Federal officials warn against dietary pills and supplements
At least 23,000 emergency room visits each year in the U.S. have to do with dietary supplements, according to the CDC.
Federal officials are warning against dietary supplements in a scientific journal set for release Monday, according to Stat.
A special edition of the journal Drug Testing and Analysisoutlines concerns over the popularity of unregulated and, in some cases, unsafe dietary pills. The concerns and recommended policy changes could affect soldiers (three-quarters of the military are using them), young athletes (who commonly use them to lose weight and gain muscle), and people who buy weight-loss pills, multivitamins, and botanical remedies, reports Stat.
“The margin of safety for these products is enormous,’’ Steven Mister, president and chief executive of The Council for Rosponsible Nutrition, told Stat.
Currently, consumers can buy supplements without a doctor’s prescription and, under a 1994 law, the Food and Drug Administration cannot review the products for safety or efficacy before they hit the market. And at least 23,000 emergency room visits each year in America have to do with dietary supplements, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read the full story in Stat.
Foods banned everywhere but in the U.S.:
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