The growing use of dietary supplements has caused alarm in recent
months among the medical community who fear dangerous interactions
with prescription medicines. But a new study concludes that most
potential drug-supplement interactions...
Greater integration of research and further emphasis on continuing
evaluation of programs will inform the revised strategy of the US
office of dietary supplement, which this week released its plans
for the next five years.
A single dose of a dietary supplement containing ephedra and
caffeine can increase blood pressure and cause changes that have
the potential to affect heart rhythms, shows a new study by
American researchers.
Use of dietary supplements that do not contain vitamins or minerals
continues to grow, with 33 per cent of adults in a recent survey
currently taking at least one such supplement.
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists has released
medical guidelines on the clinical use of dietary supplements and
nutraceuticals, to better educate doctors about the risks and
benefits of natural products, it claims.
The dietary supplement industry trade associations AHPA, CHPA, CRN,
NNFA, and UNPA have declared their support for legislation
introduced on Thursday that would require steroid hormone
precursors such as androstenedione to be listed...
A faster way to measure quantities of vitamin B12, both in foods
and in dietary supplements, has been developed by scientists in the
US. The discovery will improve data for commercial vitamin
supplements.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin sorting through
industry's comments on its proposal on good manufacturing practices
for dietary supplements. Will it take into account higher than
estimated costs?
The US dietary supplements industry could gain from an extra $10
million in annual funding for national research under new
legislation to better implement DSHEA. The new bill, proposed by
Senators Harkin and Hatch last week, would...
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to consumers
not to purchase or consume certain stamina enhancing dietary
supplements containing Cialis, a prescription drug ingredient
thought to pose possible health risks.
Archer Daniels Midland, the giant US agricultural products
processor, has extended its international alliance with
Nutraceutix, a manufacturer of controlled delivery technology for
the pharmaceutical industry.
Demand for plant-derived chemicals in the US is expected to rise by
6.8 per cent annually in coming years, reaching $2.7 billion in
2006. Growth is being spurred by increasing interest in herbal
supplements, finds a new report.
The United States Pharmacopeia has introduced a new certification
mark for dietary supplements, already visible on some products on
the market, the organisation said this week.
American Herbal Products Association has submitted comments to the
FDA on the agency's new adverse event reporting system. In a
letter, the trade association pointed out the inconsistency of
consumer access to the FDA's...
The Council for Responsible Nutrition last week sent a letter to
Senator Durbin and other legislators recommending several actions
be taken to protect the safety and reliability of
ephedra-containing dietary supplements.
The Ephedra Education Council (EEC) has responded to yesterday's
news that as many as one third of the US population now suffers
from obesity with a statement promoting the safety and efficacy of
the dietary supplement ephedra.
Speaking at the annual CRN conference yesterday, president John
Cordaro called upon the dietary supplement industry to promote
growth "by restoring consumer confidence in using dietary
supplements."
The US Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on the Framework for
Evaluating the Safety of Dietary Supplements has released its first
draft prototype monograph.
A US paediatrician has developed a way of educating healthcare
professionals on herbal and dietary supplements via the Internet,
without taking up too much of their time, according to a study
published in the September issue of Academic...
The California legislature has passed two bills concerning the sale
and labelling of dietary supplements containing ephedra or steroid
hormone precursors
Nutritional supplement maker Metabolife has issued a statement
responding to calls for an investigation into reports of
side-effects caused by its ephedra products.
The US Food and Drug Administration calls for a criminal
investigation into Metabolife over the safety of some of the
company's ephedra-based diet products.
America's dietary supplement trade body is to stress the importance
of nutrition and alternative medicine in a request to the
government for more funding for research.
German company Degussa BioActives, a leading maker of creatine
products, has been focusing on its sports nutrition segment this
year, actively promoting Creapure and other sports products at
trade shows. NutraIngredients.com spoke...
A range of dietary supplements sold in the UK have been irradiated
in breach of food regulations, found a survey by the UK Food
Standards Agency. As a consequence companies with affected products
have been told to remove them from...
In what it is calling a victory for consumer protection, the US
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has forced Utah-based company
Biogenics to agree to stop making products containing drugs but
sold as dietary supplements.
Athletes are using increasing amounts of dietary supplements to
help boost their performance, but many of the products they use are
contaminated by substances that could result in positive tests for
anabolic steroids, according to...
Pharmavite, maker of Nature Made vitamins, minerals and other
dietary supplements, will become the first participant in a
programme designed to build consumer confidence in dietary
supplements
The Council for Responsible Nutrition in the US has responded
angrily to a recent survey by in the journal JAMA which claimed
that the increased use of herbal supplements could lead to adverse
reactions with other drugs.
Daily supplementation with creatine could accelerate the recovery
of leg muscle size and performance after being immobilised in a
cast for two weeks, report European researchers recently.
National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) and NSF International
announced this week that they have formed a strategic alliance to
provide a comprehensive certification program for the dietary
supplements industry.
In Part Two of 'Herbal Dietary Supplements Hunger for Regulation',
Henry I.Miller and David Longtin examine models for legislative
change in the area of dietary supplements.
In Part One of this article Henry Miller and David Longtin look
at the overall regulation of dietary supplements across the Western
world and highlight the many shortfalls.
