Supplements Send 20,000 To ER Each Year

Dietary supplements send more than 20,000 people to the emergency room every year, according to a study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The New York Times reports on the research, which tracked emergency room visits at a large network of hospitals around the country over a 10-year period. The Times reports that injuries from supplements include allergic reactions, heart trouble, nausea and vomiting, they were largely tied to a variety of supplements including herbal pills, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. More than a quarter of the emergency room visits involved  people ages 20 to 34, and half of those cases involved a supplement that was marketed for weight loss or energy enhancement, commonly producing symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations and irregular heart rhythms. The Times reports that the products associated with risk typically contain a variety of herbs and extracts and are widely advertised online, in magazines and on television with names like Hydroxycut, Xenadrine, Raspberry Ketones and Black Jack Energy.