Supplement feedback In response to Eve Pell's letter [GeezerJock, October 2007], asking your magazine to use its resources to rate supplements. Consumerlabs.com is an inexpensive subscription service that already rates supplements and has actually rated the compound that Eve was concerned with, glucosamine. They haven't rated all of the substances available or all of the companies that manufacture supplements, but they have analyzed enough of them to give the consumer enough data to make an informed decision.
Andrew Hoodwin Plano, Texas
More supplement feedback This letter is in response to Eve Pell's letter to the editor regarding supplements [GeezerJock, October 2007]. As a Masters track and field athlete I have similar concerns about dietary supplements (DS). I am currently employed in the dietary supplement industry as technical services director for Young Living Essential Oils (YLEO). I am a volunteer in the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). In seeking for greater understanding, I offer the following points from my own personal perspective:
1. A dietary supplement is defined as a vitamin, mineral, botanical, concentrate extract, constituent, or combination of such ingredients that is ingested orally and intended to supplement the diet. DS are not regulated in the same way as foods, meal replacements, or drugs (OTC or prescription).
2. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) estimated the industry scope as over 600 DS manufacturers, 4,000 products, with sales reaching at least $4 billion. In June 2007 the estimated number of manufacturers had more than doubled to over 1,300.
3. Dietary supplements regulation: The primary framework for regulation of dietary supplements is called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. DSHEA mandated FDA to promulgate Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements that provide requirements to assure supplement quality, safety, and purity. Nearly 13 years after enactment of DSHEA the FDA finally issued DS GMPs in June 2007.
4. Responsible self regulation of industry is encouraged. But this has not been successfully realized. Many in industry will tout their products as the highest in quality along with other egregious claims. To better identify responsible companies, voluntary independent GMP certification programs are available such as USP, NSF International and others.
5. The regulatory environment for supplements is complex. There are numerous evolving regulations. Regulatory enforcement of regulations is variable and selective (FDA and FTC on the federal level). Local and state ordinances occur. Recent major legislative actions include the passage of the Adverse Event Reporting Act. Implementation of mandatory reporting to FDA of all serious AERs is required effective December 2007 for all supplement manufacturing companies. The current regulatory environment has led many to errantly claim that supplements are not regulated.
6. GeezerJock advised those considering supplements to try a few brands. I would suggest that experimenting with supplements on a trial and error basis is not adequate. Who wants to waste their money on supplements that may do more harm than benefit? Who wants to take the risk of using adulterated supplements?
7. The following are suggestions for a common sense initial quality evaluation of supplements.
a. Supplement labels. Does the product label contain manufacturer contact information to allow consumers access to company information (number of years in business, size of operations, sourcing of ingredients, well respected company, and others)? Can the company provide information on its quality systems and safeguards? Does the label list certification of programs or technical support information?
b. Supplement claims: Are the product claims too good to be true? Claims must not be false or misleading. DS may not make claims to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent specific disease. Supplement labels may bear health claims when supported by documented scientific studies. Such health claims pertain to supporting general well-being or maintaining normal functions in the body.
c. Supplement costs: Does the extreme low cost of a product (compared to similar type products from other manufacturers) provide indications of compromised quality?
d. Supplement resources for information include the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) as well as industry associations, United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), and Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). I hope the preceding information has been useful beginning for your readers. A more in-depth examination of dietary supplements in GeezerJock may be warranted.
William Popin Orem, Utah
Defending Gen. Patton I have been a subscriber since the founding of GeezerJock and look forward to each and every issue. As a member of the modern pentathlon national team from 1979-1983 I was especially pleased to read your Opening Buzzer article in the October 2007 edition. I spent four years as a young Army lieutenant/junior captain at the Olympic Training Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, and was privileged to represent the Army and the United States in national and international competitions. One interesting side note on General George S. Patton's competition in the sport's Olympic debut: in the shooting competition, the judges could only find 19 holes in his target after 20 shots. Patton claimed he fired two bullets through the same hole. However, the judges ruled it a miss. Had they ruled in his favor, he would have won the competition overall. Anyway, keep up the good work with the magazine and all the best in your future athletic endeavors!
Bob Dalton, Army Major (retired) Fayetteville, Ga.
"The name is embarrassing" I fully agree with June I. Decker (Letters, GeezerJock, November 2007) regarding the name GeezerJock. I will not allow anyone to see me reading the magazine, although it contains excellent content. The name is embarrassing. I'm 58 years old and I'm no geezer. Let's go with a more dignified name. Maybe Masters Sports or something similar.
Stan Wojciechowski Evanston, Ill.
"It doesn't matter what you call us" For June I. Decker (Letters, GeezerJock, November 2007), I want to invite you to our yearly Pennsylvania Senior Games and our Monday mornings and our Tuesday nights playing badminton at the YMCA. You will meet up with the most friendly people that you ever met and each one of us is a happy, loving geezerjock, and it doesn't matter if we win or lose. We are geezerjocks from age 50 to 92, and it doesn't matter what you call us we are still "friends."
Alma Shank Palymra, Pa.
More shuffleboard, please I recently received my first issue of GeezerJock magazine, although I had immediate access and do enjoy the magazine. Since my first exposure to the magazine has been favorable, I have shared it with a number of friends on the shuffleboard circuit and am asked frequently, "Where's the coverage about shuffleboard?" I hope that in the future we do see more about our sport. One of your department's replies informed me that your magazine couldn't cover every sport of individual interest. Why? The active tournament shuffleboard circuit in the state of Florida alone has more than 20,000 members represented by the various Florida Shuffleboard Association member clubs. Add to that members from other active states such as California, Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Canada and others, and we have a huge audience of active tournament shuffleboard players. A lot of information is available via www.fsa-shuffleboard.org. The active FSA sponsored Pro tournament season started October 1, 2007. C'mon, start giving this sport its due recognition.
Terry Rainwater Zephyrhills, Fla.
Rants. Raves. Loved it. Hated it. Tell us about it... E-mail to letters@geezerjock.com, or mail to: Letters, GeezerJock, 2033 W. Hutchinson, Chicago, IL 60618. Please remember to include your name & hometown. Sending a letter to GeezerJock automatically grants permission for the letter to be published in the magazine, on our Web site or both.
Cycling
