Consumer reports just put out its new “dirty dozen list” of the 12 most dangerous supplements and it appeared recently on the Today’s Show and Good Morning America. I always like to comment when the media puts out information such as this so that you have the real story. Unfortunately, I find stories like this somewhat misleading because there is no way they could present all of the details or really get into much of anything in the 2 or 3 minute segments. I really feel like they made some broad claims but provided none of the background information. So, my goal in writing this blog is to stay fair and balanced and present the facts so you can make a more informed decision when supplementing.
According to the Consumer Report article the 3 main concerns with supplements in general are:
1. Are the amounts that are on a supplement label actually what’s in the product?
2. Exaggerated claims
3. Are you taking more than the recommended amount?
I do feel like these are legitimate concerns, however, it really comes down to getting your supplements from a trusted source. I know at Vital Choice, the owners are very cautious of the supplements they bring in and favor brands that have a long standing reputation for high quality. In addition, many of the brands have independent lab tests and assays that ensure what is on the label are actually what are in the product. Also, many problems and safety concerns happen when taking more then the recommended amounts. You can take too much of anything, so it is important that you don’t over do it.
The report also listed 12 supplements that they consider to be the most dangerous.
Here are a couple of the supplements that I feel may have been unfairly listed:
Colloidal Silver: Typically used for immune support, colloidal silver is nicknamed “the natural antibiotic”.
Many are now familiar with the “blue man”, Paul Karason, who actually turned bluish grey from taking colloidal silver. However, what most don’t know, and what wasn’t reported in the Consumer Reports story, is that he was taking extremely large quantities of a home brewed silver compound. This is not the same as a professionally prepared colloidal silver. Not only did this man drink it, he also rubbed it on his skin. Furthermore, he is still taking silver, though he admits in a much lower dose.
I’ve used colloidal silver before and feel very comfortable with it. Though I don’t personally have a need to take it everyday, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a person may safely ingest 178,850 doses of 10ppm silver over 70 years.
Kava: Typically used for anxiety and stress, but there have been concerns with a possible connection with Kava and liver damage.
Both the United States Center for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration released reports expressing reservations about the use of kava and its possibly adverse side effects (specifically severe liver toxicity). Though there are studies that suggest kava may be causing liver damage, some believe the studies were done in populations that already had illness or were taking other things that could harm the liver. In most case reports of kava toxicity, substances including alcohol, aspirin, Prozac, Paxil and birth control pills were also taken.
In a 2009 study by the University of Queensland, Australia, researchers found that the study’s participants did not show any signs of potential liver damage, contrary to concerns that prompted European, British and Canadian authorities to ban kava sales in 2002. Kava products sold in those countries were based on ethanol or acetone extracts of the kava plant, not the water-soluble extracts used traditionally by Pacific islanders and approved for sale in Australia. I think its important to point out Pacific Islanders have been consuming beverages made from kava root for thousands of years with no adverse side effects.
I will say that I would definitely avoid kava if you already have liver issues, consume high amounts of alcohol or are taking certain prescription medications. More long term research is needed to examine the relationship between kava supplements and liver damage.
As a Registered Dietitian, I do tend to air on the side of caution when it comes to supplements, but hearing such exaggerated claims such as “all weight loss products are dangerous” or “these 12 supplements are extremely dangerous and should be avoided” may be going a little too far.
–Nicole Gould, RD LD
I agree Nicole – the focus of the article should have been those three areas you mention: are companies meeting label claims, exaggerated marketing claims and proper usage. Unfortunately, whether it was the general media or the authors, the message was distorted into “Supplements are dangerous!” After all, the Dirty Dozen list itself represents less than 1% of the supplement market. Important yes, but overblown…?
It really frustrates me because with so much information, both good and bad, out there today, people look to the general media to help them make decisions. In this case, I think they only furthered the confusion.
Consumer Reports; Where are the Bodies and Where are the “Blue People”?
This month’s article from Consumer Reports displays an article on what they call the ‘Dirty Dozen’ 12 nutritional supplements including Colloidal Silver. In the article, CR says colloidal silver “has a possible risk of: Bluish skin, mucous membrane discoloration, neurological problems, kidney damage”. Nowhere do they offer any proof. None.
If colloidal silver is a health hazard, where are the bodies? Where are the blue people? Think about it; for simplicity, let’s say that there a 300 million people in the USA. Arguably, there are 10 million people who take Colloidal Silver daily. In your entire lifetime, how many people have you met who are blue? Probably none.
How many people have died using Colloidal Silver? None. Here is proof;
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, January 19, 2010
(OMNS, January 19, 2010) “There was not even one death caused by a dietary supplement in 2008, according to the most recent information collected by the U.S. National Poison Data System.”
“The new 174-page annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, published in the journal Clinical Toxicology, shows zero deaths from multiple vitamins; zero deaths from any of the B vitamins; zero deaths from vitamins A, C, D, or E; and zero deaths from any other vitamin.”
“Additionally, there were no deaths whatsoever from any amino acid or herbal product. This means no deaths at all from blue cohosh, echinacea, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, kava kava, St. John’s wort, valerian, yohimbe, Asian medicines, ayurvedic medicines, or any other botanical. There were zero deaths from creatine, blue-green algae, glucosamine, chondroitin, melatonin, or any homeopathic remedies.”
“Furthermore, there were zero deaths in 2008 from any dietary mineral supplement. This means there were no fatalities from calcium, magnesium, chromium, zinc, colloidal silver, selenium, iron, or multimineral supplements. Two children died as a result of medical use of the antacid sodium bicarbonate. The other “Electrolyte and Mineral” category death was due to a man accidentally drinking sodium hydroxide, a highly toxic degreaser and drain-opener.”
“No man, woman or child died from nutritional supplements. Period.”
“61 poison centers provide coast-to-coast data for the U.S. National Poison Data System, which is then reviewed by 29 medical and clinical toxicologists. NPDS, the authors write, is “one of the few real-time national surveillance systems in existence, providing a model public health surveillance system for all types of exposures, public health event identification, resilience response and situational awareness tracking.”
So let’s see if the facts bear out. Pharmaceutical Drugs cause 106,000 DEATHS in 2008, while there were ZERO deaths from Nutritional Supplements. When the light shines on facts, the truth comes out. What is the real agenda of Consumer Reports? It is hard to say, but a prestigious publication like CR is seriously in danger of losing their credibility. Any aware consumer will want to know the facts and not depend upon a publication that merely makes accusations.
This article is poorly researched, unsupported and could possibly be the result of Big Pharma trying to sway consumers through a well-respected publication away from safe and effective dietary supplements towards toxic and deadly pharmaceutical drugs. Consumer Reports has certainly lost me as someone who believes what they say. Unbiased; you decide!
Thanks for your great post! I agree with much of what you posted. I do think it’s important to keep our collective eye on supplements, but we need to do so in a balanced credible fashion. The recent concern over folic acid is a good example. I want the scientific community to continue to research the effects of supplements, both positive and potential negative, but I absolutely agree, that most of what is out there lately is sensationalized quasi-reporting that is beginning to challenge the credibility of many media outlets in my mind.
While I’ve known of Argyria for years, I’ve never heard of someone taking a reputable silver preparation as directed, developing this condition. Believe it or not, I am relatively conservative about what I take, and I have no problems taking colloidal silver.
Thanks again for an informative post.
Big Pharma TV advertising is only allowed by law in Great Britain and the USA. Appx 30% of all TV ads in the USA are by Big Pharma. FDA personnel routinely takes cushy jobs with Big Pharma employers after leaving FDA. There are no time limit laws (yet, such as 5-10 years) on leaving government employment and accepting a private sector job in the same industry you were in authority over.