If you read this, believe it, and send me money, I can GUARANTEE you a NO-RISK, MIRACLE CURE or QUICK FIX for weight loss, muscle building or sexual enhancement that’s ALL NATURAL and 100% EFFECTIVE. Okay, I’m lying. But the FDA says the words in capital letters actually work to scam consumers out of millions of dollars a year, and worse, endanger their health.

The FDA’s Health Fraud Scams section of its website contains lists of dietary supplements and “alternative medicine” products that have been recalled because of undisclosed ingredients that could cause serious medical problems.  A look at the recalls section was eye-opening.  Added to the list in the past couple of months were:

• Uprizing 2.0, marketed as a testosterone booster. It contains superdrol, an anabolic steroid that can cause liver damage in people with liver issues, such as heavy drinkers. Oh, and it shouldn’t be taken with Tylenol.
• Slim Forte, Meizitang Botanical, which claims to aid weight loss. It contains sibutramine, linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

I found Uprizing still being offered on a British website, but it was marked “sold out.” The Slim Forte capsules were still being offered on the internet.

While consumers, I believe, are generally aware a product might not produce the results promised, many don’t understand that these products may contain ingredients that are known to be dangerous.

Just because a product is sold in a store or in a clinic or costs a lot of money does not mean it has been reviewed by the FDA and determined to be safe. The agency points out that thousands of products are offered over the internet or in full-page newspaper ads across the country that the government has never even heard of, much less tested.

As consumers, we know we should follow the old adage, “buyer beware.” When it comes to our health or the health of loved ones, our judgment can sometimes be clouded.  So this is just a reminder: any health care product that sounds too good to be true, is, and could potentially lead to even worse problems.  So be doubly careful.

Brian Ketterer is a trial attorney who focuses his practice in pharmaceutical drugs, products liability and catastrophic personal injury cases. Recently, Mr. Ketterer was co-counsel in the Simon v. Wyeth hormone therapy case in the Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County and successfully obtained a record verdict. READ FULL BIO