Be Careful, Supplement Products Cause Risk for Chronic Kidney Disease

A kidney disease expert, dr. Bambang Djarwoto, Sp.P.D., KGH, said that various supplement products circulated among the community are suspected of containing one or more substances. Besides vitamins, a supplement product also contains mineral, substances derived from plants, amino acids, and nutritional adequacy improvers (Recommended Daily Allowance, concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, and some combinations). Energy drinks apart from containing multivitamins also contain caffeine, taurine, mineral and glucose.
 
That was said by dr. Bambang in National Food Supplement Seminar entitled “The Rational Use of Food Supplements”, Saturday (14/11), at Grha Sabha Pramana. In the seminar held by GMC Health Center, Bambang Djarwoto said that the Control Board of Drugs and Food (Balai POM) does not categorize many kinds of supplement products as drugs, therefore production licensing and  distribution controlling are not as strict as for drugs.  
 
According to Bambang, there is still doubt about the safety of taurine, moreover if people consume daily supplements containing taurine. “Testing of drinks containing 462 mg/kgbw of taurine per day given to pigs can cause fat infiltration in liver,” he explained.
 
As said by Bambang, there is a connection between regular drinking of energy supplement and patients of Chronic Kidney Disease who need dialysis treatment. It is dose-dependant, meaning that the more it is consumed the higher the risk to get terminal chronic renal failure.  
 
Bambang suggested those who consume supplement products regularly to consider all related aspects. Don’t feel left behind if you don’t consume those. People need to consider their physical condition and the benefit they expect to have. “Select those with the packaging from Health Department and check the expiry date. You have to make sure of the name and address of producers, packaging companies, distributors or importers,“ suggested Bambang.
 
Bambang advised to examine the composition and ingredients contents. Make sure the labeling is written in English or Indonesian so that you understand it. “Note exactly where the product is made because this shows that more than 50% of materials and the whole process are carried out in that country," Bambang continued.
 
The seminar to celebrate UGM’s 60th Anniversary  was supported by Faculty of Pharmacy, UGM, and the Faculty’s Student Organization. It also presented several speakers such as an andrologist, dr. Dicky Moch Rizal, Sp.And., AIFM, M.Kes., Pharmacotherapist, Prof. Djoko Wahyono, S.U., Apt., and internist, Dr. dr. Wara Kushartanti, M.S.