PRESCRIPTIONS
Seasilver claims unsubstantiated

By Amy Tousman

Q. Does Seasilver really cure more than 650 diseases?

A. Any product that claims to cure 650 diseases sounds too good to be true. Apparently government regulators are not impressed with these claims, either.

On March 17, the owners of the companies that make and distribute Seasilver signed a consent decree agreeing to stop manufacturing and distributing it. This is because of a complaint filed in federal court by the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.

Seasilver is marketed as a dietary supplement which supposedly cures cancer, diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis, heart disease, AIDS and a host of other diseases. Claims such as "cleanses your vital organs," "enables 9 out of 10 diabetics to stop taking insulin" also are unsubstantiated. It is illegal to make these claims without proof.

Here are a few claims about some of Seasilver's ingredients:

• Matrix Aloe Vera is claimed to "help clean morbid matter from the digestive organs" as well as "oxygenating the body's cells." The truth is aloe vera is a strong laxative but has not been proven to treat any disease. The body's oxygen levels are maintained by breathing and are not influenced by oxygen that enters the stomach.
• Pau D'Arco is claimed to stimulate the immune system. The truth is this substance has no proven health benefits. It's main ingredient has some anti-cancer properties but is too toxic for practical use.
• Phyto-Silver is said to have powerful antioxidant properties and phytonutrients in nature's perfect balance. It also functions as a second immune system . The truth is that silver has no nutritional value when taken by mouth and has no therapeutic usefulness.

Under the settlement, the Seasilver defendants agreed to pay $4.5 million in consumer redress. They are prohibited from making false or misleading claims about any dietary supplement. Lastly, they must destroy $5.3 million dollars worth of seized, misbranded Seasilver products.

According to Howard Beales, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, "the claims for Seasilver threatened consumer's health by encouraging delays and replacements for proven treatments."

I am glad to see the FTC and FDA taking action against dietary supplement companies that make false claims. At $39.95 for a month's supply, Seasilver is an expensive supplement that doesn't do anything more than a $10 multivitamin supplement.

Amy Tousman is a registered dietitian with the Health Education Center of Straub Clinic & Hospital. Hawai'i experts in traditional medicine, naturopathic medicine and diet take turns writing the Prescriptions column.

Send your questions to: Prescriptions, Island Life, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 535-8170. This column is not intended to provide medical advice.