Healthy Living: Herbal, nutritional products linked to serious issues

- The Norwich Bulletin

06/30/2009 - The recent removal of Zicam and Hydroxycut products from the market highlights an important aspect of herbal medications: sometimes you don’t know what you are paying for.

Zicam was a popular zinc-based flu remedy taken off the market due to reports of users losing their sense of smell, sometimes permanently. Hydroxycut weight-loss products have been linked to serious liver damage, and were removed from store shelves in May.

There are a multitude of valuable, safe and effective nutritional and herbal supplements that can be used to improve your health. Unfortunately there is also a large amount of potentially harmful products as well — products harmful to your wallet as well as your health.

FDA-regulated medications must prove both safety and efficacy before they are marketed. Although not everything is known about a medication when it does reach the open market, rigorous testing and reporting of the medications’ risks and benefits allow you and your doctor to make informed decisions about what treatments you should use.

Little regulation

In contrast, companies that manufacture and sell herbal and nutritional supplements have very little regulation. They do not have to prove to any regulatory body these products are safe or that they are effective.

Many reputable companies will perform their own in-house testing to ensure quality, but not all. And most companies do not conduct the type of safety studies demanded by the FDA for medications. Without such rigorous testing, dangerous side effects such as those mentioned above can go unknown for years.

The FDA and Federal Trade Commission have also taken serious action recently against a number of fraudulent Internet sites selling swine flu remedies.

The manufacturing freedom mentioned above can lead to a lot of old-fashioned “snake oil”-like products.

Capitalize on fear

Unscrupulous businesses tried to capitalize on the nation’s fear and make a quick buck by promoting products as treating or preventing swine flu.

Just like days of old, slick salesmen use all sorts of gimmicks to try and get you to buy their often useless and occasionally dangerous products. Many of these dealers will use endorsements from phony doctors and unscientific studies to try to convince you of their value. Not all of it is on the Internet though; some companies use very well produced, high-dollar radio and television infomercials to advertise their products as well.

How can you protect yourself and your family from potentially unsafe products?

- Stay informed and research as much as you can about the products you buy.

- Only buy from reputable manufacturers that have been in business for many years.

- Do not listen to Internet or television commercial doctors who often are little more than practiced salesmen. Instead, talk to your own doctor or pharmacist about products you are considering and gather objective advice.

- Always inform your health care providers about nutritional and herbal products you do take and stay on the lookout for any safety alerts from the FDA.

If you or a loved one have been injured or suffered a loss as a result of Hydroxycut use you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Hydroxycut Lawyers of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. today for a free case evaluation by filling out the form on this page or calling toll-free: 1-800-856-6405. Our experienced Hydroxycut Attorneys can answer any questions you may have about Hydroxycut side effects, Hydroxycut recall, or a potential Hydroxycut lawsuit.