Illegal Diabetes "Remedies"

It's not big news that products marketed as "all-natural dietary supplements" should be approached with caution because -- surprise! -- all-natural does not always mean all-good.  Often times these products claim to speed up weight-loss or hair growth, but certain all-natural supplements have purported to help treat one of the country's most prevalent chronic diseases: diabetes. These so-called supplements, the FDA has revealed, actually contain unapproved formulations of prescription medications, such as Merck's Januvia, that misleadingly claim to treat, cure or alleviate the symptoms of diabetes.

The U.S. Drug and Food Administration issued a statement Tuesday outlining actions it is taking against to remove these illegal diabetes treatments from the market.  The FDA has already issued letters to 15 companies that are selling these illegal diabetes products, and stated the agency will take further action, including product seizure or criminal prosecution, if companies to not appropriately address the violations.

In its press release, the FDA noted that it "is not aware of any reports of injury or illness associated with the illegally sold products but is taking action to protect the public health from potential harm related to these violative products."

Health care professionals and consumers can report adverse reactions to any of the products pictured above through the FDA's MedWatch program.