the dietary supplement industry continues to thrive despite being implicated in lies, deceit, and patient harm a medical toxicologist's rant (and warning) about dietary supplements: - ThreadSky

jtrebach.bsky.social • 98 days ago

the dietary supplement industry continues to thrive despite being implicated in lies, deceit, and patient harm

a medical toxicologist's rant (and warning) about dietary supplements:

Comments

midwest-woman70.bsky.social•98 days ago

My friend overdosed on turmeric tea trying to treat knee pain instead of trying, I don’t know,…..Ibuprofen!
3 days of N/V and diarrhea.

hermie.bsky.social•98 days ago

Doctors these days don't have time to research possible solutions when the problem is based on patient report only, i e., brain fog, long covid, Inflammation ...If the standard tx doesn't work, then it gets expensive to keep trying to be helped, so many people try to help themselves

janislandgirl.bsky.social•98 days ago

I have been taking Chinese Herbs for years on first sign of a cold. Works every time. When I don’t take them cold comes in. I also take Bone Strength for Osteoporosis. It reversed to osteopenia. Some supplements work. Just saying

nurseandrea.bsky.social•96 days ago

Did you read his thread all the way through? He did say some work, he just wants them better controlled!

janislandgirl.bsky.social•96 days ago

Yes I read all of it. I understand he didn’t mean all supplements but I wanted to chime in how some help me even if they are not FDA approved

haley73.bsky.social•98 days ago

How do you feel about all the mushroom coffees?

mxhrad.bsky.social•98 days ago

Great "rant." And thanks for pre-emptively addressing the questions people have.

jtrebach.bsky.social•98 days ago

Thank you 🥰

jtrebach.bsky.social•98 days ago

what is a dietary supplement?

it is defined as a "product intended to supplement the diet" and is super vague--it can be plant-derived, animal-derived, a vitamin...but it can also be a gas station boner pill, mysterious instagram influencer energy booster, "weight loss" pills, etc..

jtrebach.bsky.social•98 days ago

dietary supplements are NOT regulated the same way that medications (ie, antibiotics) are. There is scant premarket testing to check for quality & safety, and regulations are poorly enforced.

"medications" is a term reserved for drugs approved by the US FDA...and medications are rigorously tested

stevenmathern.bsky.social•98 days ago

probably 90%+ junk
.
but i will continue to take my supplements.
.

janwooten.bsky.social•91 days ago

Seems that I recall that the FDA tried to assert regulatory authority over supplements, but SCOTUS nixed that idea since, the logic goes, supplements are generally natural products and not drugs. So the consuming public serves as a guinea pig to protect the rest of us. Is that the way it works?

jtrebach.bsky.social•98 days ago

although supplement products cant make claims that they can cure disease, they often use vague or suggestive language to ~hint~ that they ~might~ do something

examples:
"promotes well-being"
"boosts your mitochondria"
"improves cells"
"enhance performance"

jtrebach.bsky.social•98 days ago

sometimes supplement companies just lie and make claims about health or curing disease anyways

one study in JAMA (PMID: 13129992) found that 81% of herbal dietary supplements websites made 1 or more claims about health, and 55% claimed to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure specific diseases

jtrebach.bsky.social•98 days ago

can you report this false marketing to the FDA? yes. I've done it before. But unfortunately things don't always happen fast

https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements/how-report-problem-dietary-supplements

this false marketing takes advantage of people who are looking for answers, people who want the best for themselves/their loved ones

jtrebach.bsky.social•98 days ago

supplements sometimes do not even always contain what they say that they do!

one study (PMID 12639203) found 10% of echinacea supplements had no echinacea in them

another study (PMID 37097362) found 88% of melatonin products were inaccurately labeled

(i could keep listing papers, unfortunately)

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