A critical evaluation of Internet marketing of products that contain ephedra
Bimal H Ashar1, Redonda G Miller, Kelly J Getz
1Division of General Internal Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. bashar@jhmi.edu
Objective:
To evaluate information contained within Internet sites that advertise and market dietary supplements containing ephedra.
Material And Methods:
We conducted an Internet search to identify Web sites advertising weight-loss supplements that contained ephedra. Between July 7 and July 18, 2002, 4 search engines were used by entering the term herbal weight loss. Outcome measures included disclosure of potential adverse effects of or contraindications to ephedra-containing supplements, disclosure of ephedra alkaloid dosage, and presence of misleading or incorrect information.
Results:
Thirty-two products and advertisements were identified and systematically evaluated for deviance from truth-in-advertising standards. Of the 32 Web sites analyzed, 13 (41%) failed to disclose potential adverse effects or contraindications to supplement use. Seventeen (53%) did not reveal the dosage of ephedra alkaloids that was recommended. More importantly, 11 sites (34%) contained incorrect or misleading statements, some of which could directly result in serious harm to consumers.
Conclusion:
If dietary supplements containing ephedra are to continue to be marketed freely, substantial reform in advertising regulation and enforcement is warranted.
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