A report released last summer states that U.S. consumers spent $14.8 billion on natural supplements in 2007. According to a recent investigation conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) undercover government employees received consistently false information when shopping for supplements, and analyses show most supplements contain trace amounts of contaminants.

Of the 40 herbal supplements tested for the GAO investigation, 37 contained trace levels of at least one hazardous compound. These heavy metal levels are down from a 2004 study, published in JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association, which found dangerous levels of heavy metals in 20 percent of herbal supplements tested.

Despite these findings the FDA only requires pre-market evaluation of products containing any “new dietary ingredient” that has not previously been used in a supplement. However, levels of exposure depend on how much of a supplement a person takes.

The lab also tested the supplements for pesticides and found that 18 of 40 contained traces of at least one formula. Although the EPA sets limits for many pesticides, if a pesticide has not been sufficiently evaluated to have an established maximum level, any amount is considered too much. Sixteen of the supplements thus exceeded the acceptable pesticide levels, and four of the pesticide residues were from formulas not approved for use in the U.S., according to the report.

SOURCE: Curaxis, May 28th, 2010
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