16
Wednesday, September 16, 1992
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Fax 842-4570
Ninth & New Jersey
Assertiveness Training
A workshop designed to help you express your thoughts and feelings and understand your individual rights. Please join us.
Thursday, September 24,1992 7:00--9:00 pm
Pine room--Kansas Union
Pineview Kansas
orna Zimmer Director
Facilitator: Dorna Zimmer, Director,
Student Assistance Center
Sponsored by the Emily Tayler Women's Resource Center, 115 Strong Hall. For more information, contact Carol Masterson at 864-3552.
Many nutritional supplements have no medical support for their advertised claims, according to a recent survey released by the Centers for Disease Control.
Diet-supplement claims may be false
By Joe Harder
Kansan staff writer
"It turned out that at least half of the ingredients have no documented medical effect," said Rossanne Philen, a medical epidemiologist at the National Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control, who was part of the surveying team.
Nutritional supplements are anything consumed in addition to a normal diet. They include vitamins, protein supplements and products promising muscle growth, increased testosterone levels or fat reduction. Only supplements in powder, capsule or tablet form were surveyed.
The CDC first listed the ingredients that composed 311 products advertised in 12 health and body-building magazines issued in June, July or August 1991, according to the report published in the Aug. 26, 1992, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The CDC then reviewed various medical textbooks and information services to determine the health effects of the ingredients.
Little research has been done in the area of nutritional supplements, and the survey was an attempt to establish what products are available and what claims are being made. Philen said.
Aside from the lack of medical documentation, some companies' claims about their products are just plain false, professors at the University of Kansas Medical Center said.
"A lot of the claims are just hype, and most of the products are certainly unnecessary," said Peter Reyer, associate director at Med Center's nutrition department.
Many claims regarding musclebuilding substances center around the products' ability to release more of the body's own growth hormones, or androgens.
"To the best of my knowledge, no product has been known to release the body's own androgens," said Stephen Munns, director of the University of Kansas Sports Medicine Institute.
Beyer said that advertisers who claimed their products had fat-reducing attributes were also not telling the truth.
"We're all burning fat, every minute of every day, and something that says you can increase that is a hoax," he said.
Despite the problems with some companies' claims, not all of the products are safe.
"But it's difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff," he said, referring to the other crop.
"All of these vague facets of nutrition make it easy to do this snake-oil advertising."
Supplements promise to pump you up
The Centers for Disease Control investigated 311 food supplements, finding that several claimed in their advertising such effects as muscle fatigue, nausea and diarrhea were true.
Percentage of products claiming effect
Effect
Muscle Growth 19
Increased testosterone levels 8.7
Nutritional supplement 6.8
Energy enhancer 5.5
Fat reduction 4.8
Increased strength 3.8
Growth hormone releaser 2.6
No effect listed 28.9
Other effects 19.9
NPTE Teacher Insurance and Identity Association College Retirement Equity Fund
Source: Journal of the American Medical Association
The Food and Drug Administration is the federal agency responsible for guarding consumers against false health claims, but officials say that directly refuting advertising and taking legal action against false advertisers is not easy.
Dan Schauer / KANSAN
"A lot of these products have not been investigated by the FDA," said Sam Page, chief of Natural Products and Instrumentation within the FDA. "It would be an enormous task to go through every ingredient."
Rather, the FDA investigates products as it becomes aware of problems
acts it becomes aware of problems.
"Any time there are reports of human toxicity, we go after it." Page said.
Some of the more commonly used products are protein supplements.
"I'm a vegetarian, so I'm trying to supplement my protein," he said.
"Since I don't eat meat, it's just to supplement my diet."
Mimo Shirazi, Bombay, India senior,
said that he had used a protein supplement for several years.
The Mt. Oread Bookshop Welcomes Chester Sullivan, author of
Answered Prayers
The story of Joe Geezre and some of the other odd residents of River City, Kansas a town where you're sure to feel at home.
Mr. Sullivan will be signing his book Wednesday, September 16,1992 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
BOOKSHOP
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Mt. Oread Bookshop Kansas Union Level Two, University of Kansas 864-4431
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OFFER ENDS SATURDAY
FALL SHOE SALE 21.97-49.97
Select from a large group of new fall styles. From many Famous names with beginning of the Season Savings. Regularly to $59
Shop Thursday 9:30a.m. to 8:30 p.m.