The U.S Food and Drug Administration regulates dietary supplements under different guidelines than conventional food and drugs. This allows products labeled as dietary supplements to be marketed and available to consumers without being tested for safety and efficacy. Taking dietary supplements increases your risk of adverse side effects. While some dietary supplements are considered safe for human use, some supplements that the FDA considers hazardous also are available.
Androstenedione
Your body produces androstenedione naturally during estrogen and testosterone production. Although it is marketed as a dietary supplement to bodybuilders and athletes for increasing testosterone, the FDA considers it a steroid that can increase your risk of serious and life-threatening diseases. It is still available, despite a 2004 FDA warning to manufacturers. According to the FDA, "andro" can cause adverse side effects in men and women including testicular atrophy, impotence, blood clots, abnormal menstrual bleeding and increased risk of breast and endometrial cancer.
Aristolochic Acid
Aristolochic acid is an herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat conditions such as eczema and endometriosis and is an ingredient in some dietary supplements that the FDA considers hazardous. Aristolochic acid is still available despite a 2001 FDA advisory. According to the FDA, aristolochic acid is linked to permanent kidney damage. The FDA advises consumers to discontinue use of aristolochic acid and supplements containing aristolochic acid as one of the ingredients.
Comfrey
Comfrey is a dietary supplement sometimes found in the form of a tea, marketed for as a natural treatment for stomach conditions such as ulcers. The FDA issued an advisory regarding dietary supplements containing the herbal ingredient comfrey, stating that comfrey contains substances that are confirmed to be hemotoxins, substances that destroy red blood cells. The FDA goes on to say that oral exposure to comfrey is connected to adverse side effects, such as liver failure.
Bitter Orange / Synephrine
Although research suggests bitter orange can help with modest weight loss, it may not be worth the risk. Its constituent synephrine is linked to adverse health effects. Extracts of bitter orange and synephrine are used in a variety of over-the-counter weight loss supplements, but according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, synephrine is known to produce unpleasant and even dangerous side effects, including agitation, heart palpitations and headache. In some people, synephrine can cause kidney damage, angina and reduced circulation to the heart.
References
- FDA.gov: HHS Launches Crackdown on Products Containing Andro -- FDA Warns Manufacturers to Stop Distributing Such Products
- FDA.gov: Aristolochic Acid: FDA Warns Consumers to Discontinue Use of Botanical Products that Contain Aristolochic Acid
- FDA.gov: FDA Advises Dietary Supplement Manufacturers to Remove Comfrey Products From the Market
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: Citrus Aurantium
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