Dietary supplements, unlike prescription drugs, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Supplements don’t have to run tests for safety, that what they contain matches their label or that they work as intended. A recent study from the Regis University of Denver revealed some of the dangers of dietary supplements by sampling products from at least one of every vitamin selling retail chain within 10 miles of their campus. They focused on weight loss supplements, and found that 51 different products contained substances either regarded as dangerous or outright banned by the FDA. Two of the banned ingredients, ephedra and DMAA, have caused complications such as:
-Over 800 reports of serious toxicity
-Heart Damage
-Liver Damage
-Neurological damage
-Heart attack
-Stroke
-Death
Ephedra sales are banned at military bases due to the deaths of over two dozen soldiers taking ephedra. The substance is also banned by the Olympic Committee, NFL and NCAA. Despite not being banned by major league baseball, ephedra is a suspected cause of death for 23-year-old pitcher Steve Bechler. Coroner in Steve Bechler’s death, Dr. Joshua Pepper, condemned the drug, saying no athlete should take it.
At University Bariatrics we use only the safest, most effective weight loss methods. Come in today for a no-risk consultation for the tools providing the best long term weight loss results.