Contaminated botanicals and dietary supplements
Almost all supplements tested in this study contained measurable amounts of genistein and/or daidzein — known estrogenic agents.
First, the details.
- 8 botanical and 11 ephedra-containing dietary supplements were analyzed for the presence and concentration of 5 flavonoids (biochanin A, daidzein, formononetin, genistein, quercetin).
And, the results.
- Flavonoids were detected in all supplements tested.
- The largest number of flavonoids (4) was found in Kava.
- Almost all supplements contained measurable amounts of genistein and/or daidzein — known estrogenic agents — at up to 22 mg/day of isoflavone, per recommended daily dosage of supplement.
The bottom line?
The biggest problem confronting the supplement industry is that you never know what’s in the bottle.
I should have kept a list of all the hysterical articles decrying the intrusion of the FDA in this area. Some pundits would rather expose themselves and their neighbors to mislabeled medicine than accept government oversight.
Hopefully, the new role of the FDA to ensure good manufacturing standards will improve this situation.
8/17/07 11:29 JR