Some Supplements Are Mainly Medications
Over-the-counter natural herbal supplements appear to be safe, but they may contain as many active ingredients as some prescription drugs.
This applies to some yohimbe supplements, according to new research published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis . Yohimbe is an African tree and supplements made from its bark are marketed as a natural (but not necessarily effective) fat burner and aphrodisiac .
But the active ingredient yohimbine, also exists as a cure for erectile dysfunction, to let go of the recipe . It is not used very often, in part due to side effects including irregular heartbeat, dizziness, and anxiety . Therefore, the researchers were concerned when they found as much yohimbine in some supplements as in a typical dose of the drug, especially because yohimbine was either synthesized or purified. In other words, manufacturers may have added prescription drugs to their product. Meanwhile, other brands of supplements did not contain yohimbine at all.
Unlike drugs, which must be proven safe and effective before they can be sold, supplements can be sold until the FDA determines they are unsafe or mislabeled. This is why it is good to skip supplements or be extremely careful when using them – and why these results were sad but not surprising.
Pharmaceutical Amounts of Yohimbine in Food Supplements in the United States | Drug Testing and Analysis via Medical Daily
Photo by Ano Lobb .
Vitals is a new blog from Lifehacker dedicated to health and fitness. Follow us on Twitter here .