Keep Hazardous dietary supplements and Energy Drinks at Distance 

Keep your dietary suppliments and energy drinks which are hazardous at bay. Many consumers believe dietary supplements are held to the same safety and efficacy standards as over-the-counter medications.Dietary supplements, including energy drinks which have become a fad today, are not regulated and should not be consumed as these may cause severe health issues, especially in children, US-based researchers have advised.

The US Poison Control Centers:

• The US Poison Control Centers receive a call every 24 minutes, on average.
• Regarding dietary supplement exposures.
• According to researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy.
• In addition,the Central Ohio Poison Center.
• Both at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio.
• They said,the dietary supplements with the highest proportion of serious medical outcomes.
• They were energy products, and botanical and cultural medicines.
• Within the botanical category, “yohimbe”.
• Accounted for the largest proportion of serious medical outcomes (28.2 per cent).
• Henry Spiller, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s said.
• “Exposures to ‘yohimbe’ and energy products can be dangerous.
• Suggesting the need for child-resistant packaging.
• In addition,caregiver education and FDA regulation of these substances.
• ‘Yohimbe’ is taken for sexual problems.
• Furthermore, athletic performance and weight loss, among others.
• Gary Smith, senior study author and director of the Center of Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s.
• He said, however, dietary supplements are not consider as drugs.
• Thus they are not require to undergo clinical trials or obtain approval from the FDA prior to sale.
• In addition,unless the product is labelled as intended for therapeutic use, noted Gary Smith.

Medical Toxicology:

• The study, published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology.
• Found the rate of calls regarding dietary supplement exposures.
• Increased (46.1 per cent) during 2000-2002.
• In addition,decreased (8.8 per cent) during 2002-2005.
• Furthermore,increased again (49.3 per cent) from 2005-2012.
• 70% of dietary supplement exposure calls occurred among children.
• Children younger than six-year-old and the majority of these were unintentional.
• Most exposures (97.3%) occurred at home.
• In addition,more than 97 percent of the cases, the child swallowed the substance.
• Serious medical outcomes accounted for 4.5 percent of exposures.
• Nearly 30 per cent of ‘yohimbe’ exposure calls resulted in moderate or major effects.
• ‘Yohimbe’ can cause heart beat rhythm changes, kidney failure.
• In addition, seizures, heart attack and death.
• Energy products, including drinks, advertised to increase energy and mental performance.
• It can cause bad clinical effects as well, the researchers noted.
• Data for this study were obtained from the National Poison Data System.
• In addition,maintained by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC).