A recent scientific study has revealed that there are "dangerous" and "prohibited" ingredients in about 25 percent of the dietary supplements available in pharmacies across the United States.
The study indicated that these supplements contain ingredients not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, or classified as "dangerous".
Researchers from the California Department of Public Health, who conducted the study between 2007 and 2016 and included 776 products marketed as dietary supplements, said they contained undeclared and unsafe ingredients, or were not studied or examined by competent authorities.
Among the dangerous ingredients is Daboxetine, an unlicensed antidepressant in the United States, and an appetite suppressant, but it was banned in US markets in 2010 because of its risk to the heart.
But despite these ingredients in supplements, the US Food and Drug Administration has not intervened to prevent them from being marketed or withdrawn.
The team of researchers based the analysis of the Food and Drug Administration's database of substances under the category of "contaminated supplements", meaning that the product contains undeclared ingredients in the pack contents list.
"These products may pose a health risk, especially in cases of overdose, abuse or interaction with other drugs," said lead author Mador Kumar.
Kumar was invited to "pay more attention to public health", especially as the food industry continued to grow in the United States.
The verified dietary supplements consist of enhancers or sex boosters (45 percent), supplements to lose weight (41 percent) and build muscle (12 percent).
Sexual antiseptics were found on substances such as sildenafil, tadalafil and fardenafil, all of which were taken with excessive amounts that could cause serious damage to the blood vessels.
As well as for the common pharmaceutical ingredients found in weight loss drugs such as sibutramine.
Drugs and supplements related to muscle building contain at least 82 of the 92 studied products on steroids. If misused, they may cause mental health problems for their users, kidney and heart crises, and even damage to the liver.
