dietary supplement

20 Stories

Japanese Health Supplement Proved Not That Healthy

Now 5 in Japan are dead, 100 are hospitalized after taking products with benikoji, a red mold

(Newser) - Five people who took Japanese health supplements have died and more than 100 have been hospitalized as of Friday, a week after a pharmaceutical company issued a recall of the products, officials said. Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. came under fire for not going public quickly with problems known internally as...

Congressman's Wife's Death Tied to Herbal Supplement

Coroner's report links Lori McClintock's death to white mulberry leaf

(Newser) - The death of a California congressman's wife has been attributed to a plant. Lori McClintock, the wife of US Rep. Tom McClintock, died in December 2021, after the Republican discovered his wife unresponsive in their home; she had complained of an upset stomach the day prior. Kaiser Health News...

Researchers Finger Supplement That's Especially Risky for Kids

Scientists are issuing a warning about yohimbe

(Newser) - A Journal of Medical Toxicology study of calls made to poison control centers over the past 12 years finds one herbal supplement to be particularly concerning. Of those calls, the ones with the biggest proportion of serious medical outcomes had to do with yohimbe tree bark extract, NBC News reports....

Trio of Supplements Could Fend Off Baby Blues
Baby Blues
Are Common.
Solution Could
Be Simple
new study
Mar 15, 2017 7:57 AM CDT

Baby Blues Are Common. Solution Could Be Simple

A trio of supplements, taken for just 3 days, might have dramatic results

(Newser) - Could new mothers fight off the baby blues by taking a trio of supplements? Researchers at Canada's Center for Addiction and Mental Health are reporting in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that their small new study suggests so, and they say there's something novel...

Feds: What Dietary Supplement Execs Did Was Criminal

Makers accused of lying about ingredients, effectiveness

(Newser) - The Justice Department is cracking down hard on makers of dietary supplements who lie about what their product can do—and what it really contains. The department says it has brought more than 100 civil and criminal cases against makers and marketers of the supplements in a yearlong sweep, including...

Dietary Supplements Land 63 People in the ER Daily

FDA, CDC study identifies 23K such ER visits annually

(Newser) - Dietary supplements promise to help you lose weight, build muscle, and boost energy, but they could also send you to the emergency room. Some 23,000 ER visits each year are attributed to everything from herbal pills to vitamins that cause cardiovascular problems, severe allergic reactions, and vomiting, particularly in...

Diet Supplements Have Amphetamine-Like Chemical
Diet Supplements Have Amphetamine-Like Chemical
STUDY SAYS
Apr 8, 2015 3:53 PM CDT

Diet Supplements Have Amphetamine-Like Chemical

Study says BMPEA is dangerous, but the FDA is ignoring it

(Newser) - There's a chemical lurking in diet supplements that could be dangerous to consumers, and health experts accuse the FDA of doing little, if anything, to remove it. The chemical, beta-methylphenethylamine or BMPEA, is similar to amphetamine, but its side effects have never been studied on humans, the New York ...

Stealth Threat to Your Liver: Diet Aids

Responsible for 20% of liver injuries in hospitals

(Newser) - The New York Times takes a look at the unregulated dietary supplement industry, and finds some scary conclusions: Dietary aids are responsible for 20% of drug-induced liver injuries in hospitals—up from 7% a decade ago—and that figure only includes the most severe cases. While most patients recover, some...

Red Meat, Energy Drinks Share Heart-Disease Culprit

Carnitine ultimately thickens artery walls, study says

(Newser) - Bad news for steak and energy-drink lovers: A new study published in Nature Medicine finds they share a common ingredient that leads to heart disease, the Wall Street Journal reports. Carnitine, a compound that helps the body metabolize fatty acids, is plentiful in red meat and is often found in...

20% of Supplements Illegally Labeled: Feds
 20% of Supplements 
 Illegally Labeled: Feds 
NEW REPORT
Oct 3, 2012 6:43 AM CDT

20% of Supplements Illegally Labeled: Feds

Diet and immune-boosting supplements make false, dangerous claims, feds say

(Newser) - Dieters beware: A new report has found that dozens of dietary supplements out there bear labels that make false, illegal claims that could pose a major threat to consumers, the AP reports. Federal investigators purchased 127 types of supplements both online and in stores and found that 20% made unsubstantiated...

Vitamin E Pills May Boost Risk of Prostate Cancer

Threat heightened even after men quit supplement, says study

(Newser) - Supplements we take for better health may actually be hurting us. Yesterday we learned that vitamins may carry an increased risk of death for women ; today's culprit is vitamin E, which may heighten the risk of prostate cancer. A study found that men who took the popular supplements faced...

FDA Warns Magic Power Coffee Has Viagra-like Ingredient

(Newser) - The FDA is warning that Magic Power Coffee, an instant-coffee product peddled on the Internet as a sexual enhancer, has a little more than magic in its list of ingredients. Tests showed it contains an undeclared chemical (hydroxythiohomosildenafil) that is similar to the active ingredient in Viagra (sildenafil). When mixed...

Heart Doc's Tips for a Healthy Ticker

South Beach Diet guru shares his secrets

(Newser) - Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who cooked up the South Beach Diet, takes no medications and embraces a philosophy of moderation—he's not starving himself or downing dozens of vitamins. He clues Prevention magazine in on his advice for keeping your heart in tip-top shape:
  • Eat four times a day: 
...

FDA Warns Against Steroid-Laced Supplements

(Newser) - The FDA has issued a serious warning urging consumers to steer clear of bodybuilding supplements advertised as containing steroid-like substances, the Los Angeles Times reports. The products are unapproved drugs, not dietary supplements as claimed, and adverse effects include kidney failure and major liver damage, officials warn.

Too Much Folic Acid May Help Cause Cancer

Wonder vitamin added to many foods could be giving us an overdose

(Newser) - Folic acid: You’ve probably heard that pregnant women are urged to take it, and you might know that lots of common staples—from flour to cereals—are fortified with it. But new research indicates that folic acid may have a complicated relationship to cancer—even perhaps accelerating it. Studies...

Poor Kids Missing Out on Multivitamins

Well-heeled kids take them, poor need them

(Newser) - Vitamin supplements can combat kids' dietary deficiencies, but tend to be taken by those who least need them, reports Time. A five-year study found that a third of US children take supplements—but those kids are much more likely to be white, with higher incomes, healthier diets, and better health...

Economy, Science Take Toll on Cold Remedies

Use of supplements continues steady fall

(Newser) - Americans looking to save money are increasingly doing without alternative therapies for colds, MSNBC reports. The popularity of supplements like zinc, echinacea, and Vitamin C have waned in recent years, in part due to studies that have questioned their effectiveness. The percentage of Americans using them fell from 9.5%...

Seniors, Remember Ledger: Don't Mix Meds

Seniors in danger from drug interactions

(Newser) - Millions of older Americans take so many prescription and over-the-counter drugs that they risk serious side effects from the drugs’ interactions, USA Today reports. A new study found that about 30% of people aged 57 to 85 now take at least five prescription drugs regularly—plus non-prescription medications and supplements—...

Docs Double Daily Dose of D
 Docs Double Daily Dose of D 
Oct 13, 2008 10:46 AM CDT

Docs Double Daily Dose of D

Vitamin deficiency in young children is more prevalent than many parents suspect

(Newser) - Doctors have a new prescription for kids: double the vitamin D. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that infants, children, and adolescents take twice the daily dose, or 400 IU, of the vitamin previously suggested, the Boston Globe reports. More prevalent than many parents realize, vitamin D deficiency (common...

Leading Supplements Don't Slow Arthritis: Study

Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate are top sellers in US

(Newser) - Popular nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate don’t slow the progression of arthritis, a 2-year study finds. Though a combination of the two is the nation's sixth-highest-selling dietary supplement, they didn’t cut cartilage loss any better than sugar pills in osteoarthritis patients, reports USA Today, confirming the findings...

20 Stories