The settlement affects Match, OkCupid, PlentyofFish and other popular dating sites

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

Findings from a recent study explored the efficacy of supplements like St. Johns Wort, saffron, Vitamin D, and more

• Researchers reviewed over 200 clinical trials that looked at 64 over-the-counter herbal or dietary products for depression.

• The review used a scoping approach, mapping whats been studied including trial size, participant criteria, blinding, comparators, and safety outcomes.

• Safety concerns were rare, but evidence quality varied, and more rigorous research is still needed especially to understand optimal dosages and product quality.

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Ever wondered whether store-bought supplements can actually lift the gloom?

A recent study took a deep dive into clinical trials testing over-the-counter (OTC) products like herbal remedies and vitamins for depressive symptoms in adults aged 18 to 60.

Depression is increasingly common, to the extent that it is sometimes described as an epidemic, researcher Rachael Frost wrote in a news release.

Often, we will try many things to help, such as antidepressants, talking therapies, meditation, or exercise. One common treatment people try is OTC products which are widely available and accessible from supermarkets, pharmacies, health food shops, and online.

Frost explained that the list of OTC products can be daunting, and its hard for consumers to know what products work, which ones are safe, and what the science says. That was the basis behind this study.

The study

The team cast a wide scientific net sifting through 209 clinical trials spanning 64 different OTC products.

They considered key details such as participant criteria (e.g., diagnosis vs. symptom-level depression), trial structure (double-, single-, or open-label), comparators (placebo vs. antidepressant vs. other OTC products), and sample sizes (median ~70 participants).

They mapped the trials by product type, effectiveness findings, and safety reports, offering a broad research landscape rather than zeroing in on just a few supplements.

Whats the takeaway?

Heres what stood out:

• Most robust evidence: St. Johns Wort and saffron often outperformed placebo and sometimes matched antidepressants in effectiveness. Probiotics and vitamin D also showed promising results compared to placebo.

• Mixed bag: Supplements like melatonin, magnesium, curcumin, cinnamon, echium, vitamin C, and vitamin D plus calcium showed mixed or inconclusive effects.

• Safety: Few serious safety signals were reported but only about 69% of trials adequately documented side effects.
  

When we looked at surveys of what people commonly take, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, and echium emerged as commonly consumed products with an emerging evidence base, which we recommend be studied further, Frost explained.

Other commonly used herbal medicines for depressive symptoms are ginseng, gingko, lime flowers, orange blossom, and peppermint, but no studies have evaluated these products. Thus, our study has pioneered an exploration into what research is needed to further assess such widely used health care products.

FDA warns products may be contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia bacteria

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

FDA warns products may be contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia bacteria
Four brands of hand soap, lotion, and perineal cleanser affected in nationwide recall
Infections pose heightened danger to immunocompromised patients

DermaRite, a manufacturer of skincare, wound care, and infection control products widely used in healthcare settings, is recalling select lots of hand soap, lotion, and an intimate antiseptic cleanser after tests found possible contamination with Burkholderia cepacia bacteria. The recall, conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), affects four of the companys brands:

• DermaKleen antiseptic lotion soap

• DermaSarra pain-relieving cream

• KleenFoam antimicrobial foam soap

• PeriGiene antiseptic perineal cleanser

The affected products were distributed across the United States and Puerto Rico and can be identified by reorder numbers 0092BB, 0090BB, 00188, 0093F, and 00198, along with lot codes and expiration dates published by the FDA.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Burkholderia cepacia is commonly found in soil and water and can cause serious respiratory infections, particularly in people with cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease, or compromised immune systems. While healthy individuals face minimal risk, use of contaminated products on open skin lesions could result in localized infections, and in vulnerable patients, the bacteria may spread to the bloodstream, potentially causing life-threatening sepsis.

DermaRite says it has not received any reports of adverse events linked to the recalled lots. The company has advised distributors and healthcare customers to review their inventories and destroy affected products following facility procedures. Consumers with recalled items should stop using them immediately and contact their healthcare provider if they have concerns.

Questions about the recall can be directed to voluntary.action@dermarite.com, and adverse reactions can be reported to the FDAs MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

The settlement affects Match, OkCupid, PlentyofFish and other popular dating sites

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

Google is expected to be required to sell the popular browser as part of an anti-trust settlement

• Perplexity proposes to buy Chrome ahead of a potential U.S. antitrust order forcing Google to sell the browser.

• Startup says multiple investment funds will fully finance the $34.5 billion offer.

• Plans include $3 billion investment in Chrome and retaining much of its talent if deal goes through.

AI startup Perplexity has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to acquire Googles Chrome browser, a bold move aimed at getting ahead of a possible U.S. antitrust requirement that could force Google to divest the web browser. The bid, sent to Alphabet Inc.s Google on Tuesday, comes just days before a federal judge is expected to issue remedies in a landmark antitrust case targeting Googles search dominance.

Perplexity valued at $18 billion after a recent $100 million funding round said the purchase would be fully financed by multiple unnamed large investment funds. The San Francisco-based company has been positioning itself as an AI-powered alternative to Google Search, and earlier this year made a similar preemptive bid for TikToks U.S. operations amid a potential ban.

If the Chrome deal is approved, Perplexity said it would commit $3 billion over two years to develop Chrome and its open-source Chromium base, while extending offers to a substantial portion of Chromes current team. The company also pledged not to make stealth modifications, emphasizing continuity for users and advertisers. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Google did not immediately comment on the offer.