Study: Quarter of Dietary Supplements Tested Contain Steroids, Banned Stimulants

[dannyboy9]

One quarter of dietary supplements purchased in a recent sampling contained traces of steroids and 11.5 percent had banned stimulants, according to a study to determine whether supplements sold across the United States are really clean.

The study was overseen by Informed-Choice, a nonprofit coalition of dietary supplements, and conducted by a British company, HFL.

HFL bought best-selling brands of a variety of supplements made by companies that were not believed to screen for banned substances as part of their routine quality control process. The study does not reveal the names of the brands or their manufacturers.

Of the 52 supplements that could be analyzed for steroids, 13 showed up with steroid contamination. The result surprised Travis Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, who said no American athlete has tested positive because of supplement contamination since 2004.

"I think it's surprising, and hopefully they'll provide names so this illegal activity can be shut down," Tygart said.

These results come about five years after an International Olympic Committee study that sampled 240 supplements purchased in America and found 18.8 percent of them contained steroids.

"The presence of steroids and stimulants in supplement products is still very much an issue," the conclusion of the report read. "It is clear that not all supplement manufacturers follow good manufacturing practices and the necessary controls are not always implemented to ensure the safety of athletes and the general public who use the supplement products."

Kelly Hoffman, executive director of Informed-Choice, told USA Today, which first reported on the study, that banned substances can find their way into products accidentally, such as when manufacturers fail to properly clean equipment.

In all, 10 categories of supplements were tested. Those known as testosterone boosters were most susceptible to having banned substances in them; six of nine boosters contained androstenedione, which was declared illegal about three years ago.

Though amateur athletes are considered most susceptible to buying tainted products at health stores, the issue is also relative to professional sports.

It has long been default mode for players who test positive to say they used a tainted product.

Three years ago, the NFL and the players union began working with the nonprofit company, NSF International, that put supplements through a purity test and labels substances that are safe to take.

Lori Bestervelt, senior vice president and chief technical officer for NSF, said she also wasn't surprised at the results of the HFL test.

"I think there are two categories, one where people are intentionally putting them in, and another where they aren't but they don't have a good rein on the supply chain or manufacturing practices, so things can slip in," she said. "If you don't have good control of the supply chain, and you're not testing and auditing, things like this can happen."

Bestervelt said the NSF Web site provides a list of supplements that have carry the "Certified for Sport" seal, meaning they've passed that organization's rigorous testing process and are at low risk to contain banned substances.
FOXNews.com - Study: Quarter of Dietary Supplements Tested Contain Steroids, Banned Stimulants - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

[Newkid1]

Would it be safe to say that with most company's, what is on the label is not what is in the product based on this article? I was just told by someone lot of company's also put lots of fillers, binders and other garbage to fill up the caps/tabs and powders.

[yankeepapa]

Sure would be nice to put some names on faces...

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by yankeepapa

Sure would be nice to put some names on faces...

What do you mean by this?

[surferph34]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

The study does not reveal the names of the brands or their manufacturers

Surfer

[dannyboy9]

5 hours of sleep will do that to you!

[Spinman]

aha, then supplements arent all bad! they have steroids that you dont know about! they work! Im gonna go buy tons!

haha jk.. stay away from the supps. awesome read though, I didnt get through it all, but you find some awesome stuff dannyboy

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by Spinman

you find some awesome stuff dannyboy

Thanks Spin. That's how I start off all my mornings. Since it takes me about 1-2 hours to fully regain consciousness in the morning, I have my breakfast and begin my nutritional support program while I surf the net looking for the articles like this. I really enjoy reading articles regarding Psychology, Nutrition, Fitness, things of that nature.

[dogsoldier]

Do a little research and you will find that Informed Choice has a mission. These are the same folks that tell people not to have their kids vaccinated for measles, chicken pox and so on because of the "toxins" that are in all vaccines. They are very much like the good folks of Science in the Public Interest. Science in the Public Interest warp and cherry pick research data to promote their vegan life style. In other words I believe Informed Choice has an agenda. What that exactly is I have not figured out yet. But I do not take this on face value, they are not Underwriters Laboratories.

Like everything else in life, take this report about sups with a grain of skepticism.

[dannyboy9]

You make a great point dogsoldier. If you don't mind, I'd like to share my view on things. I feel that vaccinations are a great method for the pharmaceutical industry to generate a large amount of money. They are allowed to produce an even greater profit margin by by actually making people sick instead of preventing anything. Vaccination is not necessary and it can be argued that improvements in nutrition, living conditions and hygienics, nutrition and living circumstances can and have served a greater purpose than vaccinations. There have been cases in which harmful contaminants such as have been found in these medicines, which defeats the underlying concept of vaccinations (i.e. to prevent illness and promote well-being). How much of an influential role have vaccinations played with regards to their proposed health antagonists?

However, you do make a good point and a large number of the plagues mankind has experienced in the past have actually been treated with modern medical knowledge and widespread vaccination has played a major part in that. In many cases, the exact opposite happens when individuals receive a vaccine treatment and the person becomes sick with the sickness that was initially attempted to be prevented. Vaccines are known to be a primary cause to allergies to multiple substances included in a person's daily life.

All in all, I feel there should be a movement towards nutritional insurance so that there isn't such a prevalent need for medical care. That being said, it's essential that science continues advancing in order that we can adjust to the changing times. This is simply another article to incite our awareness of the current situation of things. Certain things should be addressed, questioned and validated with substantiation--we don't want another MSG/aspartame scandal stemming from conflict of interest. Agree to disagree?

[vis1798]

Great post - I would, at the very least, like to know exactly what I am putting into my body. What I choose to take is my choice but if I am not getting all the facts how can I make an informed decision??

[dogsoldier]

I guess what I am saying is, some of these groups have an agenda abnd they have been known to cook the books to fit their needs. If suppliment makers are jacking their products withlow doese or steroids, I will need a peer review of the findings before I will take what Informed Choice or any independant testing lab has to say on faith.

[Spinman]

nice follow up dogsoldier. Very good way to look at it. I tend to turn a shoulder on companys that forcefully feed all the negatives of a company down your throat just to show theyre right, when in fact the company with all the negative rep may be trying its best to become better.

not saying these are the case, as they may or may not be, but just in general. A lopsided argument is lame. show both sides when making a point (speaking of groups with agendas, not anyone here)

[dannyboy9]

I agree Spinman. If I have something great to offer, I try to focus on the benefits of what I have--not bash other kinds, variations, etc. Sometimes though, it's inevitable and it's necessary to highlight the defects and weaknesses of things simply to accentuate the reality of the situation. Either way, an educated consumer will be able to know if the product is worth a try if the products of that particular product are displayed. Ultimately, they will be able to experience the difference and actually see/feel results, even if it's a multiple we're talking about.

[Newkid1]

Your so right danny.

[yankeepapa]

I t would be nice to know which brands contain these trace amounts of steroids. Even if there's not enough to pop on a pi$$ test, it would still make me feel a little better knowing I'm not injesting anything that is not on the label.

Names on faces.....

[Newkid1]

COA is a start.
Also a published study on the actual product to show that it does what its supposed to do.
Blood work again that is what the published study is for.
Also know the company has been around for over several decades to show they are legit in the market.
Be wary of these new start up companys. When I say start up 30-25 year or less.

[vassille]

Unfortunatelly steroids work.....can't argue with that. Too bad all this crap is basically geting companies to be less then honest.

[Newkid1]

steroids work for what? Your body needs protein vitamins and minerals fats and carbs. With out that what good are roids any way?

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by yankeepapa

it would still make me feel a little better knowing I'm not injesting anything that is not on the label.

There's no much of a difference between dietary supplements and the food supply we eat. There's over 15,000 chemicals that are allowed to be added to food without being listed on food labels and the percentage of toxins inserted into the food supply increases every year, therefore, stripping the nutritional value of our food more and more as time goes on. The sad fac