Dietary Supplements

"Get Ephedra Off the Shelves" (editorial, Feb. 21) cited several politicians, some sports organizations and some Food and Drug Administration reports. But ephedra has been researched in hundreds of scientific studies -- and you did not refer to even one scientific study. Should food supplements be banned by the opinions of a few sportswriters, newspaper publishers or politicians? The FDA data may be influenced by the FDA's role as the protector of the drug industry, and the details of its "adverse reports" were not given.

SACRAMENTO - Arnold Schwarzenegger has found lots of ways to keep busy since leaving the governor's office, including starring in action movies and lending his name to a policy institute at USC. Now he'll return to a role that stirred controversy during his time in Sacramento: serving as executive editor of Muscle & Fitness and Flex magazines. The move was announced Friday by American Media Inc., which owns the magazines. Schwarzenegger, who was named Mr. Olympia seven times, first took the editorship shortly after winning the 2003 gubernatorial recall election.

A new proposal to toughen the Food and Drug Administration's power to regulate dietary supplements has the makers of vitamins, minerals and botanical extracts up in arms. But an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine says the drug-safety agency's proposed new powers do not go nearly far enough. To expand its current $28-billion-a-year market, the dietary supplements industry is widely devising and selling formulations that use "novel" products -- minerals, plants, or amino acids that appear newly promising, which have not circulated widely in the United States before, or which are offered in "mega-doses" much higher than have been customarily used in supplements.

There is oh, so much publicity about fish oil pills, calcium and vitamin D - let alone the many more unusual dietary supplements. Are Americans persuaded? About half of U.S. adults use dietary supplements, and less than a quarter of the people who take them do so at the advice of a healthcare professional, according to a survey of almost 12,000 people in 2007 to 2010 published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. Americans spent more than $30 billion on supplements in 2011.

The Senate passed a compromise bill Saturday that would prevent the Food and Drug Administration from regulating dietary supplements as strictly as it does prescription drugs. But the measure would make manufacturers of vitamins, minerals, herbal products and amino acids comply with a nutrition labeling law for two years until a new commission decides the most appropriate way to deal with dietary supplements.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday advised consumers not to buy or use two drinks sold as supplements for sexual enhancement. The products, Rock Hard Extreme and Passion Coffee, are sold on websites and possibly in retail outlets, the agency said. Laboratory analysis indicated that both contain sulfoaildenafil, an active pharmaceutical ingredient that is similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Sulfoaildenafil could interact with prescription medications that include nitrates, the FDA warned, lowering blood pressure to "dangerous levels.

Experts from the medical community, vitamin users and officials from the Food and Drug Administration will meet in Ventura today to debate the wisdom of regulating dietary supplements. During the next few months, strict new FDA regulations are scheduled to take effect to control over-the-counter sale of certain supplements and vitamins. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) who is leading a congressional effort to overturn the new regulations, has organized today's public hearing.

The Food and Drug Administration warned the nation's dietary supplements industry Wednesday against spiking its products with steroids, prescription drugs and other prohibited substances. The warning was the latest salvo in a long-running battle between federal regulators and an industry that is held to far less rigorous health and safety standards than those imposed on makers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices ? thanks in part to powerful friends in Congress. Unlike drugs, dietary supplements don't have to be proven safe before being sold, and manufacturers can make general claims about health benefits.

Some dietary supplements are associated with an increased risk of death in older women, according to a study released Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In an analysis of about 39,000 women tracked over 19 years, researchers led by a team at the University of Minnesota found that those who took multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, copper and especially iron died at higher rates during the course of the study than those who did not take supplements.

About 9,800 bottles of Nature's Plus dietary supplements containing the raw material pepsin are being recalled because of possible salmonella contamination. Natural Organics of Melville, N.Y., which produced the supplement, said its products had tested negative for salmonella, but the recall was launched after random samples tested at a supplier, American Laboratories Inc., of Omaha, indicated the possibility of salmonella.

A new proposal to toughen the Food and Drug Administration's power to regulate dietary supplements has the makers of vitamins, minerals and botanical extracts up in arms. But an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine says the drug-safety agency's proposed new powers do not go nearly far enough. To expand its current $28-billion-a-year market, the dietary supplements industry is widely devising and selling formulations that use "novel" products -- minerals, plants, or amino acids that appear newly promising, which have not circulated widely in the United States before, or which are offered in "mega-doses" much higher than have been customarily used in supplements.

Antioxidant-rich products promise an easy way to stave off disease. Simply swallow two softgels daily or knock back a glass of goji-pomegranate juice and the "supercritical" compounds will neutralize those nasty free radicals that threaten your health. Such bold claims seem logical. There's evidence that free radicals, or oxidants, are involved in cancer, degenerative brain diseases and certain other illnesses. And when oxidants turn up in our bodies - it happens when we turn food into energy or are exposed to infection, smoking and other triggers - we fight back by producing antioxidants that can soak them up like a sponge.

In a Consumer Reports test of fish oil supplements, most passed muster but some didn't measure up on quality. Lab test results on 15 top brands analyzed for amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, disintegration, spoilage and contaminants. Researchers found that at least one sample from six brands didn't meet all the standards set. The results were released Tuesday and are available on newsstands. Over-the-counter fish oil supplements are extremely popular and used to treat heart disease, high blood pressure and psoriasis and a number of other ailments.

Some vitamin and mineral supplements -- including iron and multivitamins -- are associated with a small increase in the risk of death in older women, researchers reported Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Their results, which came out of a two-decade study of nearly 40,000 women in Iowa, are part of a longstanding debate: Are dietary supplements beneficial or not? Many experts consider taking extra vitamins and minerals unnecessary -- at least for most in the Western world, where eating a healthful diet is relatively easy.  "We see little justification for the general and widespread use of dietary supplements," nutritionist Jaakko Mursu, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis and the University of Eastern Finland, wrote along with coauthors.  An accompanying article in the Archives of Internal Medicine echoed the sentiment.  An editor's note also argued that "less is more" when it comes to taking your vitamins.

Some dietary supplements are associated with an increased risk of death in older women, according to a study released Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In an analysis of about 39,000 women tracked over 19 years, researchers led by a team at the University of Minnesota found that those who took multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, copper and especially iron died at higher rates during the course of the study than those who did not take supplements.

Americans seem to be falling for fish oil supplements -- and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A new survey suggests fish oil pills are the most popular dietary supplement in the country, even over multivitamins. Fish oil matters because it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA and EPA. If you've been paying attention (and the ConsumerLab.com survey indicates that you have), you know fish oil can help maintain a healthy heart and better brain function for starters.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday warned consumers against buying or taking dietary supplements containing ephedrine, such as Herbal Ecstasy, saying that the stimulant has been linked to 15 deaths and hundreds of adverse reactions. The FDA issued the alert against only those products advertised as alternatives to street drugs aimed at young people, such as "ecstasy," that promise euphoria, heightened sexual awareness and enhanced athletic performance.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday advised consumers not to buy or use two drinks sold as supplements for sexual enhancement. The products, Rock Hard Extreme and Passion Coffee, are sold on websites and possibly in retail outlets, the agency said. Laboratory analysis indicated that both contain sulfoaildenafil, an active pharmaceutical ingredient that is similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Sulfoaildenafil could interact with prescription medications that include nitrates, the FDA warned, lowering blood pressure to "dangerous levels.

The Food and Drug Administration warned the nation's dietary supplements industry Wednesday against spiking its products with steroids, prescription drugs and other prohibited substances. The warning was the latest salvo in a long-running battle between federal regulators and an industry that is held to far less rigorous health and safety standards than those imposed on makers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices ? thanks in part to powerful friends in Congress. Unlike drugs, dietary supplements don't have to be proven safe before being sold, and manufacturers can make general claims about health benefits.