking contain something dangerous?

That’s the takeaway from these headlines about a paper published in the JAMA Network Open journal (1). The article had a corresponding commentary criticizing the FDA for dereliction of duty in not seeing that these products were removed from the marketplace. (2).

There are some important lessons here and this is the first one: while numerous publications called this a study, it was not. A few scientists reviewed the FDA website that listed tainted products marketed as dietary supplements; the FDA had sent warning letters to the manufacturers to stop selling the products. The authors grouped them by category of product type and then spent eight pages talking about them. According to the paper, they did nothing else—no other investigation or analysis.

The type of products that made the tainted products list wasn’t surprising if you closely follow health news. I’ll tell you what they are on Thursday.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

References:
1. JAMA Network Open. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3337.
2. JAMA Network Open. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3329.
3. FDA Database: http://bit.ly/2Pyq0B3