Speaking of GMPs…

Posted By elissa on May 7, 2010 | 2 comments

Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) were the topic of a very interesting talk at Supply Side East… so it was doubly interesting to see the need for more stringent guidelines confirmed by this article in the NY Post.

Putting the ‘die’ in diet

Health guru nearly killed eating own product
By DAREH GREGORIAN

In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, the controversial alternative-medicine advocate says he suffered “mentally and physically” after eating his Gary Null’s Ultimate Power Meal.

Over the month Null, 65, ate the powdered product, he suffered “excruciating fatigue along with bodily pain,” and “began to suffer from extreme cracks and bleeding from within his feet,” the suit says.

…The health nut went to see his doctor, and tests showed he had elevated levels of Vitamin D in his system. He later discovered that the Ultimate Power Meal had 1,000 times the amount of Vitamin D than the label claimed.

That meant that instead of ingesting 2,000 IU of Vitamin D daily, he was ingesting 2 million IU, the suit says. Most doctors recommend 1,000 IU a day.

Interestingly enough, the manufacturer was Triarco Industries… the maker of Aminogen, a supplement ingredient that I’ve always considered to be underdosed and overrated. Makes you kinda wonder if there’s even more about the stuff we ought to know.

While I shan’t lose any sleep over Null (among other things, he’s an anti-vaxxer and AIDS denialist), the problem is that other people were sickened, too.  Apparently 6 others were hospitalized and “dozens” of others were affected (the article does not explain how).

Incidents like these underscore the need for strong guidelines for product testing and documentation.  Many people turn to “natural” products and supplements for their health – their trust in the industry should not be abused by screwups like this.