A new study from the University of Guelph in Canada finds that many herbal supplements are diluted or replaced with fillers, such as wheat and rice, that aren’t listed on their labels. Using a technique called DNA barcoding, researchers discovered that many products were misleadingly labeled. Critics of the multibillion-dollar-a-year supplement industry say it is defrauding consumers and that FDA regulation is inadequate. Industry groups claim the study is flawed. We discuss the findings and what they mean for consumers.
- More: A Link to the University of Guelph Study – Biomedcentral.com
- More: Homepage for the American Botanical Council – herbalgram.org