I think this may be a first…

It may come as no surprise to see the FDA and FTC warning the public about scam products claiming to prevent or treat H1N1 (swine flu) infections…


“Consumers who purchase products to treat the novel 2009 H1N1 virus that are not approved, cleared or authorized by the FDA for the treatment or prevention of influenza risk their health and the health of their families,” said Michael Chappell, acting FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. “In conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission, the FDA has developed an aggressive strategy to identify, investigate, and take regulatory or criminal action against individuals or businesses that wrongfully promote purported 2009 H1N1 influenza products in an attempt to take advantage of the current flu public health emergency.”

Products that are offered for sale to the public with claims to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure infections caused by the H1N1 influenza virus that have not  been proven to be safe and effective for these uses must be carefully evaluated. Many of these deceptive products are being sold over the Internet via illegitimate web sites. The operators of these web sites take advantage of the public’s concerns about H1N1 influenza and their desire to protect themselves and their families.  These fraudulent products come in all varieties and could include dietary supplements or other food products, or products purporting to be drugs, devices or vaccines.  Such fraudulent products will not prevent the transmission of the virus or offer effective treatments against infections caused by the H1N1 influenza virus.

Nor is it unusual to see private organizations like Consumer Reports taking a similar stand…

Colloidal silver and “immune boosting” herbs are just some of the products being promoted to a public that’s worried about swine (H1N1) flu.  Taking proven steps to improve your immune system can be helpful amid this flu outbreak, but as we previously reported, the FDA alerted the public “to be wary of Internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure” swine flu. If you come across swine-flu-related fraud, you can report it to the FDA.

…We found one ad selling colloidal silver that claims the metal is, “the answer to prevent or treat Swine Flu, MRSA, and other bacterial or viral infections, and superpathogens.” Colloidal silver may have mild antiseptic powers, but it has no proven use against any illness. And even low doses can build up to toxic levels in the body. And silver ingestion can cause adverse affects, including a permanent bluish discoloration of the skin, nails and whites of the eyes; birth defects; and in severe cases organ damage and neurological disorders.

There’s also little evidence that “immune boosting” herbs and other supplements can help prevent flu. There is scanty evidence that elderberry can ease the severity of flu symptoms. And the homeopathic flu remedy, Oscillococcinum, also lacks convincing evidence.

But I can’t recall the last time I actually saw the supp industry itself step up to the plate like this…

In an effort to get out in front of what could be a public relations nightmare and provide fuel for tighter supplement regulation in the future, a coalition of supplement industry trade associations issued a statement today urging supplement manufacturers and retailers to “refuse to stock or sell any supplements that are presented as treating or curing swine flu” and to “refrain from promoting any dietary supplement as a cure or treatment for swine flu.”

The groups backing the statement are the American Herbal Products Association, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the Council for Responsible Nutrition and the Natural Products Association. In their statement, the groups also noted that “federal law does not allow dietary supplements to claim to treat any diseases, including swine flu” and that they are “unaware of any scientific data supporting the use of dietary supplements to treat swine flu.”

The statement did note that “there are dietary supplements that have much to offer in terms of enhancing general immune function. However, therapies for the treatment of swine flu should only be recommended by qualified healthcare professionals or public health authorities.”

They finally woke up and smelled the coffee!  It’s long overdue, but it’s good to finally see some recognition on the part of the major players, that – if they want to survive as an industry – they’d better start voting the scammers and whack jobs off the island. 

More like this, please…

In the meantime, though, the message is loud and clear – there are NO supplements or nutrients that are known to be effective against this particular virus…and anyone telling you different is trying to sell you something.

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