Are you trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or lose fat and seeking cheap supplements from online sources? Can you be assured of the effectiveness and safety of nutritional supplements and muscle supplements purchased online or even in stores? No - the resources for regulating supplements, especially online, are limited.
Dangerous Online Ordering of Nutritional Supplements
Purchasing supplements from online sources is a risky proposition. Bodybuilding.com, a source of online supplements, is recalling 65 dietary supplements that have been deemed hazardous to health.
Recall of Unsafe Muscle Building Supplement
According to a press release from November 3, 2009 from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bodybuilding.com was informed “that the recalled products may contain the following ingredients that are currently classified, or the FDA believes should be classified, as steroids: ‘Superdrol,’ ‘Madol,’ ‘Tren,’ ‘Androstenedione,’ and/or ‘Turinabol.’”
Bodybuilding.com is cooperating fully with the FDA in recalling the products, but what led to the company’s error? According to the press release, Bodybuilding.com was misled by the manufacturers who produced the supplements.
The FDA press release reveals that the bodybuilding company was assured by the manufacturers that the “products were properly classified as dietary supplements in compliance with federal law, meaning that these products did not contain any unlawful ingredient.” However the FDA has tested and evaluated the product and determined otherwise.
The FDA and Dietary Supplements
Although The FDA has the authority to remove dietary supplements from the market that are deemed unsafe, manufacturers of dietary supplements don’t have to get FDA approval to sell their product. Elizabeth Weise of USA Today, wrote an article appropriately entitled "Report: FDA Lacks Authority over Supplements."
Weise reports that, "Unlike drugs, which must be approved for safety and efficacy before entering the market, dietary supplements marketed (after) 1994 are presumed safe. FDA must demonstrate that a product presents a significant or unreasonable risk to the public to get it off the market."
Nutritional Supplements not FDA Approved
According to a poll, a majority of Americans believe that “a government agency must approve supplements” prior to release to the public, but Weisel observes that the assumption is untrue.
The Health and Human Services website clarifies the role of the FDA in regulating dietary supplements and explains that, “Generally, manufacturers do not need to register their products with FDA nor get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements. Manufacturers must make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading.”
The FDA monitors the product to ensure safety and monitors reports of adverse reactions to the substance, but the FDA does not regulate supplements to the same extent as medications. The limitations are especially pronounced in regards to online purchase of supplements. Some of the websites that sell muscle supplements are not even U.S. based.
Muscle Building Supplements Guaranteed Effective?
Purchaser's of supplements need to understand the rules and regulations that apply to the products they are consuming, and they need to seek out reliable sources of information. The article "FDA 101 - Dietary Supplements" mentions that producers have few regulations to ensure truth in their advertisements.
The article states that "For most claims made in the labeling of dietary supplements, the law does not require the manufacturer or seller to prove to FDA's satisfaction that the claim is accurate or truthful before it appears on the product."
So the amazing claims on the package may or may not be true. The consumer purchasing supplements needs to conduct independent research and utilize objective sources to evaluate health products before purchase. Thoroughly evaluate health products before consuming them.
Unsafe Supplements
Although the FDA plays a limited role in ensuring potency and effectiveness of supplements, companies that manufacture nutritional supplements are still motivated by profit to produce a quality product. Consumers are unlikely to purchase a dangerous or ineffective product, and customer approval is the impetus for a company to maintain the integrity of its product.
Of course, the lack of regulation of supplements leaves opportunity for fraud. The individual who purchases any muscle supplements or nutritional supplements would be wise to research and consult independent sources and studies to evaluate products before purchase. The article “Unsafe Medications Online” completes the discussion of supplements, medications, and safety of the consumer.
References:
Dietary Supplements. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. FDA.
FDA 101: Dietary Supplements. WebMD.com
Weise, E. FDA Lacks Authority over Supplements. USA Today. 3 March 2009.
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