My stance on this topic is that prohormones used to increase testosterone for bodybuilding purposes should be looked at in the same regards as alcohol and tobacco. It is a substance that could potentially harm your body, but for some the benefits outweigh the costs. It should be your choice whether or not you take these products, as long as you are aware of the risks. When used properly, prohormones can be greatly effective, but they can cause several adverse effects when used improperly, which can all be prevented or reversed with proper use and post-cycle treatment, and none of the side effects are permanent. Because some people are ignorant enough to misuse these products, they have been made illegal for everyone, including those who use prohormones correctly. This is comparable to banning alcohol because a few people would drink as much as they possibly can on a daily basis.
Instead of focusing their efforts on banning prohormones like they have been for the last 13 years, the FDA should work with supplement manufacturers and the people who use them to make people more aware of the risks of prohormones and their proper use. If everyone were to use them properly, their use would be just as safe as tobacco or alcohol; slightly damaging to your body, but not severe or permanent unless it’s misused for a long period of time.
I think that you might be very right about prohormones, to be honest. There are a lot of other substances that prove to be beneficial if used correctly, and there are a few that cause no major damage if used correctly. But that’s the issue; proper use and care of whoever is taking the supplements. I think that the legality of prohormones should begin at the prescription level that legal hormone supplements are at. And to make them more accessible, a few things need to happen. Like with any drug, it needs to be extensively studied for adverse side effects, complications, and things like that. This doesn’t happen with everything, which isn’t entirely fair, but proving for a fact that prohormones are safe if used correctly would definitely benefit the court case to legalize them. Another thing that I think would be necessary is a physician consultation, meaning asking your doctor about them during a regular visit, or whenever. I think that the user really needs to be educated on what they are getting into, and especially about the post-cycle treatment. Typically, it’s the people that aren’t educated that screw things up for others, to be blunt. I’m not saying that they should be illegal or legal, but only that they need to be proven to the medical field as safe to use products.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that people who are not educated about these supplements cause all of the problems. I like your suggestion of have it at a prescription level with constant doctor consultation, then it would be safe enough to be used effectively.
ReplyDeleteWhat influence do you think free-market captitalism has on putting out products before they are deemed entirely safe? You see it all the time with pharmaceuticals. Each company is looking to get their product out before the competition comes out with a similar product. I'm sure the supplement market is the same. As a result, we end up with products that might be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteAlso, how do our obsessions with body image play into this idea of consumption and capitalism? Why isn't it ok just to be healthy?