Finally getting busted.

New York Attorney General tests supplements at Walmart, Walgreens, Target, and GNC and finds 4 out of 5 of them contain none —zero, zip, absolute ZERO— of the herbs listed on the labels.

Not "we found them slightly cheating on their percentages." But "there is NOTHING in these supplements remotely related to the active ingredient."

When people tell me "the herbs and supplements you suggest don't do anything for my (cognition/skin/sleep/etc)" my first question is always, "where did you purchase them from? And what concentration/potency are you using?"

[well.blogs.nytimes.com]

another source:
[www.washingtonpost.com]

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M1 2020 Mac mini (16G 2T) • Ventura 13.x • Dual 27" Dell S2722QC monitors • M2 2022 13" MBAir (512G 16G) •

we have a local independent store that buys only from 'reputable' sources; yes, everything is obscenely expensive. However, I bet a majority of what they have actually contains the items on the label.

It sure would be nice to regulate the stuff or at least make sure they contain what they claim...

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It is actually good for the environment,

imagine if every can of Tiger Balm contained any quantity of tiger balm, ocean completely denuded of fish to satisfy every package claiming to contain Omega3 fish oils....

In general, taking supplements is a complete waste of money.

There are some exceptions though, such as folic acid for women who might become pregnant etc.

Just eat a balanced diet.

Wow, if the ingredients that are supposed to be in those supplements could actually be proven to do anything for you, good or bad, then this story would be a real travesty.

[www.npr.org]

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Lew Zealand
Wow, if the ingredients that are supposed to be in those supplements could actually be proven to do anything for you, good or bad, then this story would be a real travesty.

Well, my Sex Panther cologne works every time (60% of the time).

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btfc
[www.npr.org]

Those are multivitamins, which are at least biologically relevant, if not responsible for bestowing upon the users the honor of having the most expensive urine in town.

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Lux Interior
Well, my Sex Panther cologne works every time (60% of the time).

Don't you end up with claw marks ? How far do those panthers have to travel to have their way with you any way ?

tuqqer, are there particular brands you trust for herbs and supplements? My doctor recommended Pure Encapsulations, but I must admit to sometimes getting cheaper versions (not from Target or Walmart, though).

Supplements are regulated, just not on a pre-marketing basis.

Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA):
*Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.
*FDA is responsible for taking action against any adulterated or misbranded dietary supplement product after it reaches the market.
[www.fda.gov]

I don't think the agency would be able to handle the onslaught of applications on a pre-market basis. But it would be excellent job security for more government workers!

Well, there is another side to the story. I can't speak to double-blind clinical studies, but here's my personal experience.

I was diagnosed with moderate to serious ADHD in 2006, via clinical interview and a series of radio-isotope scans of my brain neurons.

The doc said I could try some drugs, or some supplements other patients had had success with. I tried the drugs, and the side-effects were vicious (literally--I had the worst temper I've ever had--spontaneous rage fits, muscle spasms, etc.). I then tried the supplements (Tyrosine and 5-HTP, for those following along at home), and they totally changed my life. Setting aside my internal perspective (possible placebo effect, etc.), here are the two metrics I find most convincing:

1. I've been promoted three times since then, and my salary has just about tripled-all at the same employer.

2. On days when I forget to take my supplements, my wife asks, "Hon, you're acting a little out of it. Did you take your supplements today?"

So for me, there's a proven medical case for supplements, at least some of the time.

FWIW, I've tried a bunch of other stuff, and I'd say that for about 75%, my life would have been better improved by pouring the money into the toilet (but note that I only buy this stuff one time, so the expense isn't huge for me). For the other 25%, the response varies from, "Maybe placebo, but it's working, so don't fix it," to "My life is definitely better with this." The prime example of the latter is Gan Mao Ling, which in the experience of myself and about 90% of the people who have tried it, stops a cold dead, as long as you start it on the first day of the cold.

YMMV. It works for me.

The prime example of the latter is Gan Mao Ling, which in the experience of myself and about 90% of the people who have tried it, stops a cold dead, as long as you start it on the first day of the cold.

Or: the exact same thing would have happened had those people taken nothing.

Tuqqer,

The claims made by the NY Attorney General aren't necessarily valid. See the following article from consumerLab.com:

<[www.consumerlab.com];

Robert

When you go enough years without getting a cold, and you used to get 2 or 3 a year, it's pretty persuasive.

Data, even anecdotal>hypotheticals.

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Lew Zealand
The prime example of the latter is Gan Mao Ling, which in the experience of myself and about 90% of the people who have tried it, stops a cold dead, as long as you start it on the first day of the cold.

Or: the exact same thing would have happened had those people taken nothing.

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anonymouse1
When you go enough years without getting a cold, and you used to get 2 or 3 a year, it's pretty persuasive.

Data, even anecdotal>hypotheticals.

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Lew Zealand
The prime example of the latter is Gan Mao Ling, which in the experience of myself and about 90% of the people who have tried it, stops a cold dead, as long as you start it on the first day of the cold.

Or: the exact same thing would have happened had those people taken nothing.

To each his own. For me an actual scientific test > anecdotes or hypotheses. Double blind with a large group would be nice.

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anonymouse1

Data, even anecdotal>hypotheticals.

The plural of anecdote is NOT data.

Fixed that for you.

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beagledave

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anonymouse1

Data, even anecdotal>hypotheticals.

The plural of anecdote is NOT sometimes data.

I totally agree; that's why I qualified what I posted.

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Lew Zealand

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anonymouse1
When you go enough years without getting a cold, and you used to get 2 or 3 a year, it's pretty persuasive.

Data, even anecdotal>hypotheticals.

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Lew Zealand
The prime example of the latter is Gan Mao Ling, which in the experience of myself and about 90% of the people who have tried it, stops a cold dead, as long as you start it on the first day of the cold.

Or: the exact same thing would have happened had those people taken nothing.

To each his own. For me an actual scientific test > anecdotes or hypotheses. Double blind with a large group would be nice.

Nicely phrased comment on Gizmodo: "So what you're saying is . . . 4 out of 5 store brands of snake oil don't even contain snake oil?"


The public demands real placebos.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2015 02:46PM by Steve G..

I thought glucosamine had been proven as a useful supplement. Is that not true? My wife takes it every day so this is an interesting topic for me. I did do a quick google search and the Kirkland brand did test well for actually having the amount claimed in their product. Wether it really helps or not I don't know. [consumerreports.org]

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Ukulele music I couldn't find anywhere else.
[colquhoun.info]

Don't hold your breath waiting for a double blind randomized controlled trial. Too expensive and no protection for your product. As soon as it was published, anyone could launch their own version and use your results to tout their version.

Best then to make vague non-medical claims like "supports memory" or "boosts immune health", get classified as a supplement under the 1994 law, and make money selling next-to-nothing with zero evidence backing these meaningless claims.

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Lux Interior
Well, my Sex Panther cologne works every time (60% of the time).

Sadly, in this case "Sex" is short for "sexagenarian."

Its success rate is in line with its target audience.

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It is what it is.

While I am not surprised that there are some fake products, I find the story to be overly broad. I do believe there are legit, quality supplements that can help human health. Do I believe they are miracle cure alls? No, but they can assist health. I hope a neutral party such as Consumer Reports can do a broader study and name the names of the supplements.

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Ways to improve web conference image and sound quality. [forums.macresource.com]


Phony Stark's Robot



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2015 08:53PM by pRICE cUBE.