Sexual
Enhancement Supplements Do Poorly In ConsumerLab Review
White
Plains NY, 24 September 2002
ConsumerLab.com
announced today that nearly 60% of products failed to pass its independent
Product Review of Sexual Enhancement Supplements.
Sexual
dysfunction is estimated to affect 43% of women and 31% of men in
the US according to an article published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association in 1999. However, no prescription
medication is available for sexual dysfunction for women and Viagra,
an effective drug for erectile dysfunction in men, is expensive
and has potential side effects. A variety of non-prescription, sexual
enhancement supplements is marketed in the US. ConsumerLab.com's
review assessed the clinical evidence for more than twenty ingredients
used in these supplements and evaluated 22 products containing the
popular ingredients L-arginine, yohimbe, and epimedium (horny goat
weed).
Eleven
of the products evaluated failed to meet FDA labeling requirements.
One product, for example, did not list the plant parts used, while
another product indicated that it was made from yohimbe "root" rather
than the appropriate part -- bark. The remaining eleven products
underwent further laboratory analyses. Among these, one product
contained only 1% of its claimed amount of yohimbe. Another product
was found to contain only 45% of the expected marker compound for
a key ingredient -- epimedium.
Only
9 of the 22 sexual enhancement products purchased passed the review.
Commenting on the disturbing results, Tod Cooperman, MD, President
of ConsumerLab.com said, "Viagra's success has spawned a plethora
of alternative therapies marketed for sexual dysfunction. People
interested in using these products, however, need to view them critically
-- as the effectiveness of most ingredients has not been well proven
and many products are poorly made."
The
review, including the complete list of products that passed and
insightful tips on buying and using sexual enhancement supplements,
are now available to ConsumerLab.com's online subscribers at www.consumerlab.com.
Also available are results of more than 30 other reviews of vitamins
and supplements. Other Product Reviews scheduled for release in
coming months include garlic supplements, probiotics, DHEA, and
melatonin. ConsumerLab.com's Guide to Buying the Best Vitamins and
Supplements is scheduled for print publication later this year.
ConsumerLab.com
is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations
of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately
held and based in White Plains, New York. It has no ownership from,
or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell
consumer products. Subscription to Consumerlab.com is available
online.
Source
ConsumerLab.com.
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