FDA WARNS AGAINST CONSUMING DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING TIRATRICOL
The Food and Drug Administration is again warning consumers of products marketed as dietary supplements that contain tiratricol, also known as triiodothyroacetic acid or TRIAC, a potent thyroid hormone that may cause serious health consequences including heart attacks and strokes. Despite four recalls over the past seven months, various products that contain tiratricol may still have reached consumers. FDA urges all consumers to stop using such products immediately.
On November 11, 1999, FDA warned the public against consuming Triax Metabolic Accelerator, a dietary supplement for weight loss by Syntrax Innovations, Inc., Cape Giradeau, Mo. Since this action, several other firms have recalled similar products containing tiratricol. Distribution of these products has been primarily through retail sales to health food stores, fitness centers, and gymnasiums. There have been four additional such recalls:
And you are Chief of what? If Wahoo is your household and anyone is taking it, let them know.
If you have any other questions, Chief, let me know.
To keep you happy, Chief, a formal question:
Does anyone know it?
It’s a dietary supplement, Ducky! The FDA does not approve or regulate dietary supplements (it’s prevented from doing this by law, each time it’s tried, the supplement lobby gets the government to rein in the FDA) unless it has clear and compelling evidence a substance is harmful.
And just because something’s been recalled, doesn’t mean merchants pull it off their shelves. Consumers still want it, so they keep making a buck off of selling it. These recall things of non-prescription substances are pretty much dependent on voluntary compliance.
Quad, I understand that anyone can sell anything, on the web or elsewhere, and bear the responsibility. But who decides what is a dietary supplement? Coco leaves are a plant, like tea leaves are. Many plants contain potent alcaloids, or hormone-like substances. Who decides what is a drug, what is “a supplement”, what is a street drug, etc.?
That’s a good question. DHEA, which is sold as a dietary supplement here, is not even available in Canada by prescription. FDA is contesting the labeling of DHEA as a dietary supplement. Gamma butyrolactone is another “dietary supplement” which is actually a drug. It appears that a company can call anyting a dietary supplement if it hasn’t already been classified as a drug, and it’s up to the FDA to contest that and fight a legal battle to get it off the market.
