FDA Issues Warning About the Use of Bodybuilding Supplements

By Snyder Sarno D'Aniello Maceri & da Costa LLC on June 28, 2017

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently issued a warning regarding the potentially dangerous health risks associated with the consumption of body building supplements. A consumer safety release by the FDA cautions those who consume such products, especially those containing steroids or steroid-like substances which can cause life-threatening damage to the liver and other organs of the body.

Some potential side effects of anabolic steroids include acne, hair loss, increased aggression, depression, altered mood, and irritability. The FDA is most concerned with their life-threatening effects, however, including kidney damage, heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis.

These supplements are rarely FDA approved, and they are often marketed as hormone supplements and/or substitutes to steroids. In many instances, however, the supplements’ ingredients do include anabolic steroids, or similar substances, that increase testosterone levels significantly.

The FDA is also concerned with the emerging trend of supplement companies to include hidden active ingredients in products they market as over-the-counter supplements. For example, sometimes a label will tell you that the supplement contains 3000 mg of the particular brand’s “blend,” but a consumer will have no understanding of what they’re consuming. Such ingredients may be harmful, and a consumer may not realize that it’s the supplement that’s causing the reaction.

This problem is becoming rampant in America and around the world, especially as athletes, celebrities and social media encourage fitness and washboard abs. The FDA recommends that anyone actively consuming or considering bodybuilding supplements talk with their health care professional about the supplements and potential adverse consequences to their health.

If you have experienced any health complications associated with the consumption of bodybuilding or health supplements, please contact Paul M. da Costa, Esq. at Snyder Sarno D’Aniello Maceri & da Costa LLC. Call us today at (973) 274-5200.