FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid Bogus Health Products

WASHINGTON"Miracle cure". "Revolutionary scientific breakthrough." "Alternative to drugs or surgery."

In a consumer update Monday, FDA advises us to ignore these bogus claims on health products because they are a potential hazard to our health.

"The snake oil salesmen of old have morphed into the deceptive, high-tech marketers of today," FDA warns. "They prey on people's desires for easy solutions to difficult health problems - from losing weight to curing serious diseases like cancer."

Unless a health product has been scientifically proven safe and effective against a disease or health condition, it is fraudulent to make such claims, the agency said. The scams are widespread ranging from claims at retail stores to bogus statements appearing on social media sites, and FDA cautions that consumers who purchase deceptive products risk suffering injury and even death.

"Using unproven treatments can delay getting a potentially life-saving diagnosis and medication that actually works," Gary Coody, FDA's national health fraud coordinator, said in a statement. "Also, fraudulent products sometimes contain hidden drug ingredients that can be harmful when unknowingly taken by consumers."

Weight-loss products are among the most notorious items that have been found to make deceptive claims and pose health risks. FDA has found, for instance, that more than 100 weight-loss products contain sibutramine, an active ingredient that has been linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Other deceptive products often make claims related to memory loss, serious diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer, and sexual performance.

FDA has acknowledged the challenges in holding the wrongdoers accountable.

"It's difficult to track down the responsible parties," Coody said. "When we do find them and tell them their products are illegal, some will shut down their website. Unfortunately, however, these same products may reappear later on a different website, and sometimes may reappear with a different name."