How "poisonous" are dietary supplements?

When the Eyes Don’t Have It

How “poisonous” are dietary supplements?

Last month the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) released its annual report for 2005 (the most recent year for which complete data is available). That year, less than 30 deaths were associated with dietary supplement use – mostly mineral supplements. Potassium supplements were linked to four deaths, while sodium and magnesium were each linked to two deaths.

Melatonin supplements were associated with four deaths – the first deaths linked to the hormone since 2001. The melatonin that your body produces in the pineal gland helps regulate the sleep/wake circadian rhythm, so supplements of melatonin are often used to address sleep problems. You can read more about melatonin (along with cautions from HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D.) in the e-Alert “The Sticking Point” (4/19/05), which you can find at this link:

http://www.hsionline.com/ealerts/ea200504/ea20050419.html

And how do yearly drug deaths compare to deaths linked to supplements?

A write up about the AAPCC annual report notes that a 1998 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported 106,000 deaths linked to prescription drugs in one year. These were all instances where drugs were properly prescribed and taken as directed (no overdoses or medical errors).

Source: “Poison Control Center Report Proves Supplements Very Safe” Arnold Gore, Health Truth Revealed, 4/17/07, www.healthtruthrevealed.com