Several blogs have been discussing Neil Levin’s criticism of inaccuracies reported by CNN. Levin strongly criticized CNN for “preposterous,” “erroneous,” and otherwise “false claims” that dietary supplements are “unregulated” and/or free of “government supervision.” His blog entry goes on to cite the many ways that dietary supplements are regulated by the government. The lengthy entry, with several quotes from regulatory agencies gives the impression that the dietary supplement industry is tightly regulated.
While CNN is technically inaccurate, it is closer to the truth than Levin’s advocacy would suggest. From a consumer standpoint, I feel it is safer to assume that dietary supplements are unregulated. Most regulations are actually “post-marketing” measures i.e. very little prevents a new supplement from being sold in the marketplace.
I like the Dietary Health and Supplement Education Act (DSHEA) in principle too. But the supplement industry has abused and exploited DSHEA and utterly failed to self-regulate in the face of legislative challenges to DSHEA. It remains to be seen whether DSHEA is salvaged or systematically dismantled.
There is a reason that dozens of steroids have been and continue to be sold as dietary supplements for over a decade in the U.S.; DSHEA makes it legal. As long as supplement companies avoid certain claims and meet certain criteria well-known within the industry, the steroidal supplements can be introduced to the marketplace without “burdensome” requirements that the supplement company notify the government. This is the legacy of DSHEA.
At least one of the two most infamous designer steroids in the history of sport steroid scandals could have probably been legally sold as dietary supplements if they did not become scrutinized due to the spotlight of the BALCO steroids in baseball scandal i.e. tetrahydragestrinone aka THG aka “The Clear” and desoxymethyltestosterone aka DMT aka Madol synthesized by the convicted “father of prohormones” Patrick Arnold.
Pat Arnold’s indictment didn’t identify these so-called designer steroids as “anabolic steroids” because, legally, they were not. In response to the BALCO scandal, the FDA issued a press release on THG stating it was an “unapproved new drug” and not a “dietary supplement” to stop manufacturers who felt it met DSHEA criteria from selling it. (Actually, the latter steroid DMT was introduced into the marketplace but quickly (and voluntarily) pulled by its manufacturer shortly after the press associated it with the BALCO scandal and Patrick Arnold.)
THG and DMT did not legally become “anabolic steroids” until the passage of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004.
Several new steroid products are currently sold as dietary supplements legally and others illegally. But little is done about either due to the laissez faire regulation of the industry.
Furthermore, dietary supplements contaminated with steroids and stimulants continues to be a problem; for this reason alone I would be cautious about teenagers or children using any dietary supplement. Sadly, the supplement industry (or more accurately, several companies within the industry) are giving legislators every excuse to gut DSHEA.
About the author
Millard writes about anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs and their use and impact in sport and society. He discusses the medical and non-medical uses of anabolic-androgenic steroids while advocating a harm reduction approach to steroid education.
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