My Debate on Marion Nestle Blog

When Marion Nestle published a blog yesterday about how dangerous and unregulated the supplement industry is, I had to chime in. And I am still chiming in. Check it out for yourself.

The basis of her blog was a combination of the recent GAO Report and Senate hearing on supplements, the Consumer Reports "Dirty Dozen" article, and the USA Today editorial calling for more regulation. After I chimed in, a sort of online debate began, and it seems to still be developing (click here to check it out). It seems there are some people out there that have an unconditional love for supplements, and some that have an unconditional hatred for them. I find myself somewhere in the middle, in a place I like to call "reality."

There are certainly some valid complaints about the supplement industry. Companies selling products that are adulterated with prescription drugs or steroids need to be shut down and the owners/operators need to be put in jail. Same for those making illegal, outlandish claims for curing cancer, AIDS, etc. But when the entire industry gets slammed, I have to come to the defense of the good guys. And there are plenty of good guys. At the same time, I will continue to turn in the bad guys. Just today I turned in another supplement company claiming to cure cancer, and I hope the FDA and FTC go after them will all of the authority they have, which is a lot.

I would encourage you and your peers to join me in defending the good parts of industry while putting equal efforts into exposing and removing the bad actors who give us a bad name. If you don't want to turn someone in for making illegal claims or selling adulterated products, tell me about it and I will turn them in. And if you see an unfair characterization of the industry, feel free to give me a heads up. I'm always game for a good debate.