Health-food store clerks and marketers, alternative-medicine practitioners, herbal company web sites, and even physicians are not necessarily knowledgeable about the scientific evidence regarding dietary supplements.

The following websites contain reliable information:

the National Institutes of Health site at:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/index.aspx (http://ods.od.nih.gov/index.aspx)

The ODS supports research and disseminates research results in the area of dietary supplements. The ODS also provides advice to other Federal agencies regarding research results related to dietary supplements.

The database is at:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/showpage.aspx?pageid=48 (http://ods.od.nih.gov/showpage.aspx?pageid=48)

The International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) database provides access to bibliographic citations and abstracts from published, international, scientific literature on dietary supplements. The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health produces this database to help consumers, health care providers, educators, and researchers find credible, scientific information on a variety of dietary supplements including vitamins, minerals and botanicals. IBIDS was developed and is maintained through an interagency partnership with the Food and Nutrition Information Center, National Agricultural Library, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's site at:
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm (http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm)

This site provides objective information for oncologists and healthcare professionals, including a clinical summary for each agent and details about constituents, adverse effects, interactions, and potential benefits or problems. A consumer version of each monograph also is available to help you deal with the often confusing claims made for over-the-counter products and regimens.

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In the May 2004 issue of Consumer Reports they have a feature article entitled Dangerous Supplements Still At Large. Here is what they had to say:

If you can buy it at a clean, well-lighted store, if it's "all natural," it's not going to do you serious harm, right? That's what many Americans assume about dietary supplements. But while most supplements are probably fairly benign, Consumer Reports has identified a dozen that according to government warnings, adverse-event reports, and top experts are too dangerous to be on the market. Yet they are. We easily purchased all 12 in February in a few days of shopping online and in retail stores.

CR Quick Take
A CR investigation found that many dangerous supplements can easily be purchased in stores and online. Many of these supplements have been banned in other countries. Why can't the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ban these products now?

We found that regulatory barriers created by Congress, supplement-industry pressure, and a lack of resources at the FDA have resulted in major risks for consumers.

The twelve supplements:
Aristolochic acid
Comfrey
Androstenedione
Chaparral
Germander
Kava
Bitter orange
Organ/glandular extracts
Lobelia
Pennyroyal oil
Scullcap
Yohimbe

These widely available dietary supplements may cause cancer, severe kidney or liver damage, heart problems, or even death. They should be avoided by consumers. These supplements are sold under a profusion of names, making it difficult for consumers to know what they're purchasing. Most all appear in combination products marketed for a broad array of users, such as aphrodisiacs, athletic-performance boosters, and treatments for anxiety, arthritis, menstrual problems, ulcers, and weight loss.

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I thought I would share this information, since it IS sort of important.