FDA warns that concussions are not cured by dietary supplementsDietary supplement companies have been profiting a lot on public concern by marketing a number of products claimed to prevent, cure or treat concussions alongside other TBIs or traumatic brain injuries even though there is no scientific evidence to support this. It is in this regard that the FDA has been warning consumers that such dietary supplements don’t cure TBIs and concussions and should stay away from the firms that have been making such claims.

Dietary supplement firms give false assurances

The National Health Fraud Coordinator of FDA said that they were very concerned about the false assurances being made of faster recovery as a way of convincing coaches and athletes of all ages and parents that any concussion patient can resume activities even before they are ready. In addition, they advised the public to watch for claims being made that the products could lessen or prevent the severity of TBIs or concussions as it isn’t true.

The products that claim to offer relief for TBIs usually highlight benefits of the ingredients like high levels of turmeric and omega 3 fatty acids derived from fish oil. But the truth of the matter is that higher omega 3 doses are largely linked to high cholesterol, bleeding, blood sugar level problems and even high risk of prostate cancer at times, notes Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. These are the factors that have prompted FDA to do its work and take the appropriate regulatory actions as a way of ensuring that public health is protected.

Many manufacturers like Trinity Sports Group Inc and PruTect Rx are well aware of great urge for faster recovery and have promoted their products falsely by claiming that they can effectively treat concussions as well as treat or prevent post concussions syndrome alongside other neurological disorders. Some of the products being marketed on the Internet, especially in United States include Neuro Impact Concussion Response Formula of Trinity Sports Group, Omega3PruTect and NeuroPruTect of PruTect Rx which are available in powder and capsule forms.

Dietary supplement firms get warning letters from FDA

There was one company that went even as far as utilizing one of the NFL players to testify by saying that the product had helped him recover from a concussion. There was also unidentified ‘licensed trainer’ who said that he had included it in his well know ‘concussion management protocol’. Even though NeuroPruTect, Omega3PruTect and Neuro Impact are all marketed simply as dietary supplements, the claims made on the websites of their respective companies aims at promoting them as drugs. FDA issued warning letters to the firms providing the dietary supplement in 2012 due to the misbranding. In the warning, these companies were required to change how they label their products and also change the content on their websites.