Consumer Reports issues stark warning about popular dietary supplements
It has been said time and time again that "everything can kill you."
But a new Consumer Reports study seems to back up that doomsday prophecy -- the report found that 15 ingredients in popular dietary supplements can actually cause potential health problems.
Yes, the same pills you've been taking to keep you healthy might secretly be making you sick.
Among them is caffeine powder.
Touted as a way to lose weight and improve attention, the substance has actually been shown to result in seizures and heart problems in some people.
It can also present a huge overdose risk.
A single teaspoon of pure caffeine powder is equal to around 28 cups of coffee, and "very small amounts may cause accidental overdose," according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The condemned list also includes green tea extract powder and "kava."
Often taken for weight loss, green tea powder, a seemingly "natural" substance, can cause dizziness and high blood pressure.
Kava, a powdered tea root which is believed to calm the system, can lead to severe liver damage and impaired driving.
According to Consumer Reports, a huge problem with these pills is that unlike pharmaceutical drugs, supplements do not require FDA approval before being made available to the public.
Thus, they can contain fillers and have unintended, unwanted side effects.
Other ingredients to check your supplement bottles for are aconite, chaparral, coltsfoot, comfrey, germander, greater celandine, lobelia, methylsynephrine, pennyroyal oil, red yeast rice, usnic acid and yohimbe.
Lesson learned: Be very careful about what you put in your body.
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