Many Connecticut residents take supplements for their health. Some of these may have the potential to affect health in a negative way and sometimes may include long-lasting consequences.
Supplements are most commonly used by adults above 40, with women taking more supplements than men. According to Consumer Affairs, supplements can more easily lead to side effects because of the lack of oversight. These side effects may include liver damage, with some people requiring liver transplants. The number of people affected by liver injuries caused by supplements has increased to 20 percent, according to a 2014 study. While some people may think that only unnecessary supplements, such as those taken for bodybuilding, can be dangerous, it is usually supplements taken for health that result in liver damage.
Some people state that the lack of oversight allows retailers to be careless with the supplements they sell, and that new versions of supplements may be swapped for the ones with reported risks. According to The New York Times, federal approval is not needed to sell a supplement to the public, and proof of safety is not needed. However, supplements cannot include unlisted ingredients. Manufacturers are required by federal law to give the Food and Drug Administration safety information about a supplement, and potential risks generally need to be identified by this same department.
It is not difficult for supplements that have not been tested to reach the public. However, the president of a nutritional council says that health problems are usually reported by few people, and emphasizes that most supplements are safe. Supplements are used by over half of the adults in the United States.
