In a new federal report released May 26th, 2010 by the Government Accountability Office, evidence of the dangers of food supplements is finally brought to light.
According to the report, natural supplements, now taken by at least a quarter of adult Americans, often contain trace amounts of lead, mercury, arsenic and potentially dangerous levels of pesticides. This report comes out just in time for a key Senate hearing, set to begin in two weeks, that will decide whether to approve a food safety bill that could clamp down on regulation of such products. Investigators tested 40 herbal supplements. Of those, 37 contained trace amounts of heavy metals, especially lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. The content wasn't enough to exceed safety limits, but it does raise questions about the sterility of the supplement ingredients and the plants where they're produced. "Consuming high levels of the contaminants for which we tested the 40 products can lead to severe health consequences, such as increased risk of cancer," the report reads, adding that the toxicity depends largely on one's dosage and individual health. Sixteen of the supplements contained elevated levels of pesticides. Most of those chemicals aren't capped by legal restrictions because of insufficient scientific evidence about their risk to humans.
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Now I'm not just talking about any and all supplements. The risky supplements I've warned my patients about for years are the cheap ones you find at Costco, Walgreens, and your supermarket. I've been carrying vitamin supplements in my office for 15 years and we only buy from manufacturers that can guarantee purity and also potency. The source of the supplement is key. Our manufacturers use sources from clean waters where the fish don't have mercury, land where the plants don't have pesticides, and they NEVER contain any coloring, sugar, or other artificial additives.
The reason for taking supplements is to improve your health. Don't risk damaging your health by purchasing the cheapest supplement you can find. You wouldn't apply this in other areas of your life and your health is by far the most important.
Our line of supplements includes multi vitamins, joint formulas, and some key nutrients to help control inflammation, sleep difficulties, cardiac health, intestinal health, allergies, and natural immunity particularly against colds and flu. We pride ourselves on providing only the safest products to our patients.
Dr. Harris Meyer
Body Focus Health Center
415-956-3226
