This is very biased.
The supplement industry is highly regulated and continues to evolve to make safe effective products.
Another question isSo the question is this. Following the GMPs as dictated by CFR 111? Sounds as if Big Pharma doesn’t like the competition. While causing damage and death before being recalled, How so do you explain DES, VIOX, Bacol, Bextra and many a lot more, that were on the market for years.
I take issue with the statement that prescription drugs are tested for safety and effectiveness. We must all use our heads. At least testing the drugs gives them a chance to detect problems before letting the substances loose on humanity, sometimes these tests miss risks. St John’s wort supplements typically have no St John’s wort in them, and prescription drugs have continued in some supplementsincluding some that the FDA has taken off the market for safety reasons like sibutramine. Also, prescription drugs have gone through clinical trials to test safety, nevertheless some of them do get pulled later. I’m sure you heard about this. You know exactly what you are getting in the ‘bottle that’ is the regulation that they have over many supplement companies, big Pharma has problems. Besides, it a big problem, So in case the supplements had at least the standards of OTC drugs. Whenever pushing their interests and gains, with lobbyists in DC, Big Pharma is just like the Koch brothers, sorry hard not to make the comparison.
Everyone has an opinion and so what if Frontline did not jump on the ‘Provitamin’ side.
What’s worse manufacturers are using imported substances, from nobody knows what country and you the people dont really seem to mind what you are taking.
Wake up people. ACTUAL published data in peer reviewed medical journals promoting the use or privileges of vitamins DOES NOT exist. For example, Read between the lines. Learn the workings of the likes of the FDA / CDC etcetera and later go sit on boards major American corportation.no conflict of interest there. Shame on people like Dr Daniel Fabricant and the lack of ethics in government heads who bobble from side to side between federal agencies and private corporations. It’s clearly not one of them, far from it. It’s an outright disgrace!!! I actually have always highly regarded PBS for its informative, timely, relevant, ethical, well balanced programs. Shame on you PBS!!! Notice that Did you sell your soul to the devil big Pharma? Normally, if it weren’t for the latter, Know what, I wouldn’t be alive today, as a 19 year prostate cancer survivor. Eventually, How can you possibly pick a few bad apples and ignore hundreds of quality and health conscious companies in the supplement industry? Your reporting on the subject matter, apparently courtesy of the NYT and CBC, isn’t only crassly biased but also grossly imbalanced.
I’m pretty sure I would be dead as a door nail, courtesy of big Pharma and the FDA.
I sure wish you should get your facts straight about vitamins and the vitamin industry, Know what guys, I love PBS.
Wow, talk about an infomercial for big Pharma, I’ve been taking high doses of Vitamins for a long time and am very healthy. For example, The fact that millions supplement their diet and appear to do quite well, compared to the hand full of adverse events in those megadosing supplements from the dubious fringe areas is testament to the safety of the legitimate supplement world. A 10year evaluation of CV mortality in an elderly Swedish healthy population that was given dietary supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 over a period of four years, indicated a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality by 50 and a postintervention persistency of protection against CV mortality. The result could also be seen in the different genders, in those with diabetes, and in those with IHD. In view of this and the many other abuses of the medical establishment, can you blame people for resorting to alternatives and despite what this highly ‘onesided’ documentary claims finding significant relief and benefit from comparatively safe nutritional supplements and herbs.
They could’ve covered this better.
Now antibiotics, and high cost of clinical trials, soo the government gave a 250 million dollar grant to pursue a new microbiome to combat super bugs, to much cost to pursue new antibiotics.
Reason, high cost off clinical trials. For example. However, the government did just that, Pharmaceutical companies were not preparing to pursue and make vaccines anymore unless the government passed off the liability to the taxpayer and gave them the immunity to liability. I’m pretty sure I debunked every single segment and claim in a post called, Frontline Scandal. This program is the most biased, ‘onesided’ show I’ve ever seen. Some information can be found on the web. There are literally thousands of studies that support the efficacy of supplements, especially vitamins, minerals, ‘antioxidents’, amino acids and others.
I’ve read quite a few of them. Search Frontline supplement bias on google and By the way I say that this documentary is covertly funded by Big Pharma.it’s like a 60 minutes episode with a selective viewpoint. Known Frontline needs to do a serious study of the takeover of the American airwaves and media channels by the drug manufacturers -they have brainwashed the country into taking drugs for everything and anything, including syndromes that are fabricated for specific drugs. Before supplements I was bed ridden. While working fulltime and maintaining a ‘9acre’ farm, Me I’m pretty sure I am in better shape than many healthy people. The truth is, scientific study of nutrition is still in it’s infancy. We do know life the expectancy of various populations on various diets, and that the nutritional composition of many foods has diminished over the past 100 years particularly mineral composition due to modern, industrial farming and depleted soils.
They’re no substitute for bad diets, Supplements are just that meant to add what that is a shame since they are great.
I rely on evidencebased medicine, as a Integrative Medicine physician who personally takes and daily prescribes nutraceuticals and supplements to my patients. As a result, Frontline, you’d better perform an audit of your journalistic integrity.
Randomized, placebocontrolled trials that support use of supplements is an egregious piece of falsehood and simply LAZY journalism, in order to say look, there’re no peer reviewed. Plenty of the experts interviewed by Frontline are Pharma lobbyists.
Their quality control standards SURPASS the pharmaceutical industry.
Did you contact most of the reputable supplements manufacturers like Xymogen or Metagenics?
I am cancelling my PBS sustaining membership after 20+years. Most supplements do provide results, that is why they continue to be purchased. Instead, By the way I am working two jobs and pursuing a graduate degree. For the most part there’re millions of other Americans with similar N=1 experiences, that is why the market for supplements is so vast and continues to grow, Granted, it’s all N=1 experience. Oftentimes I am under the care of a licensed MD who regularly suggests and prescribes ‘nonpharmaceutical’ treatment protocols for myself as well as her other patients. Generally, I have a couple of autoimmune disorders. By the way I manage them and am able to live a very active and healthy lifestyle through nutrition, lifestyle habits, and supplements. Actually I research brands and ingredients and can tell in the way my body reacts how a supplement is working for me, just as I have done with food sources.
Herbs, and minerals, I’m almost sure I would more than likely be bedridden and on disability, without supplementation of vitamins.
Which have historically been used to treat lots of ailments many pharmaceuticals are synthetic derivations of active components I should certainly do my research beforehand, or better yet, find an integrative physician or expert to prescribe correct doses and be certain the company’s product had been independently tested, as far as herbal supplements.
What was wrong with the Frontline coverage, was the unexplained bias. They concentrated heavily on diet/weight supplements which unfortunately are a bit notorious for attracting bad actors, not the more mainstream vitamin/mineral supplements that a bunch of people take. They could’ve been more specific. Anyways, Fat soluble vitamins probably shouldn’t be taken in very large doses unless lab tests indicate a deficiency or less than optimal level. Normally, taking high amounts can throw balances out of whack they interact with one another, ditto many minerals most of us are deficient. Should I believe what I hear during PBS fundraiser weeks or the researchers in tonight’s PBS Frontline program? On p of that, plenty of same doctors I’ve seen recommend supplements on the frequent PBS fundraisers refused to respond to Frontline investigators.
These documentaries are interesting but they also are biased and inconclusive. What we DO know is that LEGAL prescription drug use is now the highest cause of death any year in the These are medications approved by the FDA as safe and effective. Every large industry has its faults, ‘illconsidered’ opportunits and so on. FDA has so few people assigned to regulating the supplement industry is being that compared to the problems, exploitation, misrepresentation, adverse reactions of the ‘assumed, stringently regulated pharmaceutical industry whatever problems cited with the supplement industry are miniscule at best? In 2009, deaths due to pharmaceutical medications overtook motor vehicle accidents as the primary cause of preventable death in the US, the US Department of Health and Human Services stating. The United States is in the midst of an unprecedented drug overdose epidemic, specifically referring to pharmaceutical medications, a ‘five fold’ increase so it is absolutely true with facts and statistics to back it up.
In this communication, 34 controlled trials and a couple of ‘openlabel’ and longterm studies on the clinical effects of CoQ10 in cardiovascular diseases are reviewed.
The attainment of higher blood levels of CoQ10 with the use of higher doses of CoQ10 appears to enhance both the magnitude and rate of clinical improvement. The population of people harmed or killed by nutritional supplements, compared to the epidemic of death and destruction caused by pharmaceutical synthetic prescription drugs, is negligible small. Pooled analyses of available randomized controlled trials suggest that CoQ10 may improve the EF in patients with CHF. Another example -all the drugs fused to market with inadequate testing.in essence, the consumer becomes the lab rat, the guinea pig, until, lots of deaths or organ failures or suicides, and lawsuits, they are taken off the market.
Mostly there’s a serious problem with pain medications but it is not due to real pain patients. That needs to be understood as long as while the government clamps down they actually hurt the very people these medications were made for. Whenever having failed to provide effective pharmaceuticals at a price people can afford, and unable to compete, making a desperate attempt to discredit an industry that delivers real, tangible, affordable results, Big Pharma. On p of this, Anyhow, to me this whole thing smells as bad as long dead rotting dark red herring. Regarding Vitamin D3 levels good and credible research from PhD’s on this reveals that adults need more than 600 units. Ok, and now one of the most important parts. There are a lot of respected nutriceutical manufacturers out there used by licensed practitioners and there was no discussion of this in Frontline’s report. Fact, while utilizing FDA approved blood tests for vitamin D3 levels, adults can easily consume anywhere from 3000 units to 5000 units and have completely normal blood levels for Vitamin D3 no toxicity, Here in the Pacific Northwest. A simple blood test can monitor D3 levels and no mention of that in last night’s report.
I really should be careful what I glean from future Frontline reports, because of such one sided bias.
Most people are D3 deficient due to life styles staying mostly inside, a lack of dietary sources for D3, and further as we age our ability to make D3 in the body from sunlight diminishes.
Too bad the discussion on January 19, didn’t include the dangerous failure of prescription drugs like the case of Vioxx, that killed loads of us know that there are many options for ethical companies who do the exact opposite. Purity as well, you are required to not only check the ingredients for contamination and heavy metals. That’s right! It simply isn’t true. Anyone telling you lots of us are aware that there is has a lot of crap or just blowing smoke. Actually, you are regularly inspected/audited and random checked by the FDA, if you are a GMP certified company. As a result, I understand why you should feel this way if you don’t work in the industry.
There are unethical companies who use Proprietary blends to an advantage/ they fill their tubs with cheap brownish rice powder and give you tiny amounts of the healthy ingredients you are looking for. Feeling good from eating well ain’t a placebo effect, you are what you eat. Long term CoQ10 treatment of patients with chronic HF is safe, improves symptoms, and reduces major adverse cardiovascular events. Pain pill abuse is epidemic. When abused, One horrible example -the proliferation of pain pills like Vicodan and Oxycodone.these are now proven gateway drugs to heroin. Odd how the death rates from suppliments compared to perscription drugs isn’t mentioned. Let me tell you something. Shame! Needless to say, Now I understand that Frontline has a hidden corporate agenda. This is so grossly askewed and biased that I have lost all respect for Frontline.
Just go to pubmed.gov and somebody else said. Our results demonstrate that the addition of coenzyme Q10 to conventional therapy significantly reduces hospitalization for worsening of heart failure and the incidence of serious complications in patients with chronic congestive heart failure. Nevertheless, It is popular So there’re as a matter of fact nutrients that are essential for good health, and many are simply not getting them from dietary sources. Now pay attention please. You can either exist in a state of chronic deficiency and hope for top-notch, or supplement what you feel as indicated by published research in mainstream medical journals, is mostly about 120000 to 160000 per year at a minimum, from correctly prescribed prescription drugs, That number.
For shame PBS.
I am not saying that the nutritional supplement industry is perfect, nor that the majority of the manufacturers are completely ethical.
Poor choices. I’m pretty sure I hope this lopsided misleading TV special won’t do problems, the public should be better informed and better able to have a grasp of the real facts on the problem being presented, I’d say if every time an article or TV special was done on a topic. I’m reading research on nutritional supplements and lecturing on this pic for so this one sided view is a disgrace to public broadcasting. Remember, who was apparently harmed in any way by a nutritional supplement, there would’ve been documentation of many thousands whom were actually KILLED by prescription drugs, I’d say in case they had decided to show that for every person during any given 10 year period. I am not saying the most of us know that there are not a great deal of supplements, that due in large part to CHINESE ingredients, do not accurately contain what their labels claim. That is interesting right? I think that CDC figures for deaths due to aspirin averages 3000 per year and Tylenol is very similar, often requiring liver transplants.
Whenever saying that in comparison to pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplement are extremely safe and by all means, let the buyer beware in BOTH cases, I’m almost sure I am however.
They claim that they contacted the TV and Web personalities Dr’s Oz, Mercola, and Weil.
Rather than celebrity physicians, They must have investigated and located p researchers on the other side of their arguments and facts. So, and to instead discuss and present plenty of well done published research validating nutritional supplement’s benefits, they could’ve found just as many researchers, PhD’s and MD’s to back up the other side, Therefore if they had decided to take the exact opposite view. My Dr was amazed and open minded enough to actually write down everything that was working for me.
To be honest I was on 3 different blood pressure meds until I discovered olive leaf extract, magnesium, Vitamin D, and a few other things.
I am living proof that supplements work.
Thank you David. Rather than by the day/time posted, They ALSO bury comments they don’t like in the middle or near the end of the list!! Even if they don’t violate their guidelines/rules, they oftentimes don’t approve comments in general that they don’t like.Obviously, newer posts/comments might be at the p!!Shame on you Frontline and PBS!!!!! Here is just a sample for one supplements that recently increased all cause mortality in a meta -analysis. One of your guests suggesting that there been no studies to show efficacy for supplements. Certainly, A ‘metaanalysis’. All cause mortality reduced by 42percentage in CoQ10 group when doses were significant and with long time treatment!
Nothing wrong with ‘one side’ story if the preponderance of the evidence points to the one side, particularly regarding a story that involves a potential health risk.
No one complains that the other side of the story wasn’t covered, there’re millions of people who drive fine without them.
Writing a story about the dangers of not wearing one’s seat belt. You have expunged a large percentage of prior comments, that leaves the impression that there was less negative response than there actually was to your ‘antisupplements’ program. Comments are now a single recourse available to the public against sloppy and one sided reporting, that is everywhere in the media these days, and if they are purged, consequently there is no opposing view available to program viewers. What has become of journalistic ethics at PBS?
Again you are seemingly acting to censor the full range and scope of reasonable comments, and in doing so, are acting in what I consider bad faith.
Since many drugs are prescribed ‘offlabel’ not what they’ve been FDAapproved for, Nor do pharmaceutical companies apparently.
In what amount tens of thousands died from Vioxx and akin drugs before being stopped by the FDA? That’s where it starts getting very interesting, right? Even OTC drugs acetaminophen is suspected of causing liver damage. In order to foster a civil and literate discussion that respects all participants, FRONTLINE has the following guidelines for commentary. By submitting comments here, you are consenting to these rules. Certainly, We will take steps to block users who repeatedly violate our commenting rules, terms of use, or privacy policies.
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You are fully responsible for your comments. We reserve the right to not post comments that are more than 400 words. I believe it’s true mostly there’re some dodgy fringes in the supplement world. However I feel it unwise to force all supplements into a single good/bad verdict, Magic weight removal pills, super energy/muscle building pills, sexual enhancement etcetera. I’d say if I do take anything I do my research, I actually just eat well and exercise.
By the way I would be interested to listen to the other side though, and appreciate your work in medicine and any suggestions for resources you think might I do not use supplements, and only use Ibuprofen or Hydrocodone rarely for pain.
You disagree with those facts, right? I also witnessed my mother used as a guinea pig with pharmaceuticals for By the way I know I know it’s a multilayered issue and look, there’s a lot of personal accountability involved, BUT I am still wondering when the FDA will actually expand and test more products on our shelves. For example, at what point do we start holding nutritional supplement producers AND Big Pharma more accountable and keep them out of lobbying efforts to truly let consumers know what they are ingesting, we are a Buyer Beware Nation. Anyways, I was wondering your thoughts on the dosage amounts and the impact on the liver. Approval by the FDA in double blind studies, the gold standard of proof as per all the medical experts and researchers, is no indicator of effectiveness and safety in all cases.
Supplement producers do have to follow strict FDA cGMP guidelines to be in business https.//and are visited regularly by FDA, OSHA, and Health Department.
Many also choose to have voluntary oversight by auditors from NSF and NPA.
The guidelines are strict and close to pharmaceutical level. This show was very one sided, tally misleading, and very poorly done. Anyway, The producers, director, and correspondent, obviously had some sort of agenda, that doesn’t necessarily jive with reality. However, loads of doctors are not trained in nutrition, only about drugs,, and generally know absolutely nothing about supplements. Because this program was the absolute worst show that I have ever prominent on PBS, I was completely shocked after I watched this. I have watched hundreds of PBS programming for are a frequent subscriber to my local PBS station. I watched this show again last night for the second time, and ok some careful notes. Just keep reading. No,, it’s not. Therefore if you stick to major manufacturers that were interviewed), you will likely have no problems really.
With only vague references to alleged studies that supposedly verified their thoughts, lots of the statements on the show were simply conjecture and opinion.
The one correct point that the show made is that obviously any supplements must actually contain what they say they contain on the bottle, and consumers might be aware of this, and do their own due diligence.
It was a perfect way to wrap up this hour long slog ofmisinformation, that was just a tal waste of time. I am taking supplements all of my life, have avoided drugs, and I am very healthy, have not had any serious health problems like many/ a lot of my friends and relatives, and similar so the final comment on the show, by the foolish doctor who had previously said a couple of incorrect things, was even more classic. Notice, there was not even one of those on the show, naturopathic doctors as well as nutritionists will have been the obvious choice for interviews on this topic. Virtually maximum interviews were done with s, and bureaucrats from the FDA. Although, He said, It’s a pill, just like any other pill.. Make sure you scratch some comments about it. We already know the FDA, CDC, AMA are looking out for the special interests and not the genuine welfare of the citizens/patients they are supposed to protect.