Adverse Events of Supplements Under-Reported
An analysis of supplement adverse events found that less than 1% of them were serious in nature. The research, which was sponsored by an industry trade group, comes despite a 2015 study that found more than 20,000 emergency visits each year are due to supplement adverse events and indications the true number of events are under-reported.
41,000 Supplement Side Effects Reports Examined
Researchers examined 41,000 adverse event reports related to supplements made by two manufacturers. The study was conducted by Supplement Safety Solutions, a safety consulting firm to the supplement industry, and the Council for Responsible Nutrition. The latter is a trade association and lobbying group for supplement manufacturers.
Results, published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, found 0.48% of the adverse events were considered significant. More than two-thirds of those serious adverse events were in supplements marketed for weight loss. About 20% were for products purporting to help with glycemic (sugar) control.
Symptoms Associated with Adverse Events
The most common symptoms associated with the serious adverse events were dehydration, dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting.
A 2018 study analyzing adverse events from supplements reported to the FDA over a 10-year period found serious outcomes included deaths, hospitalizations, life-threatening conditions and birth defects. It also estimated that the adverse event of dietary supplement report rate is only about 2%.
