Food Supplements for Weight Loss: Risk Assessment of Selected Impurities

Abstract

Nowadays, food supplements are widely consumed, often without any medical supervision. In this study, 25 food supplements for weight loss, randomly purchased from five different suppliers in the European Union, were analysed by Wavelength Dispersive X ray Fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF). The aim of this study was the risk assessment of trace elements and the mixture of elements present in food supplements for weight loss. The obtained Hazard Index (0.11) showed no potential risk of non-carcinogenic effects to human health. However, since humans are frequently exposed by different routes and/or sources to toxic metals, the additional consumption of these products may cause potential toxicological risks that cannot be ignored. In one analysed food supplement (FS), the simultaneous presence of Pb and Mn in high concentrations was detected. In two, FS chromium concentrations were above the reference daily dose. Unconformities were detected between the labelled and the detected values, which emphasises the misinformation of labels. This highlights the need for a deeper surveillance of food supplements.

Toxic Elemental Impurities in Herbal Weight Loss Supplements; A Study Using ICP-OES Microwave-Assisted Digestion

“…Instead of a global regulatory mechanism, several local regulatory models for herbal medicines (over-the-counter drugs, traditional medicines, dietary supplements, prescription drugs) are found [ 13 ]. Moreover, the legislation regulating the limits of metal impurities even differ between international authorities [ 44 ]. Table 4 shows the concentration limits and permissible daily exposure dose for some elemental impurities based on the European Medical Agency (EMA), the United States pharmacopeia (USP) [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”

“…Moreover, the legislation regulating the limits of metal impurities even differ between international authorities [ 44 ]. Table 4 shows the concentration limits and permissible daily exposure dose for some elemental impurities based on the European Medical Agency (EMA), the United States pharmacopeia (USP) [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. However, owing to the absence of legislative supervision, the current situation puts the safety of these dietary food supplements to be exclusively ensured by the producer to ensure authenticity and health safety.…”

Atomic spectrometry update: review of advances in the analysis of clinical and biological materials, foods and beverages

“…The authors report the maximum allowable limits proposed by several authorities are all much higher than the measured concentrations reported here. Figueiredo et al 169 point out that in some communities up to 50% of the population use some form of food supplements, usually without any control or medical supervision and during extended periods of time. Following the lead from the United States Pharmacopeia and the European Medicines Agency for impurities in pharmaceuticals, these workers used WDXRF to measure concentrations of 11 elements in 25 food supplements intended for weight loss.…”

Supplements for Smoking-Related Lung Diseases

“…Safety laws aim to use a combination of safety strategies to protect the health of consumers, including analytical approaches and expertise [77]. The EFSA panel has raised concerns about the safety and toxicity of chromium picolinate used in food supplements and reported that a high daily dose of chromium should be re-evaluated in the future [78]. The panel has reported that the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in herbal dietary supplements and herbal infusions act as genotoxic carcinogens in humans and could cause severe acute toxicity.…”