Looks-Conscious Teens Trying Risky Supplements

Looks-Conscious Teens Trying Risky Supplements

Unregulated products can harm health, U.S. pediatricians' group warns

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Many teens are turning to risky, unregulated supplements to boost their looks, warns a leading group of U.S. pediatricians.

These products -- including protein powders, steroids and diet pills -- are often useless at best, toxic at worst, said the American Academy of Pediatrics in a new report.

"Doctors think of performance-enhancing substance use as an athlete problem, but many non-athletes are using these substances for appearance enhancement," said Dr. Michele LaBotz, a report co-author.

Boys go for protein supplements, caffeine, steroids and creatine, which revs up energy in cells. Nonprescription weight-loss supplements are popular among girls, the researchers reported.

Over-the-counter supplements, which were deregulated in 1994, are the substances used most often by teens, LaBotz said. Studies have shown many are contaminated with toxic heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, or steroids and stimulants like amphetamines, she added.

The report urges doctors to educate parents and teens about the dangers of these supplements and discourage their use.

"Substances spiked with stimulants put you at higher risk for cardiovascular problems," said LaBotz, a sports medicine physician from South Portland, Maine. "If you are one of the many teens already on stimulants for ADHD, you're compounding the risk of heart problems."

Steroids are obviously dangerous, too, LaBotz added. "A lot of the effects of steroids are irreversible, including stunted growth and the growth of male breasts -- gynecomastia. These don't go away when you stop putting steroids in your body," she noted.

In addition, steroids can cause severe acne, and suddenly stopping them can result in depression and heightened risk of suicide, she said.

There are other concerns about supplements. Many studies have found performance-enhancing supplements are a gateway to using drugs and alcohol and participating in other risky behaviors, LaBotz said.

Based on U.S. surveys of eighth- through 12th-grade students, 5 percent to 7 percent of teen boys use steroids, as many as one in five use creatine, and 20 percent take protein supplements, LaBotz said. Many kids using protein supplements aren't playing sports, the report said.

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