— Dietary supplements can contain contaminants, be addictive and interact poorly with medications —

Steven Marcus, Executive and Medical Director

Newark, N.J. – Jan. 13, 2011 –

Dietary supplements are becoming more and more popular each year. According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a 2007 survey found that 17.7 percent of American adults used dietary supplements other than vitamins and minerals every year.1 A more recent survey found that statistic has grown to more than half of the U.S. adult population,2 and in 2009 Americans spent $26 billion on dietary supplements.3Consumers must be aware that dietary supplements are regulated differently than drug and food products, exposing users to potential dangers to their health.

“The evidence supports the fact that there is an increase annually in U.S. adults incorporating dietary supplements into their diets, which can be good and bad news,” says Dr. Steven Marcus, executive and medical director of NJPIES. “For some, dietary supplements will improve one’s health, but consumers need to heed warnings and be aware of all of the ingredients in the dietary supplement they take, because some ingredients can result in side effects that can cause serious harm, from diarrhea to severe organ damage.” Continue reading Beware of Dietary Supplements – They Aren’t Always What They Seem →