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Sex Enhancement Pills Fall Short?
(submitted by gekkogecko)
Reuters to
My Yahoo!
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pro-Erex. Big Daddy. Suregasm.
There is little doubt what these supplements are
promising, but the evidence that they actually can
enlarge a man's penis or enhance sexual performance
falls short, consumer advocates said on Wednesday.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, best
known for taking the fun out of Chinese take-out and
ice cream by revealing how unhealthy such treats are,
is now taking on the nonprescription sex supplement
industry.
The CSPI filed a complaint on Wednesday with the
Federal Trade Commission saying one company,
Cincinnati-based Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, had
crossed the line in television ads touting its
supplement Enzyte.
"We urge the Federal Trade Commission to immediately
enjoin the national television advertisements of
Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, for the herbal
supplement Enzyte," the complaint, faxed to the FTC,
reads.
"The FTC requires that advertising claims for dietary
supplements, including those based on testimonials of
users, 'be backed by sound, scientific evidence.'
Berkeley, however, has conceded that it has no
scientific studies of Enzyte substantiating any of
Berkeley's claims."
A spokesman for Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals was
not immediately available.
Under U.S. law, supplements are not regulated by the
Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) in the
way prescription drugs are, and makers have much
leeway in designing products and in writing vaguely
worded claims about what they do.
They may not, however, lie outright, without risking
FTC action, although in reality the agency cannot
check on every product.
LIMP EVIDENCE
The CSPI says Enzyte, while unusual in its relatively
innocuous choice of name, is a fairly typical example
of sexual enhancement supplements.
"It contains tiny amounts of 16 ingredients including
familiar herbs like ginkgo and ginseng, the minerals
copper and zinc, ... a vitamin (niacin), and an amino
acid (arginine)," the CSPI said.
According to the company's Web site, it also contains
horny goat weed extract and saw palmetto, the latter
usually sold as a prostate supplement.
The CSPI says tests show that some of the ingredients
may or may not work to enhance sexual performance.
"One study suggests that 5,000 mg daily of arginine
may lead to a subjective improvement in sexual
function," it said.
"However, as Enzyte's label says each tablet contains
1,494 mg of its proprietary blend (all ingredients
other than niacin, zinc, and copper), it is not
possible that Enzyte contains the amounts of those
ingredients that may be necessary to increase libido
or sexual performance, if, indeed, those ingredients
provide a benefit at any dose," the complaint adds.
"The Food and Drug Administration and the FTC have
been lax when it comes to policing these so-called sex
supplements," said David Schardt, senior nutritionist
at the nonprofit CSPI.
"Until they act, consumers are best advised to drag
any unsolicited e-mails from 'Mr. Gigantic' or 'Mr.
Thick' from the inbox to the trash."
CSPI spokesman Jeff Cronin said despite the limp
evidence that such supplements work, people apparently
are buying them.
"There's a lot of advertising out there. Advertising
is expensive so they must be selling enough to make
the ads profitable," he said.
Many of the ads appear on late-night talk shows that
command premium rates.
"Enzyte is more successful subtracting from the male
wallet than it is adding to the male organ," Schardt said.
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