Newspaper review misrepresents dietary supplements, says CRN
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, DC) opposes the miscategorization of dietary supplements as unsafe and adulterated. A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology assessed the United States. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Contaminated Supplements Database between 2007 and 2021. Its evaluation revealed that 1068 products were found to be adulterated with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), sexual enhancement supplements and weight loss being the most common culprits. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors were the most common APIs found in sexual enhancement products, and sibutramine, a drug withdrawn from the market due to cardiovascular adverse events, was the most common adulterant API in products. slimming. However, the study found that muscle building supplements, although commonly adulterated before 2016, had no additional adulterated product identified since 2017.
CRN challenged the study and the media attention surrounding it for being misleading. “Unfortunately, media coverage of this study, and even the study author’s interpretation of the results, does not tell the full story. The report shows that the number of adulterated products marketed as dietary supplements identified in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database during the 2017-2021 period has decreased compared to previous years,” explained Andrea Wong, PhD, CRN’s Senior Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. , in a press release. “Furthermore, the percentage of adulterated products in the weight loss category decreased significantly over the same period, and no adulterated muscle building products were identified. These results suggest that law enforcement and responsible industry action have helped reduce tampering in recent years and should be celebrated. Instead, reporting the results as evidence of “continued risk” is unreasonable and unfairly disparages the vast majority of dietary supplements that have been shown to be safe and beneficial to the health of consumers. »
That’s why the CRN supports establishing a mandatory product list to better monitor adulterated dietary supplements, Wong says. Unfortunately, adulterated products are a reality in the dietary supplement industry and consumers need to make informed decisions about the product they purchase. Recently, the FDA issued a consumer update titled “Caution: Bodybuilding Products May Be Risky.” In the consumer update, the FDA warns that bodybuilding products may contain illegal steroids and steroid-like substances that can pose serious health risks, such as life-threatening liver damage. The FDA has advised consumers to stop taking products that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like products, and has provided a list of symptoms associated with these products, in case their presence is not disclosed.
In response to this consumer update, Wong said CRN agrees with the FDA’s recommendations, but adds that the majority of sports nutrition products are safe and beneficial. “Legitimate sports nutritional supplements – those that most consumers would find in mainstream stores or mainstream shopping platforms – are safe, beneficial, and help consumers achieve their fitness goals. As with other dietary supplements, these products are intended to complement other smart lifestyle choices, not replace the hard work and healthy habits athletes must develop to be well conditioned,” says Wong. “The CRN continues to call for a greater crackdown on products containing substances such as illegal steroids. We supported the Designer Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 2014, which gave the Drug Enforcement Administration additional authority to identify and respond quickly when new designer anabolic steroids are falsely marketed as dietary supplements.
“CRN reminds consumers to seek out products from nationally recognized brands or store brands from trusted retailers, avoid products that promise extreme results, research companies and supporting scientific data, and always consult a healthcare professional for advice on responsible supplement use. Visit our website for more consumer tips on supplement selection.