Unauthorized workout supplements may pose serious health risks

Health Canada is advising about unauthorized workout products that may pose serious health risks. The products are labelled to contain or have been tested and found to contain dangerous ingredients. Health Canada updates the table when it finds unauthorized health products promoted as a workout aid. Links to previous tables with affected products are also available below.

Unauthorized health products have not been approved by Health Canada, which means that they have not been assessed for safety, effectiveness and quality. Unauthorized health products can pose many health dangers, including:

• They may contain ingredients not listed on the label. This includes ingredients like prescription drugs, possibly at doses exceeding maximum recommended amounts. Prescription drugs should be taken only under the supervision of a health professional because they may cause serious side effects. Using a product that contains ingredients that the consumer is not aware of increases the chance of dangerous allergies and interactions with other medications and foods.
• The label may indicate a dangerous ingredient or combination of ingredients. For example, it could list a drug that should be available only by prescription from a health care professional, or a combination of ingredients that Health Canada does not permit because of serious health risks.

Health Canada maintains this page so that the public can easily identify products they may have purchased and take appropriate action. You are encouraged to check back regularly for updates. Advisories on safety issues involving other types of products are available in the recalls and safety alerts database.