Diet supplements often ineffectual or even harmful

In a 2012 decision, an administrative law judge found that the marketers of a pomegranate juice and dietary supplements made false and deceptive claims about the health benefits of their products in 19 advertisements.

The company should have cut its losses, but instead appealed the ruling to the Federal Trade Commission, which found that it made deceptive claims in 36 advertisements.

The FTC barred the company from making any claim that a food, drug, or dietary supplement is “effective in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease” unless the claim is supported by two randomized, well-controlled, human trials.

According to a U. S. Food and Drug Administration publication titled “FDA 101: Dietary Supplements”, the law defines dietary supplements in part as products taken by mouth that contain a “dietary ingredient.” Dietary ingredients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs or botanicals, as well as other substances that can be used to supplement the diet.

Dietary supplements are not subject to FDA review for safety and effectiveness before they’re sold. They don’t have to be proven safe and most claims on labels don’t have to be proven to be accurate or truthful before the supplement is marketed.

While some supplements may simply be ineffective, others may be harmful. Even those labeled “natural” can be risky for people on other medications or with certain medical conditions.

The FDA has discovered hundreds of dietary supplements that contain drugs or other chemicals not listed on the label, particularly in products for weight loss, sexual enhancement, or bodybuilding. Others had too much or too little, or even none, of the dietary ingredient listed on the label.

Some products have been recalled because of microbiological, pesticide, and heavy metal contamination. People who took tainted or mislabeled products have suffered strokes, kidney failure, and pulmonary embolisms; some have died.

The FDA offers this general advice regarding dietary supplements:

Dietary supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or alleviate the effects of diseases. They cannot completely prevent diseases, as some vaccines can. However, some supplements are useful in reducing the risk of certain diseases and are authorized to make label claims about these uses. For example, folic acid supplements may make a claim about reducing the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.

Using supplements improperly can be harmful. Taking a combination of supplements, using these products together with medicine, or substituting them in place of prescribed medicines could lead to harmful, even lifethreatening, results.

Some supplements can have unwanted effects before, during, or after surgery. For example, bleeding is a potential side effect risk of garlic, Ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and vitamin E. In addition, kava and valerian act as sedatives and can increase the effects of anesthetics and other medications used during surgery. Before surgery, you should inform your health care professional about all the supplements you use.

The most important piece of advice that the Better Business Bureau, FDA and FTC offer is to consult with a health care professional before taking any dietary supplement. Randy Hutchinson is president and chief executive officer of the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South.