Events
According to the New York Times, the American research center for dietary herbal supplements found in addition to traces mercury, lead and some other heavy metals are harmful components in almost all tested products.
The newspaper also notes that, in fact, the content of heavy metals and pollutants is normal and does not exceed the established limits, but, most alarmingly, researchers found unacceptable levels of pesticide residues in 16 species out of 40 food additives submitted for examination.
The packaging of one of the supplements claims that it can treat Alzheimer's disease (although no effective treatment has yet been found), and another product, based on ginseng claims to fight cancer and diabetes.
Steve Meester, head of the Nutrition Council (a trade organization that represents the supplement industry), noted that it is not surprising that residual traces heavy metals are found in herbal supplements, but not, as they are very common in soil and plants. “I don't think this information can be useful to consumers,” he said.
The report will soon be presented at the Senate session to create a new food safety bill, which is likely to be larger will pay attention to control over food producers. Exactly how the bill will affect supplement manufacturers remains to be seen, but some congressional officials are already saying that many of the supplement manufacturers will find the new conditions too burdensome.
At least nine comments about the harmful effects on health were made by experts in a report prepared by the Office of General Accounting reporting. These comments, according to the researchers, primarily concerned how categorically manufacturers claim that their supplements can cope with diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. The Times also reports that in one case, a seller of a dietary supplement with garlic extract may well replace blood pressure therapy.
Drugs intended for the treatment of a particular disease must be rigorously tested and receive feedback from leading experts as they are being considered as drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
However, supervision over the manufacture of dietary supplements has been significantly tightened in recent years. Nevertheless, the authorities and relevant authorities say that contamination of dietary supplements with various heavy metals is still their main problem. When testing more than 2,000 types of dietary supplements, it was found that every fourth of them does not comply with generally accepted standards and has quality problems.
It is estimated that half of American adults take vitamin supplements regularly, and about a quarter take herbal supplements from time to time. Dietary supplements have annual sales of $25 billion.