Some performance supplements may contain sildenafil citrate, the main ingredient in Viagra and other male enhancement drugs, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Now, the FDA is sending out a warning that some supplements are testing positive for prescription drugs and could lead to dangerous side effects.
"I don't really understand why they would do that, is the first question that comes to my mind," said Alfie Carey as he learned about the recent report.
Performance-enhancing supplements are all the rage, but some are sold over the counter for energy boosts or labeled as vitamins and contain an extra ingredient that you may not even know about.
"It's kind of hard to believe because I won't even put two and two together," said Lucia Ariola, who occasionally takes supplements.
According to the FDA, some supplements are testing positive for ingredients like sildenafil and tadalafil, the active compounds in erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra and Cialis, respectively. Energy supplements are sold over the counter, with no prescription needed.
"The way Viagra sildenafil and other inhibitors work is by promoting and stimulating blood flow, and that's what you have to be careful of if you have a blood pressure issue or if you're on blood pressure medication, said Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser, chief medical officer at Lee Health.
The FDA doesn't regulate dietary supplements to be sold and marketed in the U.S; therefore, it doesn't do regular testing or validate a manufacturer's claims about what's in the product.
"They should get involved if it comes to light that it's happening on a consistent basis, I mean, I feel like it's the right thing for them to do," Carey said.
"These are supplements that exist kind of in an in-between where they're considered food products by our regulatory agencies, but the impact they may have on an individual can be a lot closer to a pharmaceutical," Gonsenhauser said.
The products tested included names like Men's Maximum , Triple Miracle Zan Plus and Macho Man . It's unclear what ingredients are actually in them, but sometimes manufacturers list vitamins and other ingredients.
If you aren’t sure exactly what’s in the products, it could have dangerous consequences.
Eventually, the work that your body systems and organ systems go through to handle those levels of protein and levels of other potential ingredients in those supplements could have a negative impact.
"There are no shortcuts and nothing is without a cost, so if you are making the tradeoff for rapid muscle building, there's likely going to be some other trade-off that you're making in your health and wellbeing and in some cases, it may take years for that to come to the surface," Gonsenhauser said.
The FDA can send letters to the manufacturers to issue a recall, but according to a study in 2018, manufacturers only recalled a product a third of the time after receiving a notice. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to know what’s going in your body.
"If it's something that you're introducing into your body often, your body will start to build a tolerance for that, meaning if you start using a drug your body is going to get used to having that in your system," Carey said.
Remember, it's your choice. If you have any questions about certain products, ingredients, or short- and long-term effects, you should consult your doctor.
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