07.01.09
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Washington, D.C., has notified Bayer Healthcare, Morristown, NJ, that it will sue the company if it continues to claim that the selenium in its One A Day vitamins may reduce men’s risk of prostate cancer, the organization announced June 18. Advertisements and labels for One A Day Men’s 50+ Advantage and One A Day Men’s Health Formula multivitamins claim that “emerging research” suggests that selenium may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. But leading prostate cancer researchers say there is scant evidence to support such a claim and have joined CSPI in urging FTC to put an immediate stop to the deceptive claims. “Bayer is exploiting men’s fear of prostate cancer just to sell more pills,” said CSPI senior nutritionist David Schardt. “The largest prostate cancer prevention trial has found that selenium is no more effective than a placebo. Bayer is ripping people off when it suggests otherwise in these dishonest ads.”