"Supplements and Safety" Frontline lnvestigates

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/supplements-and-safety/

It was excellent.
Have heard through the years stories on sub-par quality, etc, however tonight, Frontline provided compelling data that showed what a game of Russian roulette we play with our health any time we buy a supplement from any of these major chains.

If you take a supplement for anything, high chances are you're paying for absolutely nothing or something that could literally destroy your kidneys or liver very quickly.

Among the several covered, the consumption of Vit C, E, D and fish oil was examined. Sobering findings. Worthwhile to check it out on repeat or online if you care.

 

Frontline is awesome! This is something that has infuriates me for a long time. Hopefully there will some changes made in regulations soon

 

Isn't it the best?

DNA seals are now compulsory in some States.
And Nature's Way chose to work in partnership with the scientists who exposed the Industry's lies.
GNC remain reluctant and feeling forced to increase their quality control..smh.
l hope you get time to catch it.

 

I agree with you two on frontline. I watch every episode that I can online. That being said people can often test the supplements to see if they are real. If you have that kind of disposable income to buy supplements then you probably have enough to test them. The FDA doesn't have the man power to cover in my opinion.

 

I religiously watch that, and independent lens. Naturre's way is pretty good and i stick with them. I boycot GNC for many reasons

And Arch, testing your supplements is anridicilous idea for so many reasons. Supplements dont have to be expensive and i dissagree that IF You can afford them, You can afford testing them. Not to mention that You shouldnt have to and it beyond inconvenient and not realistic. This area simply has to be regulated as it should have been from the bevisning to avoid not only dangerous things, but pure fraud.

There has also been reports of " health teas" from china having lead in them.

 

I worked in the Health Food Industry for about 5 years. The company I worked for is independently owned and the owner is very particular about the products she brings in. She literally oversaw every single product in there. They had tons of different kinds of natural healing.

Everything I used from her store was highly effective. I tend to stay away from generic supplements and do thorough research before I buy something. Only the reputable stuff comes home with me.

Since I no longer worked for that store, I've found Vitamin Shoppe to carry a decent supply of the brands I'm familiar with.

The key is to educate yourself in the things that you take.

 

Love Independent Lens as well.

I agree with your premise that we should not have to test our own vitamins. Just silly. Like anything we digest, we are dependent on regulations to ensure purity.
I do think on the downside if any, that the Government getting involved may result in many genuine supplements being unable to fulfil the rigorous testing standards that would be required. (and drive their cost up). But lm still in favor of it.

Had no idea about possible lead in teas from China. Holy crap. I carefully check my ingredients, but if they are not telling, how the heck can we know?

 

The issue I think, If you saw the video, is that while the shop owner you noted oversaw every product coming in, the purity of the powder up the chain is the issue. So a distributor may purchase a huge amount of herbal powder from a supplier that is tainted, unbeknownst to them. As a result, your boss can not guarantee the efficacy no matter how diligent.
That's why the new portable Tester covered in the documentary might revolutionize the Industry.

 

What do you think of swanson's vitamins. That's who I usually use.

 

It's sad but true the FDA can't possibly monitor all of the different herbal supplements and vitamins that we use on a daily basis. So often we buy supplements because you think you're doing the right thing, it's often a rip off and you'll see the warning stating that the FDA has not tested or does not endorse that particular product.

Companies are scamming people to spend their hard-earned money on everything because we are health-conscious or trying to lose weight; people will do next to anything to achieve an end result.

It also infuriates me that some of these products are tainted or useless when you have sick and dying geriatric customers who depend on quality supplements in order to get healthier or sustain certain levels within their body to prevent them from getting sicker.

I know my mother dished out so much money on special supplements and vitamins for my father while he was in hospice care dying of cancer that her insurance simply would not cover and it sickens me that companies would take advantage of people in such desperate need.

Fortunately not all companies are crooked and you can actually find great supplements but it's sad that you have to do so much research and potentially test your supplements in order to ensure you are getting what you pay for.

 

Yeah I saw this addressed on a show called "Adam ruins everything" while its done in humor , it talks about this history of it being a sham

 

I didn't get to finish the whole video. How do they suggest we protect ourselves? What do we look for when researching a supplement? Just independent testing?

 

I havent had time to Watch the newscast it's almost an hour long however I did read some of the links that are also listed in the article and here's a good one that has five commonsense steps you can take that are fairly easy prior to purchasing a product:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/five-questions-to-ask-when-considering-health-supplements/

Basically do your research online, look for independent testing outside of the FDA, and especially be cognizant of anything that is "too good to be true"

 

Thank you, Cher!

 

Very welcome, honey. I am very interested in the news report so I will prob watch when I have time later this afternoon. I'm definitely intrigued!

 

I signed up for a free newsletter from Consumer Labs which was mentioned in one of the links. It's not expensive to join their site, so I'm considering that. I don't take a lot of supplements, but I want to know that the ones I do are safe. My parents take tons of stuff, which they get from the same place. I checked that website and it says they are independently tested, so I hope they're safe.

 

Yeah, totally understand. Most of all, it would be nice to know that you aren't wasting your money or putting your health at risk. Especially with the geriatric population! They depend on dietary supplements and vitamins.

We got to the point we were going through a nutritionist to ensure we were getting a quality product for my father. He had to drink his nutritional shakes for over a year which replaced his food. Sadly, insurance didn't cover those costs and it became very expensive.

 

The best way to get these vitamins is through a balanced diet. The damage to your organs is a scary prospect.

 

Yes, however my father could no longer eat. He had to rely on protein shakes and nutritional supplements for a while before he couldn't eat or drink at all. It was so hard to see him like that.

 

This is just so wrong.

I know it's too late to help you with the situation with your dad. Just so you (and others) know....there are organizations out there that will help with these costs. Amazingly enough, sometimes the manufacturers of the product will have programs to help families too.

Many elders need the supplemental shakes even while they are capable of eating foods too.