FDA: Don’t “Man Up Now”

FDA issues warning against supplement marketed for sexual enhancement which contains potentially dangerous ingredient.

In a government recent press release the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use Man Up Now capsules, marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement, because they contain a variation of an active drug ingredient found in Viagra that can dangerously lower blood pressure.

Man Up Now claims to be “herbal” and “all natural,” and consumers may mistakenly assume the product is harmless and poses no health risk.

Consumers who have Man Up Now capsules should stop using them immediately. The FDA analyzed Man Up Now and determined that it contains sulfoaildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Like sildenafil, this chemical may interact with prescription drugs such as nitrates, including nitroglycerin, and cause dangerously low blood pressure. When blood pressure drops suddenly, the brain is deprived of an adequate blood supply that can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness.

Man Up Now, distributed by Synergy Distribution LLC, is sold on Internet sites, online marketplaces, and possibly in retail outlets in single, double, and triple blister packs, and in six-, 12-, and 30-count capsule bottles.

Consumers should take great care when purchasing or taking dietary supplements products, the FDA has found many products marketed for sexual enhancement can be harmful because they contain active ingredients in FDA-approved drugs or variations of these ingredients.

To read the FDA Press Release: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm236538.htm

New York Times: GAO Study Reveals Contaminants In Herbal Supplements

According to a New York Times article, published on May 26th, the General Accounting Office published a study that finds contaminants, some in high amounts, in all herbal dietary supplements tested by investigators.

The following are some highlights from the New York Times article:

· "Nearly all of the herbal dietary supplements tested in a Congressional investigation contained trace amounts of lead and other contaminants, and some supplement sellers made illegal claims that their products can cure cancer and other diseases, investigators found."

· Although the "levels of heavy metals -- including mercury, cadmium and arsenic -- did not exceed thresholds considered dangerous," almost half of them "contained pesticide residues that appeared to exceed legal limits." Notably, "Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said in an interview that he was not concerned about the safety of the supplements tested by the GAO investigators."

· Sharfstein added that "the FDA had increased enforcement actions against supplements spiked with prescription drugs."

To read the New York Times article, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/health/policy/26herbal.html.

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