Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for a dietary supplement to contain an ingredient not listed on the label, or conversely not contain an ingredient listed on the label, or not in the amount listed. A 2019 study found that more than half of supplements, including herbal botanicals may be mislabeled.¹  And unfortunately, mislabeling can result in significant side effects, health issues and potentially result in a ban from sport. A 2022 study found an estimated ~30% containing a toxic or banned ingredient.²

Yesterday, TruVision Health, a supplement manufacturer, announced a recall on several products containing two unapproved stimulants that were not listed on the supplement labels. Consumers using these supplements reported numerous, unpleasant side effects and upon review, both stimulant ingredients are banned e.g. Hordenine is banned by the Department of Defense & NCAA and Octodrine is banned by WADA for use in competition.^3,4

This is not ok! This is why we take great care to ensure the supplements we recommend to our athletes are 3^rd party certified for quality & safety.  Not a client of Nutrify?  Here are some tips to ensure you are an informed supplement consumer:

• Know why you are taking a supplement: What specific problem are you trying to solve?
• Supplements are not highly regulated = buyer beware! This means it’s important to critically evaluate any potential supplement for:
  • Clear mechanism of action: Understand how the supplement/ingredient works to support the claim being made e.g. Caffeine works as a stimulant that blocks the adenosine receptors in the brain, increasing alertness and benefitting mood & focus.⁵Clinical efficacy of supplement or primary supplement ingredient: Does the ingredient have high quality clinical research supporting the outcomes being claimed? Examine.com is an excellent resource.
  • 3^rd party certification of safety & quality e.g nsfsport.com, wetestyoutrust.com, consumerlab.com
• Always inform your physician and pharmacist about any supplements you are taking to ensure potential interactions are considered and addressed.

Nutrify can help you rationalize your supplement strategy and ensure your sports nutrition plan is dialed in to support your health and performance goals. Schedule a complimentary introduction call to learn more.

Sources

¹Navarro, V., Avula, B., Khan, I., Verma, M., Seeff, L., Serrano, J., Stolz, A., Fontana, R., & Ahmad, J. (2019). The contents of herbal and dietary supplements implicated in liver injury in the United States are frequently mislabeled. Hepatology Communications, 3(6), 792–794. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep4.1346

²Kozhuharov, V. R., Ivanov, K., & Ivanova, S. (2022). Dietary supplements as source of unintentional doping. BioMed Research International, 2022, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8387271

³Operation Supplement Safety. (2022, March 7). Hordenine in dietary supplements: Why avoid it? opss. Retrieved from https://www.opss.org/article/hordenine-dietary-supplements-why-avoid-it

⁴World Anti Doping Agency. (2023, January 3). The prohibited list. World Anti Doping Agency. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list

⁵Patel, K. (2023, January 31). The science behind caffeine. Examine. Retrieved from https://examine.com/articles/science-behind-caffeine/