Do you ever wonder about some of the claims made by all of these advertisement s on TV and the Internet – specifically these "potions" that claim "significant weight loss and "explosive performance," as well as energy boosters/shots/drinks and the like.
My grandmother (may God rest her soul) used to think that information could not be printed in the newspaper if it weren't true. She believed that someone must be checking these "facts" before they were loosed on the far-too-trusting public.
Obviously, advertisers and manufacturers are aware of this wildly popular misconception.
But somebody – maybe the FDA (Food and Drug Administration – is closely monitoring this, right?
Be real. If they were, would I be writing this article?
The FDA is horrifically understaffed when it comes to food inspection. (Have you forgotten the E. coli contaminated lettuce, jalapeño pepper and tomato outbreaks?). And a substance is not considered a drug if the manufacturer does not claim that it "cures, treats, diagnoses or prevents illness." (You know, that little disclaimer that you can barely read). And therein lies the loophole that allows this multi-billion-dollar industry to thrive.
Therefore, these "products" are considered functional foods and are extremely loosely monitored – and I'm being kind. So let the buyer beware.
Let me make this simple for you. Companies that produce and sell these functional foods are not required to accurately label the "ingredients" in their products, but a box of cereal is absolutely required. Hell, to be honest, functional foods can call it a "secret formula" and reveal absolutely nothing specific about what's inside.
Amazed yet? I am.
As a physician, I'm alarmed. We purchase billions of dollars a year of this magic, and worse yet, we ingest it. Who knows what's in that little bottle? Who knows if it is safe for you and any particular medical conditions that you have or may be unaware of?
Have you ever wondered why these products are so heavily marketed to MMA fans? It is not because they improve MMA performance. It is access to the infinitely valuable 18-34 male demographic that MMA has captured. These products are wildly popular with kids, teens and young adults – who are those most at risk for health related issues associated with many of these products.
What we do know is that few, if any, of these products perform as advertised. When independently tested, they usually fail miserably (just Google it – it ain't hard to find).
At best you're just wasting your money. At worst you are risking your health especially when mixed with alcohol. (You've never seen anyone do that, right?)
Dr. Johnny Benjamin is MMAjunkie.com's medical columnist and consultant and a noted combat-sports specialist. He was also recently appointed to the ABC's medical advisory team and will help review and refine the unified rules of MMA. In addition to the occasional editorial, Dr. Benjamin writes an "Ask the Doc" column every two weeks for MMAjunkie.com. To submit a question for a future column, email him at askthedoc [AT] mmajunkie.com, or share your questions and thoughts in the comments section below. You can find Dr. Benjamin online at
www.drjohnnybenjamin.com, and you can read his other sports-related articles at blog.drjohnnybenjamin.co
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