From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Title: Selected Examples of Deceptive or Dangerous Marketing for Herbal
Supplements

Description: Examples of deceptive or dangerous marketing for herbal
supplements, obtained by GAO through undercover visits and phone calls.

Associated Publication Number: GAO-10-662T

Issue Date: 05/26/2010

Examples of Deceptive or Dangerous Marketing for Herbal Supplements


Example 1: Sellers tell GAO that supplements can prevent or cure serious
conditions.

Combination Supplement

[ Seller: ] My Mom and Dad both have high cholesterol and problems
maintaining blood pressure; I don’t have either one, but my parents have
both. If I wouldn’t have started taking my product, I would, it’s in my
genes, I would eventually get it, because it’s in my genes.

[ GAO: ] Now, so they both have it, you don’t and if you take the
supplements, you don’t get it.

[ Seller: ] Right.

Phosphatidylserine

[ Seller: ] Its name is *beep*, phosphatidylserine. It helps brain
function, sharpen mental focus, and it helps to improve your memory.

[ GAO: ] So that also helps with Alzheimer’s and that?

[ Seller: ] It does. It prevents it and if someone’s already at that
stage, this might gradually reverse it.

FDA states that dietary supplements cannot be sold to treat, prevent, or
cure any disease.


Example 2: Sellers tell GAO that dietary supplements can be used to
replace prescription medications.

Dietary Supplements

[ Seller: ] I mean we have a lot of different things. I have a couple
customers with diabetes who have gotten off their insulin.

[ Seller: ] I have one with Type 1 diabetes who’s actually been able to
reduce his insulin shots to almost nothing.

[ GAO: ] Oh! Thank God, I’m not at the insulin stage yet. It’s Type 2
and…

[ Seller: ] What I’m saying is, you really can correct any health
condition, I believe, I mean, I was on 5 prescriptions over 6 years ago,
and I’ve been off of everything.

Combination Supplement

[ GAO: ] You think I can stop taking my meds and just use this?

[ Seller: ] Yeah.  What a lot of people do is like they use they start
taking both at the same time and then slowly you will stop taking the
other prescription medicine and just continue with this.

Fish Oil

[ GAO: ] Will that get you off the meds?

[ Seller: ] Yeah bud.

GAO: All of the prescription drugs?  It will?

[ Seller: ] You might as well get off.  If you taking some now, get off
of that and take this one.  This one is actually two months.  I bet you
see results.

[ GAO: ] Okay.  Wow.

[ Seller: ] No side effects.

FDA recommends speaking to a doctor before stopping any prescription
regimen.


Example 3: A seller tells GAO it is safe to take aspirin and ginkgo
biloba together.

Ginkgo Biloba

[ GAO: ] I’m currently on medication I’m taking aspirin, sometimes
Tylenol.  Is it safe?

[ Seller: ] Yeah, yeah, it’s completely safe because it’s all natural. 
I mean, it’s an herb.  And this is actually on sale - buy one get one
free.

FDA warns that taking aspirin and ginkgo biloba together can increase
bleeding risk


Example 4: A seller tells GAO that it is safe for diabetics to take
ginseng.

Ginseng

[ GAO: ] Because I’m also diabetic, is it okay to take ginseng?

[ Seller: ] Yeah.  Like I said its sugar metabolism so that’s … diabetes
comes from the inability to metabolize sugar, you know, so it will help.

NIH warns diabetics to exercise caution when using ginseng, since it can
cause unsafe drops in blood sugar if combined with other treatments.