Male enhancements raise red flags

Health risks posed by so-called "male enhancement" supplements are many, experts say.

Warnings about supplements that promise men better sex and bigger genitals come as Steve Warshak, founder of Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, stands trial on federal charges of heading up a $100 million conspiracy to defraud customers of a penile enhancement product called Enzyte.

A former executive for the Cincinnati company testified last week that employees made up data about how well the supplement works and created fictitious doctors to endorse the product -- allegations Warshak has denied.

Dr. Ahmad Hamidinia, a University of Cincinnati urological surgeon, said healthcare professionals have many concerns with male-enhancement supplements, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Tuesday.

"We have no idea what's in these capsules to begin with. We have no idea what the side effects of these substances are. We don't know, and even the manufacturers don't know, how many of these capsules to recommend a day, because we don't know what the dosage levels are."

Information on the product's label is supposed to include the active ingredients and its dosage, and manufacturers have to exercise care with their claims, said Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLabs.com, which tests vitamins and supplements.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

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