Be warned, that bottle of St. John’s wort on the grocery store shelf may be nothing more than wheat or powdered soybean.
In a recent study published in BMC Medicine, Canadian researchers used DNA testing to show that some herbal supplements did not contain the herbal remedy consumers thought they were purchasing.
Researchers found the capsules were filled with wheat, rice or other fillers. In other samples, the product contained trace amounts of the desired herb, but not in the dose listed on the bottle.
A third of the 44 supplements that were tested did not contain a trace of the herb listed on the packaging. Twelve different companies were included in the test.
All supplements sold in the U.S. need to be tested for safety, but efficacy factors are generally a matter of a corporate honesty. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) audit only a handful of companies each year.
The FDA does enforce the safety-related aspects of bringing a product to market, such as maintaining a sterile environment and enforcing proper labeling of ingredients on all food items.
“The agency does not analyze dietary supplements before they are sold to consumers,” states the FDA website. “The manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that the ‘Supplement Facts’ label and ingredient list are accurate, that the dietary ingredients are safe and that the content matches the amount declared on the label.”
Budgetary constraints and the number of new supplements being made available each year contribute to the difficulty of consistent FDA monitoring.
David Schardt, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, expressed concern about the results of this study.
“This suggests that the problems are widespread and that quality control for many companies, whether through ignorance, incompetence or dishonesty, is unacceptable,” said Schardt to The New York Times. “Given these results, it’s hard to recommend any herbal supplements to consumers.”
Nutritionists, dieticians and nurses often get asked for advice from clients attempting to boost health through adding nutritional supplements to their diet. These healthcare professionals can help clients choose supplements from respected brands that guarantee efficacy standards.
One way to help clients make sense of all those choices is to offer insight into how supplements are regulated and which ones may or may not be worth the investment.
Consulting with a trusted health professional about the pros and cons of supplement choice can not only save money, but can also help avoid health complications that may arise from adverse contradictions in prescribed medicines and supplements.
