MHRA Warns Public of Buying Illegal Sports Supplements

LONDON, EnglandAs the London Olympic games begin, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warned people against buying illegal sports supplements. The agency cautions that these supplements might contain dangerous ingredients that could cause kidney failure, seizures and heart problems.

MHRA recently asked major supplement suppliers to submit products to review. The effort will focus on higher risk substances containing ephedrine, synephrine and yohimibine. These steroids, stimulants and hormones have been known to have fatal complications.

Recently, an MHRA investigation identified 84 illegal products, such as energy and muscle gainers, containing these ingredients. One of the products, an adulterated steroid called Celtic Dragon, hospitalized two men with severe jaundice and liver damage.

MHRA launched the current campaign as a result of these findings. Meanwhile, in America, Senator Orrin Hatch introduced the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2012 to combat the increasing problem.

David Carter, MHRAs manager of the borderline medicines section said, People need to be aware that buying illegal sports supplements can seriously damage your health. The products may claim to boost your energy or muscle but they could contain unapproved ingredients that can cause kidney failure, heart problems or seizures."

And the warning extends to high-level athletes as well, according to United Kingdom Anti-Doping Chief Executive Andy Parkinson.Elite athletes need to exercise extreme caution when it comes to deciding what they put into their body, and a vital part of our prevention program is educating athletes in the risk of supplements," he said. Athletes who use sports supplements need to choose reputable manufacturers who can justify their claims with scientific evidence."