Research Paper (9)

Date: Monday, October 13, 2008
Time: 11 PM
Place: Kitchen

As a result, the FDA has found it virtually impossible to take products off drugstore shelves even after reports of illness and injury. For example, supplements containing the herb ephedra are reported to speed weight loss and sports performance. More than 600 reports of illness and at least 100 deaths have been linked to the use of ephedra supplements. The herb is banned by professional football and college athletics in the U.S. and by the Olympics. However, the FDA didn’t act until February 2003, following the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, who reportedly had been using ephedra products to control his weight. Bechler’s untimely death rang warning bells across the country, including in Washington, D.C., where the FDA ruled that every bottle of ephedra must carry strong warnings that the popular herb can cause potentially lethal heart attacks or strokes. In the sports world, ephedra was immediately forbidden in minor league but not major league baseball. Eventually the FDA banned all ephedra products (Ng).
So, there are so many good aspects but also drawbacks of supplements. One needs to focus on how to choose the safest, most effective products. Even though the FDA can’t require manufacturers to submit safety and effectiveness
data, a respected name on the label offers some assurance of a quality product. It also promises a fresh product; well-known brands generally sell out more quickly. The initials USP (U.S. Pharmacopoeia, a reputable testing organization) are another quality statement, and so are the words “release assured” or “proven release,” which mean the supplement is easily absorbed by your body (Webb 195).