What’s in a gummy vitamin or supplement? Often a lot more than what’s printed on the label, according to researchers.
The majority of melatonin gummies available in the U.S. may contain up to a whopping 347% of the amount listed, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers tested 25 brands available in September 2022 and found 22 of them were inaccurately labeled, with one of them containing no detectable melatonin (only CBD) and others containing anywhere from 74% to 347% of the labeled quantity of the sleep aid. (The study does not list which brands were tested.)
Although that much melatonin likely doesn’t pose serious risks for adults, say the authors, it could cause potential harm to children. In fact, the impetus for the research was when researchers noticed an increase in melatonin poisonings in kids. In 2021, melatonin ingestions accounted for almost 5% of all poisonings reported to poison control centers in the United States, according to data from the National Poison Data System, and researchers wanted a better understanding of why.
“What we are most concerned about is toddlers and other children unbeknownst to their parents diving into melatonin gummies and eating 10 or more,” says Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the lead author of the paper. “If those 10 gummies have 50% more melatonin than they should, then they just got 15 doses and that could be a lot for a little body.”
It’s common for gummy vitamins to have higher dosages than what’s written on the label, says Dr. Tod Cooperman, founder and president of the 24-year-old ConsumerLab, an independent research company that tests and analyzes health and nutrition products, which was not involved in the study. A lot of that is related to the manufacturing process, he says. Because the ingredients are wet instead of dry, they can interact with each other more, leading to faster degradation. So manufacturers tend to add higher amounts to make sure the product continues to provide 100% of its dosage through its expiration date, says Cooperman.
But even if you allow for a certain amount of extra, “some of these are clearly unacceptable by any measure,” he says.
The gummy vitamin market has exploded in recent years. In 2016, it represented 10% of the vitamin market; by 2021, it had more than doubled to 21%, according to Nutrition Business Journal’s 2022 Delivery Format report. Many consumers prefer the candy-like taste, but critics point to the copious amounts of sugar in gummies—up to 2 to 4 grams per serving. Others claim some gummy supplements—like apple cider vinegar gummies, which have been touted by an army of social media influencers and celebrities—may have little health benefit at all.
Melatonin gummies, though, are likely to do what they say on the tin: make you sleep. And although adults won’t likely be poisoned by excess melatonin, Cooperman says taking a supplement with a lot of melatonin may make you drowsy the next day. He also cautions that not much is known about what happens when you take the hormone regularly in high doses. In Europe, it is a prescription drug, and the highest available dose is 5 milligrams, and that’s only if the drug is extended release, he says. Gummies, though, are immediate release. One to three milligrams should be enough for an adult, says Cooperman.
He also suggests you—and your teeth—may be better off taking melatonin in another format besides a gummy. “You’re taking it right before you go to bed,” he says. “That’s a terrible time to be chewing something that sticky that has a teaspoon full of sugar.”
The Food and Drug Administration does not evaluate dietary supplements for their safety and effectiveness before they hit the market. They only investigate complaints after the product is already on shelves.
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