Health Guru Sues Maker of Own Product

Gary Null says he nearly died after taking a dose of his own medicine. Null, health guru, author, critic of the medical and psychiatric communities, and seller of Gary Null's Ultimate Power Meal, claims that after taking the supplement as directed for a month, he suffered from a variety of ailments including kidney damage, "excruciating fatigue along with bodily pain," as well as bleeding "within his feet." Null has sued Triarco Industries, alleging that the supplement they made contained 1,000 times the recommended dose of Vitamin D. 

According to Null's attorney Leslie Fourton, the Ultimate Power Meal caused a D Vitamin overdose. Null "was informed by doctors at that time that he was getting too much Vitamin D. That the supplement contained 2 million units versus 2,000. The supplement contained way too much Vitamin D for the recommended use..."

But how could something like this happen? How can a person buy a supplement so powerful as to cause a D Vitamin overdose? For starters, vitamins, herbs, dietary supplements and alternative medicines, such as Ultimate Power Meal are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. As a consumer, you are often on your own, as problems with such products are frequently only found after people get sick. According to DiscoveryNews, manufacturers are not required to test such alternative medicines and supplements for safety or efficacy. 

According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994:

The dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed... Generally, manufacturers do not need to register their products with FDA nor get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements. Manufacturers must make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading.

Despite the lawsuit, Null and his attorney seem hesitant to criticize Triarco Industries.  Fourton stated that Null is feeling much better. "This is the only time in 30 years that an incident like this has happened. We don't want anything to affect the physical well-being of anyone or the reputation of the company." Yet Fourton confirmed that Null is seeking $10 million in damages from the New Jersey manufacturer.

ABC news attempted to contact Triarco Industries, but they could not be reached for comment and they have not released a statement in response to the lawsuit at this time.   

Related Resources:

• Alt Med Supplement Guru Nearly Killed By Own Product (Discovery News)
• The Biggest Lawsuit: Jillian Michaels Sued Over Diet Pills (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
• Biggest Lawsuit III: Two More Suits Gain on Jillian Michaels (FindLaw Celebrity Justice)
• Alternative Health Guru Sues Company Over His Own Product (ABC)
• Defective Products Overview (provided by The Sawaya Law Firm)
• Types of Product Liability Cases (provided by Zevan & Associates)