The New York Times reports:
A large new study by the federal government found that injuries caused by dietary supplements lead to more than 20,000 emergency room visits a year, many involving young adults with cardiovascular problems after taking supplements marketed for weight loss and energy enhancement.
The study is the first to document the extent of severe injuries and hospitalizations tied to dietary supplements, a rapidly growing $32 billion a year industry that has attracted increased scrutiny in the past year and prompted calls for tougher regulation of herbal products.
Critics of the industry said that the findings provided further evidence that the relatively low level of regulation in the United States put many consumers at risk. But industry representatives said that the products were used by roughly half of all Americans and that the data showed only a tiny fraction sustained major injuries.
The full article is here.
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