The dangers of many dietary supplements are well-documented, but that doesn’t stop Americans from spending $26 billion a year on the highly unregulated products.
A new article studied case reports and clinical research to inform consumers about 12 of the supplements that can potentially cause the most harm to humans.
The ingredients and their potential harmful side effects are listed below…
Aconite: listed as unsafe, linked to low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, heart rhythm problems, respiratory paralysis and death.
Bitter Orange: listed as possibly unsafe, linked to heart problems, stroke and death. Caffeine can increase risks.
Chaparral: listed as likely unsafe, linked to liver damage and kidney problems
Colloidial Silver: listed as likely unsafe, FDA issues a warning against its use in 2009, linked to bluish skin, mucous membrane damage, kidney damage and neurological problems.
Coltsfoot: listed as likely unsafe, linked to liver damage and cancer
Comfrey: listed as likely unsafe, linked to liver damage and cancer
Country Mallow: listed as likely unsafe, linked to heart problems, stroke and death
Germanium: listed as likely unsafe, linked to kidney damage and death
Greater Celandine: listed as possibly unsafe, linked to liver damage
Kava: although listed as possibly effective for anxiety, it is also considered possibly unsafe and is linked to liver damage
Lobelia: listed as possibly effective to help quit smoking, it is also considered to likely be unsafe, and an overdose can cause very low blood pressure, fast heartbeat, coma and even death
Yohimbe: although listed as possibly effective for erectile dysfunction, it is described as possibly unsafe as normal doses can cause high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat, and high doses can result in severe low blood pressure, heart problems and death.
Utilizing supplements for erectile dysfunction is not recommended by most in the medical community because of the unreliable nature of supplements and their manufacturers. There is practically no oversight or regulation of supplements. Of the more than 54,000 supplements listed with the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, only about 30 percent have any specific evidence to support levels of safety and effectiveness.
Yohimbe actually contains the prescription drug Yohimbine and should be utilized with doctor supervision, which is also the case with FDA-approved Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. The efficacy of those drugs has been proven.
The FDA is essentially hands-off with the supplement industry unless there are reports of numerous serious side effects with a specific product. The general message from Consumer Reports, which compiled the research for the “dirty dozen” supplements above, is to use extreme caution with supplements because there is no guarantee that: you are ingesting what the label says, and that the product will have any positive effects. As outlined above, there may be serious negative side effects.
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