Most Herbal Supplements Aren’t What They’re Cracked Up to Be
Just 21 percent of herbal supplement products tested by New York state were found to contain exactly what the labels said. Only 4 percent of such products at Walmart passed the test.
Photo by XXX
Photo by XXX
Just 21 percent of herbal supplement products tested by New York state were found to contain exactly what the labels said. Only 4 percent of such products at Walmart passed the test.
The Associated Press reports via The Guardian:
[New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman’s] office has sent letters to GNC, Target, Walmart and Walgreen Co concerning supplements that either couldn’t be verified to contain the labeled substance or that contained ingredients not listed on the label. The products include echinacea, ginseng, St John’s wort, garlic, ginkgo biloba and saw palmetto.
… The investigation looked at six herbal supplements sold at stores across the state. Testing was performed by an expert in DNA barcoding technology, James Schulte II of Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. The DNA tests were performed on three to four samples of each of the supplements purchased. Each sample was tested five times. Overall, 390 tests involving 78 samples were performed.
The testing revealed that all the retailers were selling a large percentage of supplements for which modern DNA barcode technology could not detect the labeled botanical substance, Schneiderman said.
Read more here.
— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
Wait, before you go…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
The coronavirus is changing the way companies do business — in the U.S. and across the globe.
Amid uncertainty about the caucus results, the Vermont senator raises $25 million—more than any Democrat in a full quarter of 2019.
Setting a new record for individual donations, the Vermont senator raises $34.5 million—tops among Democrats this election cycle.
A new demographic is helping to breathe some new life into the sector, industry officials say.
Like a partner who wants to repair a damaged relationship, Democrats must return to core principles and stay faithful to them.
This holiday season, let us demand a world where the e-commerce giant cannot mistreat employees and damage our environment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.