Chances are you take a supplement or at least know someone that does. More than half of all adults in the US take one or more supplements, and according to the Nutrition Business Journal, we spent a whopping $26.7 billion dollars on supplements just last year.

Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, the dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed. FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product AFTER it reaches the market. Generally, manufacturers do not need to register their products with FDA nor get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements.

What’s the big deal? Surely supplements wouldn’t be available to buy if there was any question they could do more harm than good, right?

Wrong! Consumer Reports Magazine has released the names of 12 dangerous supplement ingredients called the “Dirty Dozen.” You’ve probably never heard of any of them but experts believe there is a high enough quantity of these ingredients, in a single supplement, to pose a real threat to your health.

The 12 most dangerous supplements:

• Aconite
• Bitter Orange
• Chaparral
• Colloidal Silver
• Coltsfoot
• Comfrey
• Country Mallow
• Germanium
• Greater Celandine
• Kava
• Lobelia
• Yohimbe

Clinical reports have linked these ingredients to serious side effects including cancer, coma, heart problems, kidney damage, liver damage, or even death. The majority of them are not proven to be beneficial, but there is increasing evidence to support the fact that they may be harmful.

One example that comes to mind is “The Blue Man,” who took Colloidal Silver for years. As a result, his skin turned permanently blue. Although the man was not found to have any  serious health problems, he serves as one example of Colloidal Silver’s undesirable side effects. “What consumers may not realize is that the supplement manufacturers routinely, and legally, sell their products without first having to demonstrate that they are safe and effective,” says Consumer Reports.

So why do so many of us still take them? It’s simple, it’s all in the clever, persuasive marketing that for many proves too hard to resist. Many of us buy into the idea that there is a “magic pill” that can either melt off pounds of fat, turn us into a super-human being at the gym, or increase our sex drive, without first doing the necessary research. Any company that makes such claims is likely taking you for a ride!

The Council for Responsible Nutrition advises all consumers to buy products from reputable companies and to talk to their doctor or health care professional about the supplements they take. Reputable supplement companies will NEVER sell supplements that contain any of the ingredients listed above, nor will they market their products on the sole promise that they are ALL you need to change your life. Rest assured, none of Core Health Innovations products contain any of the 12 ingredients listed above. CHI supplements are all-natural, safe and effective!