The supplements industry has been in the headlines for the previous months due to its involvement in the tainted supplements controversy. The FDA had already issued warning letters to some nutritional companies selling anabolic steroids products. The Congress initiated a hearing to determine if a new law is needed to stop the proliferation of supplement products tainted with anabolic steroids. Enforcement authorities feel that existing laws were not enough thus making it more difficult to monitor and control illegal supplement products. The stakeholders of the supplement industry are still optimistic that the FDA and DEA can do their jobs effectively since this controversy affects the entire industry.

The intervention of the FDA is also showing some good results. Two months ago, a nutritional company pulled out from its distributors the products which were believed to be contaminated with anabolic steroids or with steroid-like contents. These were based on the laboratory testing conducted by the federal authorities. However, it was reported by CBS News that one of the products of ACL is still available in the market. In the “Early Eye” investigation of Kelly Cobiela, she said that Tren and other prohormone products are still being sold at supplements store and even online. Over-the-counter steroids are popular for bodybuilders and discussions of how they work and its effects are widely discussed in gyms and supplement stores according to the report.

During their undercover investigation, Cobiela’s team were able to interview some personnel of health and supplement stores. A respondent shared his experience with the supplement Tren which gave him a decent amount of size and gave him leaner muscles. This is one of the noted effects of Tren since it develops and builds muscles quickly. The team also observed that it is difficult to know the products which are considered safe and not tainted with anabolic steroids.

The product which the investigating team was able to purchase online and from supplement stores were subjected to laboratory tests to determine if it really contain anabolic steroids. They brought it to Dr. Don Catlin, an anti-doping expert. The results showed that all the samples contain steroids which make them illegal under the federal food, drug and cosmetic act.

Cobiela said in her show that supplement manufacturers are 10 steps ahead of regulators in developing new designer steroids. There are companies who tweak the molecule of some illegal anabolic steroids and market it as a legal dietary supplement. The wide market and increasing demand for these products are some of the reasons why manufacturers opt to adopt this strategy. The supplements industry is a multi-billion dollar business.

She advised people who want to purchase over-the-counter supplements to do some research especially if they are not sure about the contents. “while these products don’t say “steroid” on the package, if you do your research online, you’ll know whether they are steroids from what people say about the product on the Internet,” she said.

An individual who suffered complications from taking Tren was also featured in the CBS News article. The common side effects of Tren according to the user were jaundice and liver damage. A business professional who is into bodybuilding took Tren for only 3 months but already developed complications. A prominent liver transplant specialist at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California was alarmed on the severe liver damage that may be caused by this supplement. Dr. Zeid Kayali said that the multiple cases of liver disease for healthy people with no risk factor at a very short period of time is very alarming.

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