Diet Supplement Linked to Selenium Poisoning
A popular diet supplement has been linked to a 2008 Selenium poisoning that was found to contain 200 times the amount of selenium stated on the product label. “Total Body Formula” and “Total Body Mega Formula” supplements were mentioned in a report published by the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The selenium poisoning highlights a problem that is becoming increasingly evident with dietary supplements. Dietary supplements and so-called “natural” products are not regulated by the FDA. The federal agency becomes involved only if there is a public health concern regarding the supplement. In many instances, the product label doesn’t accurately reflect the contents or the ingredients of the product. Perhaps more importantly, the ingredients’ proportions are not properly documented either.