Appetite suppressants to viagra, how supplements bend rules

Nearly 800 food supplements found to use unauthorised products for sexual stimulation, muscle building or weight loss

Days after the US drug regulatory agency issued notice to e-cigarette manufacturers for unauthorised use of viagra, evidence has emerged of dietary supplements too containing undisclosed ingredients; including viagra.

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, it has been reported that between 2007 and 2016, 776 adulterated dietary supplements were identified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the US drug regulatory agency and 146 different dietary supplement companies were implicated.

Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, and enzymes that according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are not intended to treat or prevent disease.

“Most of these products were marketed for sexual enhancement (353 [45.5%]), weight loss (317 [40.9%]), or muscle building (92 [11.9%]), with 157 adulterated products (20.2%) containing more than 1 unapproved ingredient. The most common adulterants were sildenafil for sexual enhancement supplements (166 of 353 [47.0%]), sibutramine for weight loss supplements (269 of 317 [84.9%]), and synthetic steroids or steroid-like ingredients for muscle building supplements (82 of 92 [89.1%]),” the article reported.

The most common adulterants were sildenafil for sexual enhancement supplements, sibutramine for weight loss supplements, and synthetic steroids or steroid-like ingredients for muscle building

The analysis was carried out by Californian regulatory agencies.

They concluded: “Active pharmaceuticals continue to be identified in dietary supplements, especially those marketed for sexual enhancement or weight loss, even after FDA warnings. The drug ingredients in these dietary supplements have the potential to cause serious adverse health effects owing to accidental misuse, overuse, or interaction with other medications, underlying health conditions, or other pharmaceuticals within the supplement.”

A different study found earlier that dietary supplement use was associated with 23 000 emergency department visits and 2000 hospitalizations in the United States each year. Serious adverse events reported with the use of dietary supplements include stroke, acute liver injury, kidney failure, pulmonary embolisms, and death.