Over-the-counter health supplements...
...contained unlabeled caffeine, possible laxatives and niacin, an organic compound that can cause allergic reactions or conflict with other medications. In one supplement, they found an unlabeled derivative of the prescription drug Viagra.
"It's a molecule that's similar to Viagra but not identical," Rovnyak said. "There are underground laboratories, often offshore, where they alter Viagra so that it's a slightly different molecule. This is very frightening, because now you have a different molecule that hasn't undergone any FDA safety testing.
"It could cause irreversible organ damage," he continued. "It could have allergenic effect. It could be a carcinogen. We simply don't know, because it's a completely new drug. So this is a shockingly dangerous pill, and it was a surprise to find it."
Niacin? I don't know much about allergic reactions to Niacin, but I do know if you take about a gram of it you will have the joy of experiencing a terrific hot-flash! Niacin was used as a treatment for elevated cholesterol before statins became popular. And these hot flashes are full bore, from the top of the head to way down the legs rosy-red flush hot-flashes! Also, it's an equal-opportunity hot-flash for both males and females!
Buyer beware - you buy spazzy cure-alls that make snake oil claims you get what you pay for - and more.
Stick with reputable whole source vitamins, minerals and natural supplements and you can't go wrong.
I read the reports to the retailers in question. In each case, the "supplements" tested were store brands. None was what might be considered a "national" brand. That having been said, I wonder what the results might have been had national brands been included? That (discount) off-label brands were tested and found lacking surprises me not at all. I have no doubt they are sourced from India and China, neither of which has a sterling reputation for business ethics and/or quality of product.
I'm not familiar with the product labeling requirements in this case, but would hope "Product of...." would be a requirement. But there is a problem with that, because many (most?) labeling requirements list the country of origin as the source of the largest proportion of the cost, which in this case could be the packaging. So even though the pills may have been made offshore, the plastic bottle and the packaging costs in North America could easily exceed the cost of the pills and the product could conceivably be labeled "Product of the USA...or Canada".
If I were a NatBrand - like Jamieson's and had confidence in my product, I'd be all over this...
Trust me. China, the Land of Knockoffs, has no ethical quandaries over labelling their products with other nation's "Made In ____" labels.
This is part of the reason we ask patients to stop all herbal supplements one week pre surgery. There is simply no way of knowing what is in them. "Natural" medicines have contained everything from sawdust to combinations of naproxen and valium. Some contain salicylates and other blood thinners. I don't know anyone who would put "Frank's gas" in their car, but there seems to be no shortage of people willing to put Wampum Bill's Snake Oil Tonic into their bodies.
Formulator guy here again--- niacin was a popular thing to overdose in supplements because it will cause facial reddening in most ppl-- ''proof'' that the supplement works.
Canuck66--- Store (private) brands vs National Brands--- someone like Centrum makes their product 'in house'. The smaller twig and leaf brands have almost all their stuff made at PL (private label) manufacturers. As for Jamison and their ilk, they would be wise to step up and say, 'made in our factory in Canada by our employees'. I know Natural Factors used to make their stuff in BC-- but now who knows.
...or you could just eat fruits and veggies.
........ or steak and red wine.
China has been making fake drugs for many years now:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/15/us-china-crime-fake-idUSBRE9BE01P20131215
India has also had a problem with counterfeit drugs:
http://www.safemedicinesindia.in/patients1.php
In a perfect world no one would buy them but even the labels can look like the genuine product so it's a crap shoot even from reputable stores and far less than that from smaller health food stores. People even buy drugs and supplements off the internet and ignore the red flags that come with discount prices. I tend to follow Mike's and JohnPeg's advice and go generic if the doctor insists I need something. Generic is tested more frequently than a trusted brand name, and just as effective.
Wait, wasn't breakfast cereal "a great source of Niacin"?
"...or you could just eat fruits and veggies."
You will still need vitamin and particularly mineral suppliments because soil depletion form intense agriculture renders veggies which do not give you the nutrients you require.
'Junk science runs on unproven theory and hypothetical projection of probability in the absence of any objective fact'
-Occam on another thread
Some MD's on this site should know that a large meta-analysis showed that the life expectancy and, I believe, disease rates were no different in vitamin supp vs non-supp populations. Stick to real food.
I'm with Mike.... If nature didn't grow it.... keep moving on.
Whenever I see Jamieson supplements or vitamins I RUN the other way.
Eric Margolis is the CEO of this company. I'd rather shove an ice pick in my ear that give that huge lefty one red cent.
Yeah Mike, that multi-vitamin in the "large study" was Centrum. So really they didn't disprove the value of vitamins generally, or even the value of multi-vitamins in particular. Just Centrum.
There are good and wholesome vitamins available in the marketplace, tested by third party labs for content and quality. Particularly in Canada. Our government does regulate the industry to the extent of ensuring people get punished for putting stuff in the bottle that isn't on the label. Whether those products do anything for you depends on what's wrong with you and what you're taking for it.
If you're taking a multi-vitamin and hoping it will fix your diabetes, that will be disappointing.
Now just what kind of irreversible organ damage do you mean ? I thought Viagra was the cure for that.