February 15, 2007

2 Min Read
Consumerlab.com Reports On St. John's Wort

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — FEBRUARY 14, 2007 — A new report from ConsumerLab.com shows that four St. John's wort products tested met ConsumerLab.com's quality standards among the ten that it selected for testing. CL found the following issues:

Two products did not identify the plant parts used, as required by the FDA under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Consequently, these products did not go on for further testing. St. John's wort supplements should be specifically labeled as containing flowers or leaves — the "aerial" portions of the plant.

Two products contained less of St. John's wort marker compounds (hypericin and/or hyperforin) than claimed on their labels.

Consumerlab.com also assigned a failure to two products that exceeded World Health Organization 'suggested' guidelines for cadmium contamination in herbal products. One of these slightly exceeded the WHO limit for cadmium and contained slightly more than the California limit for lead contamination. In these two products, unlike others tested, all or part of the St. John's wort was whole herb, rather than extract. Heavy metals may be removed during the extraction process.

The new report is available at www.consumerlab.com/results/sjw.asp. The report provides results for eleven supplements of which ConsumerLab.com selected ten. One was tested at the request of its manufacturers/distributor through CL's Voluntary Certification Program and is included for having passed testing. Also listed is one product similar to another that passed but sold under a different brand name. The report provides information on St. John's wort's effects, side-effects, and dosing.

Reviews of other popular types of supplements are also available at www.consumerlab.com. New reviews to be released in coming months cover alpha lipoic acid, eye health supplements (lutein and zeaxanthin), joint care supplements (glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM), milk thistle, resveratrol, and SAMe.

ConsumerLab.com is a provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with PharmacyChecker.com, an evaluator of online pharmacies, and MedicareDrugPlans.com, which reviews and rates Medicare Part D plans. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online. For group subscriptions or product testing contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, at [email protected].

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