Shark Safe Supplements

• How many bottles in this shark?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Issues:
  
  There are two shark products that are sold as nutritional supplements - Shark Cartilage and Shark Liver Oil. Shark Cartilage is used as a remedy for arthritis and inflammation, and some companies claim that is has anti-cancer properties. It is also sold under the names Carticin®, Cartilade®, BeneFin® and Neovastat®. More recently supplement companies have been marketing shark liver oil capsules for its supposed immune enhancing and anti-cancer properties.
  
  The anti-cancer claims are not proven and are disputed by the American Cancer Society, the FDA, Sloan- Kettering, Johns Hopkins University, and other reputable organizations. There are no reputable scientific studies demonstrating that shark liver oil supplements have any affect on immune function.
  
  Shark cartilage, as an ingredient in Chondroitin supplements, has been demonstrated to be effective as an anti-inflammatory agent. Cartilage from other sources, such as cows, however, is just as effective. Cows are bred and raised commercially for their meat and various other products. There is no justification, therefore, to hunt wild animals that are already severely depleted and over fished, when a sustainable and equally effective alternative is readily available.
  
  It all comes down to a big marketing ploy, and much of the damage was done by the book titled, "Sharks Don't Cancer" by William Lane, which claimed that sharks don't get cancer and therefore taking shark cartilage pills will help to cure cancer in humans. Sharks do get cancer and the claims are ludicrous, but still the book received a huge amount of media attention. In 2000, however, the FTC ordered two companies to cease selling shark cartilage as a cure for cancer, and fined Lane Labs-USA, Inc. one million dollars for false advertising in connection with shark cartilage sales. Yet still the myth continues. Most people have heard the false information that "sharks don't get cancer", but many fewer people know the truth.
  
  Goals:
  
  Our first job is to make consumers and retailers aware of the health facts and environmental issues associated with these shark-based supplements. And the next job is to pressure the manufacturers into discontinuing these products or substituting more sustainable ingredients.
  
  Action Plan:
  
  Materials:
  
  Additional Information and Resources:
  
  Current Supplement Campaigns
  
  Join this Campaign