In the news recently there has been a variety of stories outlining the dangers of supplements that are adulterated and laced with powerful antibiotics, steroids, or illegal substances. While the majority of these center around weight loss supplements, we wanted to address these issues and offer some comfort.

The Adulteration of Supplements

Dr. Oz, the popular television doctor with a daytime showed named after him, brought this scandal to the attention of his viewers and made headlines with claims that products he recently sent for testing in laboratories contained substances they should not for a variety of reasons. What is not outlined clearly in his findings is that the supplements he chose to send to testing were from companies that were known to have unapproved ingredients. While the information he was supplying to his viewers was in part correct, it was only applicable to those specific weight loss supplements sent for testing and not for supplement manufacturers as a whole.  Dr. Oz brought an important point to light yet left out details of how not all companies are guilty of these sorts of practices. Perhaps, for the benefit of his show, he chose supplements already in violation yet made a wide claim that this is standard practice.  The weight loss supplement violations revealed on his show included ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic that had never been found in over-the-counter supplements as well as sibutramine, an ingredient in prescription obesity drugs that was banned because it caused heart attacks, strokes, and seizures.

It seems too easy to put all dietary supplements, whether they are for weight loss or not, under the same umbrella. While many companies do add illegal substances or excipients to their products, this isn’t true for all companies. We take pride in the products we provide to you and believe in them. While this “American Scandal”, as Dr. Oz has named it, is one that warrants some attention, it does not reach all corners of the supplement market and should not have an unfair ripple effect on all companies.

Avoid Adulteration

Adulteration is an easy out for many companies; using only a fraction of the active ingredient and filling the rest with fillers (like rice, soy, wheat) and harmful components is more common than you may think. While Dr. Oz outlined a specific set of weight loss products, the practice of adulteration is a cheap and tricky one. The consumer believes they are purchasing a product based on the description and doesn’t question the additional ingredients or do the research on what they could potentially do to their bodies.

The promise of losing weight, increasing energy, or curbing hunger trumps the ingredient list for many consumers. Be informed and choose products that are good for your body and provide long-term healing, not harm in the long-run.

Get Informed-Avoid Adulterated Products

To learn more about how herbal supplements can be manufactured without the use of harmful chemicals or the addition of unwanted ingredients, check out our learn link here or visit this recent blog about Herbal Purity here.

Our founder, Hanna Kroeger, followed strict rules for which products she would recommend to those who came to see her and we continue to follow these rules today. Don’t settle for anything but the best to put into your body; find good health without chemicals.