Politics & Government

FDA Warns Against Dietary Supplement Made in Farmingdale

Local company's product contained steroids, federal agency says.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to use a dietary supplement it says contains two anabolic steroids.

Healthy Life Chemistry By Purity First B-50, which is manufactured by Mira Health Products Ltd. in Farmingdale, is the target of the FDA warning.

The FDA said it has received reports of 29 adverse incidents associated with the use of the product. These reports include fatigue, muscle cramping, and muscle pain, as well as abnormal laboratory findings for liver and thyroid function, and cholesterol levels. 

The North Shore-LIJ Health System said the FDA action was the result of research done by Dr. Ken Spaeth, its director of occupational and environmental medicine.  After studying about 20 patients with a variety of symptoms and conducting lab research, Spaeth found the steroids and notified the FDA in March of his findings.

Of the patients Spaeth was working with, at least one was hospitalized. And once people stopped taking the supplements, it took between a few weeks to three months for their symptoms to completely subside, Spaeth said.

 “The full extent of how many people could be affected is not yet clear,”  Spaeth said. “For those who are experiencing these symptoms, stop taking your vitamin B supplements and contact your doctor.”

The product is is sold on websites and stores, the FDA said. The website Natural Products Insider, said that while Mira Health Products recalled the product in its production facility, Purity First B-50 declined to or to warn consumers about the potential for injury.

No one from either company was immediately available for comment.

The FDA said that failure to promptly correct violations could lead to legal action.


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