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Spike in Harm to Liver Is Tied to Dietary Aids (supplements)
NY Times ^ | 12/21/2013 | ANAHAD O’CONNOR

Posted on 12/21/2013 9:50:34 PM PST by UnwashedPeasant

Christopher, a high school student from Katy, Tex., suffered severe liver damage after using a concentrated green tea extract he bought at a nutrition store as a “fat burning” supplement. The damage was so extensive that he was put on the waiting list for a liver transplant....

Dietary supplements account for nearly 20 percent of drug-related liver injuries that turn up in hospitals, up from 7 percent a decade ago, according to an analysis by a national network of liver specialists....

“It’s really the Wild West,” said Dr. Herbert L. Bonkovsky, the director of the liver, digestive and metabolic disorders laboratory at Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, N.C. “When people buy these dietary supplements, it’s anybody’s guess as to what they’re getting.” ...

But the supplement business is largely unregulated....

“When a product is regulated, you know the benefits and the risks and you can make an informed decision about whether or not to take it,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: dietarysupplements; supplements
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Another hit piece on vitamins. Watch for legislation or Executive Decree to save us ignorant peasants from too much health freedom.
1 posted on 12/21/2013 9:50:35 PM PST by UnwashedPeasant
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To: UnwashedPeasant

I do wonder why all the hit pieces lately. Is it an austerity measure?


2 posted on 12/21/2013 9:55:51 PM PST by ransomnote
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To: All

“But the supplement business is largely unregulated.... “

the fda should regulate vitamins like they do pharmaceuticals . they don’t have side effects or recalls when the fda is in charge.


3 posted on 12/21/2013 9:56:57 PM PST by willywill
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To: UnwashedPeasant
I've been wondering/worried about this myself.

Vitamins and supplements are a way that we can stay healthy and live longer, in spite of the heath collectives (exchanges); could that be what this is about?

.

4 posted on 12/21/2013 10:14:06 PM PST by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never...except to convictions of honour and good sense. W. Churchill)
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To: UnwashedPeasant

Supplements are beneficial when taken in proper amounts for the right reasons. Some people just get carried away taking stuff that has not been proven healthy or effective.


5 posted on 12/21/2013 10:14:20 PM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: UnwashedPeasant

***But the supplement business is largely unregulated....***

Wow - good thing we have the Nanny State to protect us from those evil businessmen! Looking to make a profit by offering a quality product that fills a need - how can they be trusted?


6 posted on 12/21/2013 10:15:13 PM PST by Paulie
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To: SeaHawkFan
"Supplements are beneficial...

Unless they have stuff in them from China.

7 posted on 12/21/2013 10:18:57 PM PST by Slump Tester (What if I'm pregnant Teddy? Errr-ahh -Calm down Mary Jo, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it)
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To: Slump Tester

The FDA is hardly one to point fingers with respect to that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chinese_heparin_adulteration


8 posted on 12/21/2013 10:20:06 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: UnwashedPeasant

TOTAL HOGWASH.

The real problem is CHINA which supplies 90% of the inputs.

They’re world famous for having no quality control but the nanny staters don’t want you knowing this.


9 posted on 12/21/2013 10:33:03 PM PST by gaijin
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To: UnwashedPeasant

My body does not tolerate Green Tea. My dentist’s office has a drink maker machine and I usually select a cup of regular coffee. Whenever I opt for Green Tea, it makes me pee constantly. So I stay away from it.


10 posted on 12/21/2013 10:33:48 PM PST by entropy12 (Zero thanks to all who stayed home and helped elect Acorn lawyer Zero.)
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To: ransomnote
"I do wonder why all the hit pieces lately. Is it an austerity measure?"Vitamins, herbs, and supplements, for the most part, WORK. And they are cheaper than prescription drugs. If people begin to rely on supplements to maintain their health, they won't be needing Obamacare, and the gov't can't be having THAT going on.
11 posted on 12/21/2013 10:38:07 PM PST by redhead (NO GROUND TO THE DEVIL! Remember BENGHAZI!! Use Weaponized Prayer)
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To: redhead

There are things happening in the biochemistry field that is scaring the crap out of them.

They are rapidly unraveling aging.

And the chemicals and additives that prevent or even reverse aging are natural things that can’t be patented, many of them are OTC at the drug store.


12 posted on 12/21/2013 10:46:35 PM PST by djf (Global warming is a bunch of hot air!!)
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To: redhead

With all due respect, there may be some benefits, but they never rise to the level of what is promised.

Quackery can be dangerous when people are ingesting products from China with no real quality control. I braved Costco today and the amount of supplements is astounding as are the legally ambiguous promises.

It’s your body (and money) so do what you will, but I would be highly skeptical of most of these products and suggest others do the same. Products that promise huge weight loss have been around forever and absent exercise and diet I am still not aware of any that does what it promises.

I think some products can be effective, but I would bet 90% of this stuff makes expensive urine. God designed our bodies and we seem to function quite well on a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

Just saying. Human nature makes us want to believe this stuff and some unknown extract from China is unlikely to change your life. FRegards and Merry Christmas!


13 posted on 12/21/2013 10:47:36 PM PST by volunbeer (We must embrace austerity or austerity will embrace us)
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To: ransomnote

The Big Business that are in bed with Big Government would love nothing more than to take out all the small/medium supplement operators under color of law and then sell their swill (which would be less effective) for 3-10 times as much is currently being charged.

Either that or codex alimentarius...


14 posted on 12/21/2013 10:49:20 PM PST by GraceG
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To: redhead

Agreed.

I have taken a pretty large “cocktail” of vitamins for 20 years or more. I am seldom sick.

If, as in this story, someone over indulges in a concentrate...that is quite different, imho.


15 posted on 12/21/2013 10:49:44 PM PST by berdie
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To: willywill

the fda should regulate vitamins like they do pharmaceuticals . they don’t have side effects or recalls when the fda is in charge.

Yeah, because there is no cross pollination between big business and big government....


16 posted on 12/21/2013 10:49:56 PM PST by GraceG
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To: SeaHawkFan; AnonymousConservative

Supplements are beneficial when taken in proper amounts for the right reasons. Some people just get carried away taking stuff that has not been proven healthy or effective.
[Supplements are beneficial when taken in proper amounts for the right reasons. Some people just get carried away taking stuff that has not been proven healthy or effective. ]

Of course the libs who supposedly believe in natural selection and Darwinism want so badly to protect ourselves....

If they were not hypocrites they would be encouraging free market as a way to weed out the dumb dumbs... but they know they themselves are dumb and would have a significant portion of THEIR population taken out... Because they are Rabid Overpopulated Rabbits...


17 posted on 12/21/2013 10:52:04 PM PST by GraceG
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To: volunbeer
God designed our bodies and we seem to function quite well on a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

God designed vitamins and minerals and the human mind, too, so that supplements could be created.

Obamacare believes in a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, too - that's why under Obamacare, anyone who's not healthy and balanced doesn't receive any healthcare. After all, 100% of healthcare costs go to sick people!

BTW, you know what patents are, don't you? And yet you don't think they have anything to do with this subject?

18 posted on 12/21/2013 10:53:33 PM PST by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: djf

I think Ezekiel Emmanual, et al, wants us to die shortly after retirement.

That ridiculous Florida congressman, Greyson or whatever his name is, who said Republicans want you to die quickly is really projecting - it’s the rats who want that.


19 posted on 12/21/2013 11:10:00 PM PST by Aria ( 2008 & 2012 weren't elections - they were coup d'etats.)
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To: UnwashedPeasant

California has now outlawed Cinnimon + Gymena + Mulberry exteact that ive taken for years and works for diabetes better than the Big pharma products that i was taking

Big gov and big pharma are the problem

do agree some foreign products need to be scrutinized however


20 posted on 12/21/2013 11:10:04 PM PST by jcon40
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