August 30, 2010

By Richard Bernstein

This post is a follow-up to the previous posts that have touched on herbal sex supplements, and namely supplements that have been recalled by the FDA. This time, however, the focus is on a wildly popular supplement that has not been recalled by the FDA – Enzyte.

Enzyte claims to be the once-a-day pill for “natural male enhancement,” and millions of men have bought the product. Smilin’ Bob has been the “spokesperson” for Enzyte, although he hasn’t said a word. He just sports the perpetual smile.

Like all herbal supplements, Enzyte is essentially unregulated, and its efficacy is not vouched for by the FDA, or anyone for that matter. Supplements stay under the radar unless there are a bevy of complaints filed against it due to unpleasant or harmful side effects.

The former manufacturer of Enzyte (Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals) came under fire several years ago, and the owner of the company, Steve Warshak, was indicted on 112 criminal counts and ordered to forfeit $500 million. He was ultimately sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.

It wasn’t so much the medication that put Warshak in hot water; it was the way he conducted his business. He made it next to impossible for people to receive refunds or stop their credit card from being charged on a monthly basis, and obviously a lot more.  To this day, the new manufacturer of Enzyte (Vianda) enrolls its customers in a program whereby their credit card is charged a monthly fee in order for the customers to receive their monthly or bi-monthly supply of supplements.

Corey Nahman reports that Vianda is more on the up-and-up with their customers since obtaining Berkeley for $2.75 million. However, the fact that the product may not be effective remains. Enzyte contains nearly a dozen herbal ingredients, many of which are believed in some parts of the world to increase sexual performance in one way or another.

There are no studies on record that show that Enzyte is effective, and lawsuits have been brought against the owners of Enzyte stating that the product is a sham. The owner of the product in 2008 agreed to settle for $2.5 million with Attorneys General from various states due to deceptive sales practices. There is a new study out this week that shows Enzyte may place men at risk for dangerous and potentially fatal heart arrhythmia.

Originally, Enzyte advertised the fact that it would promote permanent physical penile growth, but that claim has been cut back drastically. In fact, advertisements for the supplement now state in small print that “it is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.” The keywords in all advertising now are “natural male enhancement,” which is so vague that no one can prove or disprove that statement.

When it comes down to it, Enzyte is an unproven commodity that may or may not be providing the ingredients that it states, because it is an unregulated herbal supplement. Men who are able to afford proven, FDA-approved medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, are guaranteed to receive a product that has a proven level of efficacy in clinical trials.

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