Everyone wants to be healthy, right? The problem is too many people rely on dietary supplements to make them the superman or superwoman they desire to be. This approach to health and vigor is fraught with potential problems.
Federal authorities filed court papers last month alleging that two over-the-counter dietary supplements commonly used by high school football players contain steroids. Tren Extreme and Mass Extreme, manufactured by American Cellular Labs, are marketed as a potent legal alternative to steroids. However, search warrants were executed alleging that the supplements contain illegal designer steroids including Madol, a substance first identified six years ago during the investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative.
How about Hydroxycut, a popular dietary supplement for weight loss. This summer the FDA warned consumers to immediately stop taking Hydroxycut due to reports of serious health problems related to the use of the product.
The LA Times reported that Lovate Health Sciences Inc. of Oakville in Ontario, Canada makes these dietary supplements and they are distributed by Lovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y. There has been one link to a death and other instances of serious liver injuries. Because of this, Lovate agreed to recall the products from the market.
My Take: There is no quick pill for safe and effective weight loss nor is there a safe pill to quickly turn a 125 pound high school boy into a 250 pound hulk. The companies which promote and market these products should be held accountable…and that includes the retail stores which sell the snake oil.