Contamination of dietary supplements: the impact of the undeclared compounds on health, consequences of daily usage and prevention strategies

Abstract

Throughout recent years, dietary supplement usage significantly increased. The reason behind it is a desire to enhance physical performance due to the healthy-body trend. As the primarily unregulated market grows, so does the possibility of consumer exploitation. By releasing products intentionally or unintentionally contaminated by undeclared active compounds, producers endanger the health of many people worldwide. Components found in ergonutritional products have a broad spectrum of properties but also many adverse effects, which may occur in long-term use, including cardiovascular, neurological complications, and hormonal imbalance, among others. It is pivotal for users to be aware of the possible risks of DS consumption and crucial for governments to tighten regulations regarding manufacturing, testing, and labeling food supplements to ensure the safety of consumers.