The logical concern is this: what products were on the list of supplements that made up all those headlines? There were over 700 products on the FDA list of tainted products, so I think there’s a better way to ask the question: what were the categories of products?

1. Sexual performance was the overwhelming leader.
2. Weight loss was second.
3. Muscle building also made the list.

The problem with the sexual performance products was that they contained actual Viagra, Cialis, or one of the other medications used for erectile dysfunction. The weight loss products contained a pharmaceutical that has been taken off the market because of side effects. Most of the problematic muscle-building products contained anabolic steroids. When people take these types of medications pitched as dietary supplements without knowing what’s in the product, the potential for unexpected consequences is substantial and could threaten their health.

I reviewed the entire list of supplements on the FDA list and found no products—not one—offered by a reputable company. No multivitamins. No antioxidants. No herbals such as echinacea.

Here’s the bottom line: these were not dietary supplements, they were pharmaceuticals that skirted the FDA regulations for pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs and the FTC rules for honesty in advertising. But that’s not what the paper’s authors and the commentator said. We’ll finish this on Saturday.

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