The unfortunate downside of using herbal medicines is the subject of a cautionary paper reminding us of the many quality problems still plaguing supplements that we've discussed far too often in this space.

Among other things, the paper, written by an Australian forensic pathologist, warns patients about the risks connected with taking herbal products made in foreign countries, yet sold in America, that can be laced with harmful substances such as lead, arsenic, mercury and, on occasion, standard prescription drugs. Sounds all too familiar to us, considering recent reports of steroid-tainted supplements.

Fact is, consulting your family physician before taking any herbal medicine or supplement often prevents unforeseen and, sometimes, dangerous interactions with a prescription drug, like the effect St. John's Wort has on the anticoagulant warfarin.

Just another reason to do your due diligence FIRST before buying any herbal product or supplement. And, reviewing CNCA's Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts is as good a place as any to start.

Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 89-92, January 4, 2010

ScienceDaily February 12, 2010

Just like drinking an antioxidant-rich glass of wine daily helps female breast cancer patients, consuming a diet chock full of vitamins C and E may protect your muscles as you age.

Scientists surveyed more than 2,000 patients in their 70s about their eating habits over the long haul, in addition to measuring the strength of their grip at the beginning of the study and two years later. The latter measurement was important, researchers say, because muscle strength begins to wane for folks in their 40s and dramatically declines after age 60.

Seniors who consumed higher amounts of vitamins C and E in their diets over the course of the study enjoyed improved muscle strength, despite a patient's initial strength measurements.

Interestingly, among those who participated in the study, a patient's average intake of vitamin E (11 milligrams) was lower than the average RDA, prompting experts to urge folks to include more vitamin E-rich foods in their diets.

Sutter Health November 24, 2009

Millions of American children aren't getting the minimum amount of vitamin D they desperately need every day to build healthy bones, according to a new study. In fact, these findings support growing evidence that vitamin D levels, particularly among Hispanic and black kids, have dropped to unhealthy norms.

After reviewing health data collected from 2001-06 on 5,000 children, scientists found some 20 percent of all kids had vitamin D levels below the minimums set for children by the American Academy of Pediatrics (50nmol/L).

However, more than two-thirds of the children surveyed had vitamin D levels below 75 nmol/L, the amount some adult studies have suggested as a minimum that lowers the risk of some cancers and heart disease. Using that higher measurement, vitamin D levels among Hispanic and black children dropped like a rock by 80 and 92 percent, respectively.

On the other end of age spectrum, a coalition of European doctors is considering formalizing a standard for vitamin D levels among seniors older than age 75 (albeit a conservative one) that could eventually yield better bone health among all age groups. If you are considering supplementing your diet with vitamin D be sure to chose a formula that contains natural vitamin D3, which helps to increase absorption of dietary calcium while decreasing calcium excretion from the body.

Pediatrics, Vol. 124, No. 5, pp. 1404-1410, November 2009

ScienceDaily October 27, 2009

healthfinder.gov October 26, 2009

NutraIngredients.com October 26, 2009

If you've been reading our blog from the very beginning, one of the major themes we often discuss in this space is the need for you to do your homework when considering a quality supplement. It's not rocket science by any stretch... just using some good old fashioned common sense and doing a bit of due diligence on your end.

So, you may be interested -- if not a bit confused -- to learn that even as the FDA is cracking down on the questionable quality of some supplements, the agency lists a trio of vitamin strategies in their latest video Fortify Your Knowledge About Vitamins, to help you select the best and safest supplements for your health (particularly if you're a vegetarian or vegan, pregnant or breastfeeding). No doubt, faithful readers of this space should know them by heart.

1. Don't "chase" headlines (trendy studies may not yield safe, optimal results over the long term).

2. More is not better (too much of a good thing isn't always safe or ideal).

3. Watch for false claims (too good to be true usually is).

Learn more about how CNCA protects your health in many ways by reviewing our Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts.

NutraIngredients-USA.com October 2, 2009

FDA.gov February 21, 2009

An interesting piece published by Natural Products Insider (free text link below) details the very shaky history of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) as described by Peter Barton Hutt, who served as chief counsel for the FDA in the 70s and was one of many who helped to shape the act in behalf of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).

The DSHEA was drafted in response to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act in 1990, that gave the FDA the authority to approve all disease prevention claims for food, including dietary supplements. Using the vast powers of the act some three years later, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, M.D., said the agency would block any attempt to approve disease prevention claims connected with supplements, even instances in which those claims were made for conventional foods, essentially banning supplements. Additionally, the act would be employed by the FDA to prevent food manufacturers from using dietary ingredients -- apart from essential minerals and vitamins -- deemed to be "illegal food additives."

Political pressure by consumers, however, forced Congress to relax these restrictions with the passage of the DSHEA, a law that legal experts believe provides the FDA enough legal authority to ban mislabeled and harmful supplements from the American marketplace. Unfortunately, that's where the regulatory road became very rocky.

In protest of its passage, Kessler prohibited FDA employees from enforcing the DSHEA because he was so convinced an unregulated marketplace rife with abuses would force Congress to repeal the act. The damage done to safety regulations and the health of Americans was so devastating that the DSHEA wasn't properly enforced until 2002, five years after Kessler left the agency. Even worse, it took some six more years for Congress to increase funding just so the FDA could enforce laws already on the books.

Still, these laws haven't stopped the production and sale of supplements with potency problems or those contaminated with harmful substances like lead. All the more reason for you to better understand what you're really paying for, by reviewing CNCA's Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts.

Natural Products Insider September 21, 2009

Joining lead on the list of unexpected and potentially health-harming substances found in popular over-the-counter vitamins sold in America is titanium dioxide, a naturally occurring oxide of titanium used in a wide range of consumer products, including cosmetics, paints, food coloring and sunscreens.

Although no long-term human testing has been done on titanium dioxide to date, the FDA filed a notice in late July soliciting public comments in the Federal Register on case studies involving nanoscale titanium dioxide use in sunscreens and water treatment applications. Unfortunately, the document's main intent is to create a foundation for "a long-term research strategy to provide the information needed for comprehensive environmental assessments," but not to draw any conclusions about potential environmental hazards of titanium dioxide.

That said, there's enough public information about titanium dioxide to prompt healthy concern. For one, consider this 2007 study funded by Arizona State University that found high concentrations of titanium dioxide were responsible for slowing the growth and development of one species of green algae. Additionally, the over-expression of stress genes in the presence of nanoparticles showed how titanium dioxide can be toxic to algae.

And, there was a 2006 ruling by the International Agency of Research on Cancer that classified titanium dioxide as a Group 2B carcinogen that could possibly be toxic to humans too.

Recent independent quality testing revealed that one in four supplements were either subpotent, tainted with harmful substances or both. Read which of today's most popular supplements failed quality testing here.

Federal Register July 31, 2009

A recent Danish study on animals underscores just how important vitamin C can be to the brains of newborns, especially during the first few months of their lives.

Researchers studied the need for vitamin C "brain food" by separating 30 newborn guinea pigs into groups fed diets containing low or adequate amounts of vitamin C for two months. Then, the mental acuity of each guinea pig was measured in a water maze, in addition to the number of neurons in their hippocampus (the sector of the brain that affects long-term memory and spatial navigation).

No surprise, guinea pigs in the low vitamin C group had 30 percent fewer neurons in the hippocampus and performed markedly worse on spatial tests than those fed adequate diets.

Consequently, scientists believe the vitamin C-deficient diets of pregnant women as well as those choosing to breast feed may harm the mental development of newborns. And, based on reported problems among adults, experts estimate as many as 10 percent of newborn babies may be affected by the lack of vitamin C.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 90, No. 3, pp. 540-546, September 2009

Science Daily September 2, 2009

NutraIngredients-USA September 3, 2009

In another case of fuzzy labeling, a recent report from ConsumerLabs.com identified three products with vitamin E problems.

One supplement contained the correct amount of vitamin E as noted on its label, but the tablets didn't disintegrate within a half-hour as specified by the United States Pharmacopoeia method. The problem: Because the tablets took more than two hours to break apart, the vitamin E contained in the supplement may not be properly absorbed after leaving the stomach and entering the small intestine.

Tablets that are compressed too tightly or coated improperly create these problems, even when they contain the accurate amount of vitamin E or any other ingredient.

Additionally, ConsumerLabs.com discovered two oils that contained synthetic forms of vitamin E. The entire amount of vitamin E found in one oil-based product (containing 1,000 IU) was synthetic, while the other contained some 81 percent of the vitamin E advertised on its label, yet about 95 percent of it was man-made.

Learn more about the quality problems associated with other supplements, and get a better understanding what you're really paying for, by reviewing CNCA's Nutritional Supplement Quality -- the Facts.

ConsumerLab.com August 4, 2009 Subscription Required

If you believe the nearly $34 billion spent out-of-pocket on complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) in America over the past year is a lot of money, think again.

Based on data culled from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey funded by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM amounts to just 1.5 percent of the $2.2 trillion spent by consumers on health care and 11.2 percent of the $286.6 billion spent on out-of-pocket treatments.

About two-thirds of those out-of-pocket expenses were spent on self-care costs (classes, materials and products), with a majority (nearly $15 billion) devoted non-vitamin, non-mineral, natural products. The remainder of that total ($11.9 billion) was allotted to more than 350 million office visits with chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists and their peers.

What's more, CAM-related spending on products and office visits represented a mere fraction of the amounts paid by consumers for prescription drugs (about 33 percent) and office visits to physicians (25 percent).

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine July 30, 2009

USA Today July 31, 2009

Nutraceuticals World July 31, 2009

Despite controversial media reports to the contrary, autism may not be linked to a child's diet, according to a Mayo Clinic study that compared the incidence of gastrointestinal problems of some 240 healthy children to those of about 120 autistic kids over an 18-year period.

Although young autistic patients had more problems with constipation and were far pickier eaters (making it difficult to gain weight) than healthy kids, scientists discovered no difference between both groups in the number of gastrointestinal issues: Seventy-two percent of healthy kids and 77 percent of autistic children experienced at least one compliant over the course of the study.

More autistic children were affected by their picky eating habits and constipation than the healthy control group, but only a handful of them suffered from Chron's disease, lactose intolerance, milk allergies or intestinal disaccharidase (enzyme) deficiencies.

One variable researchers suspect that may have affected the nutritional health of autistic children in the study: About half of the autistic patients monitored were taking a stimulant medication.

Yahoo News July 27, 2009

New York Times July 27, 2009

Chicago Tribune July 27, 2009

Regardless of a patient's nutritional health, a lack of vitamin D may be a common problem among cancer patients, emphasizing the need to screen for such deficiencies, according to a recent study conducted at CTCA.

Researchers analyzed the nutritional status of 737 cancer patients (median age 55) seen at CTCA during the first six months of 2008, then categorized them in three distinct classes (severely malnourished, moderately malnourished and well nourished). The most common types of cancers researchers encountered:

1. Lung cancer -- 18 percent

2. Breast cancer -- 17.8 percent

3. Colorectal cancer -- 13.2 percent

4. Pancreatic cancer -- 11.7 percent

5. Prostate cancer -- 6 percent

6. Ovarian cancer -- 5.2 percent

Beforehand, scientists anticipated vitamin D problems would be associated only among malnourished patients. Instead, there was no significant difference in vitamin D levels among all three groups, prompting researchers to recommend screenings for all cancer patients as well as aggressive therapies to replenish vitamin D.

American Society of Clinical Oncology

Reuters June 15, 2009

More often than not, nurses and doctors who take a vitamin or any other supplement recommend their patients take them too, according to a survey of 900 physicians and 277 nurses commissioned by the Council for Responsible Nutrition.

The numbers bear this out: Seventy-two percent of physicians and 89 percent of nurses who were surveyed used a supplement while 79 percent of doctors and 82 percent of nurses recommended them to their patients.

A multivitamin, with or without minerals, topped the list of dietary supplements used most often by both sets of health professionals, followed by vitamin C, vitamin B complex, vitamin D, vitamin E and calcium. Among the more popular supplements used by nurses and doctors: Green tea, fish oil, glucosamine and flax seed.

Why do nurses and doctors recommend supplements?

* Overall health and wellness

* Bone health

* Colds or the flu.

* Heart health

* Immune health

* Improved energy

Nutrition Journal July 1, 2009 Free Full Text PDF

Council For Responsible Nutrition July 14, 2009

NutraIngredients-USA.com July 16, 2009

Reuters July 16, 2009

With concerns about soaring health care costs in America -- leading to heated debate about serious reforms at the federal level -- more sectors of conventional medicine are realizing how dietary supplements can be an inexpensive and important part of a healthy lifestyle, the theme of a lecture presented by William Cooper, MD, an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University's School of Medicine at a recent meeting of the Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus.

Cooper's talk underscored the importance of taking dietary supplements, in concert with exercise and good nutrition, focusing the discussion on preventative care as a way to avoid becoming one of his cardiac patients. "When you get to me," Cooper says, "you really don't want to buy what I'm selling."

"As a nation, we are consistently inconsistent. But there are simple things that all of us every day to better our health -- and that includes taking dietary supplements." In fact, the first step toward true health care reform will happen, Cooper adds, "when you and I change our habits to be healthier."

Cooper's talk was well received by Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who co-chair the caucus. "I know that these products provide so much benefit for consumers. I'm a product of it," Chaffetz says.

Nutraceuticals World June 16, 2009

NPI Center June 15, 2009

Matrixx Initiatives received a warning letter from the FDA concerning Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs and Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel for adults and children amid some 130 consumer reports they may have been responsible for robbing users of their sense of smell temporarily or permanently.

Although the FDA didn't request a formal recall, the letter called for a halt to any marketing campaigns regarding Zicam and required Matrixx to submit detailed safety and effectiveness data. The big concern: These products contain zinc, a mineral linked to nasal nerve damage.

Just three years ago, the Arizona-based company settled 340 lawsuits with a hefty $12 million pricetag, based on claims the use of Zicam triggered anosmia, a condition that prevents sufferers from detecting any kind of scents in the very same way blindness is to sight, according to the Anosmia Foundation.

The FDA has also asked Matrixx for information about more than 800 consumer complaints connected to the loss of smell, thanks to a 2007 law on the books that compels companies to notify the agency as problems arise.

New York Times June 16, 2009

Orlando Sentinel.com June 17, 2009

South Florida Business Journal June 17, 2009

Zicam.com June 16, 2009

Zicam is a trademark of Matrixx Initiatives.

A recent review found three of 12 magnesium supplements selected by researchers at ConsumerLab.org for testing failed to meet minimum quality standards. Two of the products identified contained less than 50 percent of the magnesium spelled out on the labeling and a third was contaminated with lead.

Among the name brands tested by ConsumerLab.org were ones produced by Life Extension, Nature's Bounty, Equaline, Puritan's Pride and Vitamin World.

Also compared in the report are variances among such chemical forms as magnesium oxide, amino acid chelates, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium gluconate and magnesium citrate.

You can read more about supplement quality issues here.

ConsumerLab.com May 19, 2009

NPI Center May 20, 2009