The Dirty Dozen:
Dangerous Supplements to watch out for

Dangerous supplements are something we all need to be concerned with. There are so many new drugs coming to the market – the next wonder pill to make us healthier, leaner, live longer and even have better sex. You name it, someone has come up with a supplement to make it easier for you to achieve.

But what are the hazards and side effects associated with these “magic pills”.

Despite known hazards, many potentially dangerous supplements are readily available for purchase in stores and on the Internet, according to a new report from Consumer Reports. They have published a list of what they call the “dirty dozen” of dietary supplements.

Researchers from the consumer magazine say the supplements that made its "dirty dozen" list may cause cancer, severe liver or kidney damage, heart problems, or even death. For example, they say the herb aristolochia has been conclusively linked to kidney failure and cancer in China, Europe, Japan, and the U.S. Yohimbe, a supplement marketed as a sexual stimulant and herbal Viagra, has been linked to heart and respiratory problems. The supplement bitter orange, whose ingredients have effects similar to those of the banned weight-loss stimulant ephedra, is also on the list of potentially dangerous supplements.

Many of these dangerous supplements are sold in both single and combination products marketed for a wide variety of uses, from building muscle and losing weight to easing stress and arthritis.

Researchers divided the list into three categories based on the amount of available evidence about the dietary supplement: definitely hazardous, very likely hazardous and likely hazardous. Since the brand names of the products containing the dirty dozen supplement ingredients vary widely, researchers say consumers should read ingredient labels carefully and look for the following:

• Definitely Hazardous
• Aristolochic acid (Aristolochia, birthwort, snakeroot, snakeweed, snagree root, sangrel, serpentary, wild ginger).They list this as having caused documented human cancers, and it is linked to kidney failure.

• Very Likely Hazardous -- These are banned in other countries, have an FDA warning, or show adverse effects in studies:

• Comfrey (Symphytum officinale, ass ear, black root, blackwort, bruisewort, consolidae radix, consound, gum plant, healing herb, knitback, knitbone, salsify, slippery root, symphytum radix, wallwort). Abnormal liver function or damage, often irreversible; deaths reported.


• Androstenedione (4-androstene-3, 17-dione, andro, androstene). Increased cancer risks and decreases in "good" HDL cholesterol have been reported.


• Chaparral (Larrea divaricata, creosote bush, greasewood, hediondilla, jarilla, larreastat). Abnormal liver function has been linked to use.


• Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys, wall germander, wild germander). Abnormal liver function has been linked to use.


• Kava (Piper methysticum, ava, awa, gea, gi, intoxicating pepper, kao, kavain, kawa-pfeffer, kew, long pepper, malohu, maluk, meruk, milik, rauschpfeffer, sakau, tonga, wurzelstock, yagona, yangona). Abnormal liver function has been linked to use.


• Likely Hazardous -- These have adverse-event reports or theoretical risks.

• Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium, green orange, kijitsu, neroli oil, Seville orange, shangzhou zhiqiao, sour orange, zhi oiao, zhi xhi). High blood pressure; increased risk of heart arrhythmias, heart attack, and stroke are risks associated with use.


• Organ/glandular extracts (brain/adrenal/pituitary/placenta/other gland "substance" or "concentrate"). Theoretical risk of mad cow disease, particularly from brain extracts.


• Lobelia (Lobelia inflata, asthma weed, bladderpod, emetic herb, gagroot, lobelie, indian tobacco, pukeweed, vomit wort, wild tobacco). Difficulty breathing and rapid heart rates are thought to be associated with this.


• Pennyroyal oil (Hedeoma pulegioides, lurk-in-the- ditch, mosquito plant, piliolerial, pudding grass, pulegium, run -by-the-ground, squaw balm, squawmint, stinking balm, tickweed). Liver and kidney failure, nerve damage, convulsions, abdominal tenderness, burning of the throat are risks; deaths have been reported.


• Scullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora, blue pimpernel, helmet flower, hoodwort, mad weed, mad-dog herb, mad-dog weed, quaker bonnet, scutelluria, skullcap). Abnormal liver damage.


• Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe, johimbi, yohimbehe, yohimbine) Blood pressure changes, heart beat irregularities and heart attacks have been reported.

SOURCES: Consumer Reports, May 2004. News release, Consumer's Union. FDA. Institute of Medicine.

One of the main themes of this website is to research what you are putting into your body and into your environment. Just because a product is on the TV or has the name of a big corporation on its label doesn’t mean it’s a safe product. Look for a product that has been clinically tested and researched to be as close to what nature intended as possible. A product with millions of dollars of research behind it that is 100% guaranteed.

I have found a company that actually creates a safe and natural vitamins and supplements and welcomes your scrutiny. Please feel free to contact me for more information or [Click Here] to check them out for yourself.

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