Dear Editor,
A number of issues exist with respect to the recent
article “Dietary Supplements for Improving Body Composition
and Reducing Body Weight: Where Is the Evidence?”
by Melinda M. Manore (2012). Manore provides
what is stated as a brief overview of the current science
related to dietary supplements’ effectiveness and safety.
Her general conclusion is that they are not effective and,
in a number of cases, not safe. This response addresses
the results of a number of studies that Manore failed to
address regarding both safety and efficacy of ephedra,
bitter orange, and hydroxycitric acid (HCA) that are in
conflict with her general conclusions. Comments are also
made with respect to chromium, absorption blockers,
and fat blockers.
The title of the article is inappropriate since little
of the discussion deals with body composition. By far
the majority of discussion is on weight loss. Body composition
should have been a primary focus since most
researchers in the field now understand that the interest
in body-weight loss is in fat loss. Weight loss determined
by the scale is a combination of changes in fat and muscle
loss that can give the wrong impression as to the benefits
of dietary supplements. We believe that one must also be
careful in interpreting “weight loss” studies because of
the following considerations: the quality of the supplement,
the dosing of the supplement, the difficulty in
interpreting the results when scale weight rather than
body composition is used, and the poor compliance often
seen in weight-loss studies.