After reading a recent post about the dangers of supplements and alternative non-remedies, my wife asked me to research some specific examples. Luckily there are companies that focus on this very topic and can list a slew of supplements that are dangerous and/or mislabed.
Lead in ginkgo pills. Arsenic in herbals. Bugs in a baby’s colic and teething syrup. Toxic metals and parasites are part of nature, and all of these have been found in “natural” products and dietary supplements in recent years.
Set aside the issue of whether vitamin and herbal supplements do any good.
Are they safe? Is what’s on the label really what’s in the bottle? Tests by researchers and private labs suggest the answer sometimes is no.
One quarter of supplements tested by an independent company over the last decade have had some sort of problem. Some contained contaminants. Others had contents that did not match label claims. Some had ingredients that exceeded safe limits. Some contained real drugs masquerading as natural supplements.
Step one is to do a little research to find out if there is ANY evidence your supplement of choice will help relieve your symptoms or make you healthier. Step two is to do a little bit of research (either on the web or just asking your doctor or both) to make sure that the supplement brand you choose is on the up and up.
I’d be interested to know how many supplements pass both these tests.
