In recent years, there has been an explosion of new dietary supplements that promise things such as better memory, better libido, increased mood, and even to make you younger. Many of these supplements are marketed as "natural fixes" for these ailments, yet they rarely have evidence to back up their claims. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the supplementation industry, so they are not put under the same scrutiny that pharmaceutical drugs are. Because of this, they can make misleading claims about their products and even sell harmful chemicals to people without much backlash. The FDA itself says that many in this industry prey on people who are desperate and more vulnerable only to gain profit. There is also evidence that certain supplements, especially for athletic performance enhancement, have contaminants that are outright banned by the FDA and can lead to inadvertent doping and adverse effects. This is worrying because there are people who believe that a supplement will help them with a life-threatening condition, but it does nothing for them, and can even cause them more harm than good. Also, athletes who take supplements are at risk of being disqualified from competition because of contaminants in common supplements that are banned in competition or are even illegal in the US. This leaves us with an important question. Should the FDA do more to regulate the supplementation industry, or should they be trusted to govern themselves?
Sources:
https://cacmap.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/watch-out-false-promises-some-dietary-supplements
Mathews N. M. (2018). Prohibited Contaminants in Dietary Supplements. Sports health, 10(1), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738117727736
Hi Bryan! I completely agree with you in regard to supplement's lack of FDA approval being worry-some. I recently came across an article touching upon the harm prenatal vitamins are causing in fetuses. Many women across America are told by their doctors "Take your vitamins!", and of course, they listen! Prenatal vitamins are believed to assist in a healthy pregnancy. However, they were proven to do the opposite! This article highlighted amounts of lead found in prenatal vitamins which can penetrate the placenta and cause harm to the fetus. This is extremely worrisome for future generations and overall health. Not only does it rise questions regarding the health of the generations to come, but also what/who is trustworthy. If women can no longer trust long believed prenatal vitamins to help their pregnancy, then what/who?
ReplyDeleteFletcher , L., & Nejman , A. (2020, January 6). Spotlight on America: Exclusive tests reveal lead in some prenatal vitamins. Sinclair Broadcast Group. https://wjla.com/news/spotlight-on-america/spotlight-on-america-exclusive-tests-reveal-lead-in-some-prenatal-vitamins