Consumption of dietary supplements sold for weight loss, muscle building, and energy was associated with increased risk for severe medical events in children and young adults compared with consumption of vitamins, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study, published today in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that these types of supplements were linked to nearly three times as many severe medical outcomes as vitamins in young people.
“The FDA has issued countless warnings about supplements sold for weight loss, muscle building or sport performance, sexual function, and energy, and we know these products are widely marketed to and used by young people,” said lead author Flora Or, a researcher with Harvard Chan School’s Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders. “So what are the consequences for their health? That’s the question we wanted to answer.”
The researchers looked at adverse event reports between January 2004 and April 2015 in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System on the food and dietary supplements database.
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