Analysis: Trouble with certain calcium supplements
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From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.
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And I'm Michele Norris.
A lawsuit filed today raises concerns about the safety about a particular dietary supplement. The Federal Trade Commission charged the marketers of Coral Calcium Supreme with making false and unsubstantiated claims about the health benefits of their product. Coral Calcium Supreme is heavily advertised on the Internet and in television infomercials. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.
PATRICIA NEIGHMOND reporting:
The FTC's lawsuit against two marketers of coral calcium is part of the agency's effort to crack down on false health and medical claims made by dietary supplement companies. Howard Beals directs the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Mr. HOWARD BEALS (Director, FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection): What is coral calcium? It's a substance that supposedly comes from dead marine coral off the coast of Japan. You probably heard of it since its 30-minute infomercial has been nationally televised on cable channels such as Women's Entertainment, Comedy Central, the Discovery Channel and Bravo; in fact, it's been one of the top five infomercials in terms of airtime all year.
NEIGHMOND: The ads claim that Japanese in certain cities live 30, 40 years longer than the average American, often disease-free because they take these coral calcium supplements.
Mr. BEALS: For example, they say that coral calcium treats or cures serious, even life-threatening diseases, like cancer, heart disease or multiple sclerosis, and they say that scientific research published in respected medical journals backs them up.
NEIGHMOND: In fact, Beals says, there is no scientific evidence for such claims.
With the backing of the Food and Drug Administration, the FTC charges two individuals, Robert Barefoot and Kevin Trudeau, with violating FTC law by making such claims. It asks the federal court to prohibit further airing of the ads. The FTC also wants to freeze the assets of the two individuals in order to reimburse customers. Efforts to contact Kevin Trudeau failed. A spokesperson for Robert Barefoot said the FTC is overreacting and the charges are unfair.
The FTC has also sent out dozens of warning letters to other Web site operators who are making similar claims about the amazing life-extending benefits of coral calcium products. Dr. Stephen Barrett is a psychiatrist turned, in his words, investigative reporter. Barrett runs a Web site called Quackwatch, dedicated to fighting medical fraud.
Dr. STEPHEN BARRETT (Quackwatch): And the simple fact is that coral calcium is not better than ordinary purified calcium products. It costs much more, and it's probably not as safe.
NEIGHMOND: Meanwhile, a report from the Web-based ConsumerLab.com, also released on Tuesday, describes the quality of a variety of calcium products. Vitamins and supplements like calcium are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so ConsumerLab has taken it upon itself to monitor the supplements. Dr. Todd Cooperman is president.
Dr. TODD COOPERMAN (ConsumerLab): We went out and purchased 15 popular coral calcium and regular calcium products, including chews and powders and tablets and caplets, children's and adult products.
NEIGHMOND: ConsumerLab tested the products to see if they had the amount of calcium claimed, to make sure they were pure and to ensure they could be properly absorbed by the body. Out of the 15 products investigated, one had less calcium than claimed and two others, including Coral Calcium Supreme, contained excessive amounts of lead.
Dr. COOPERMAN: Lead can be dangerous. It can affect your blood, your heart, some possibility it may even relate to cancer. And there's really no need, especially in a health supplement, you know, to be taking in extra lead in your diet.
NEIGHMOND: Cooperman also notes that some coral calcium products cost $2.40 a day compared to other calcium products which cost as little as 8 cents a day. Patricia Neighmond, NPR News.
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