Two over-the-counter dietary supplements that anti-doping officials say are popular among high school football players contain steroids, according to court papers filed by federal authorities.
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The New York Times reports, that the FDA claims that Tren Xtreme and Mass Xtreme, “marketed as a ‘potent legal alternative to’ steroids,” contain “illegal man-made steroids, also known as designer steroids.”
The Federal authorities allege “that Max Muscle, a walk-in supplement store . . . paid American Cellular Labs to be the exclusive retailer of these products, which could also be purchased on the Internet.”
The investigation stemmed from “reports of severe liver and kidney problems in people who had used the two products, according to court documents.”
Under federal law, the FDA can act on dietary supplements “only in cases when it identifies a harmful or adulterated product that is already on sale.”
If a supplement is found “to contain an undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredient like a steroid,” however, “the agency considers the product to be an illegal, unapproved drug.”
Of course, this whole problem stems from the fact that in the U.S., unlike most European nations, natural medications (herbs, vitamins, and supplements) are not regulated.
Therefore, in the U.S., it can be very difficult to know if what you are buying over-the-counter or across the Internet actually contains what the label says, without contamination.
However, in my best-selling book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, I share with you ways you can be sure that what you purchase is safe and effective. You can get a copy of the book here.