Each 2 mL serving contains: Cobalt 59 mcg. Other Ingredients: Ethyl Alcohol, Purified Water.
Brand name products often contain multiple ingredients. To read detailed information about each ingredient, click on the link for the individual ingredient shown above.
In 2004, Canada began regulating natural medicines as a category of products separate from foods or drugs. These products are officially recognized as "Natural Health Products." These products include vitamins, minerals, herbal preparations, homeopathic products, probiotics, fatty acids, amino acids, and other naturally derived supplements.
In order to be marketed in Canada, natural health products must be licensed. In order to be licensed in Canada, manufacturers must submit applications to Health Canada including information about uses, formulation, dosing, safety, and efficacy.
Products can be licensed based on several criteria. Some products are licensed based on historical or traditional uses. For example, if an herbal product has a history of traditional use, then that product may be acceptable for licensure. In this case, no reliable scientific evidence is required for approval.
For products with non-traditional uses, some level of scientific evidence may be required to support claimed uses. However, a high level of evidence is not necessarily required. Acceptable sources of evidence include at least one well-designed, randomized, controlled trial; well-designed, non-randomized trials; cohort and case control studies; or expert opinion reports.
Finished products licensed by Health Canada must be manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) as outlined by Health Canada.
This is a homeopathic preparation. Homeopathy is a system of medicine established in the 19th century by a German physician named Samuel Hahnemann. Its basic principles are that "like treats like" and "potentiation through dilution." For example, in homeopathy, diarrhea would be treated with an extreme dilution of a substance that normally causes diarrhea when taken in high doses.
Practitioners of homeopathy believe that more dilute preparations are more potent. Many homeopathic preparations are so diluted that they contain little or no active ingredient. Therefore, most homeopathic products are not expected to have any pharmacological effects, drug interactions, or other harmful effects. Any beneficial effects are controversial and cannot be explained by current scientific methods.
Dilutions of 1 to 10 are designated by an "X." So a 1X dilution = 1:10, 3X=1:1000; 6X=1:1,000,000. Dilutions of 1 to 100 are designated by a "C." So a 1C dilution = 1:100; 3C = 1:1,000,000. Dilutions of 24X or 12C or more contain zero molecules of the original active ingredient.
Homeopathic products are permitted for sale in the US due to legislation passed in 1938 sponsored by a homeopathic physician who was also a Senator. The law still requires that the FDA allow the sale of products listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States. However, homeopathic preparations are not held to the same safety and effectiveness standards as conventional medicines. For more information, see the Homeopathy monograph.
Below is general information about the effectiveness of the known ingredients contained in the product Oligo Cobalt. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
There is insufficient reliable information available about the effectiveness of cobalt.
Below is general information about the safety of the known ingredients contained in the product Oligo Cobalt. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately, short-term. Cobalt chloride 1 mg daily has been used with apparent safety for up to 90 days in two small clinical studies (102081,102082).
POSSIBLY UNSAFE ...when used orally, long-term or in large amounts. ...when inhaled due to occupational exposure. Cobalt exposure has been linked to reports of cardiomyopathy, dermatitis, hypothyroidism, interstitial lung disease, and neurotoxicity, including vision and hearing loss (102066,102067,102068,102070,102071,102072,102073,102074,102076,102077).
PREGNANCY AND LACTATION:
Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.
Below is general information about the interactions of the known ingredients contained in the product Oligo Cobalt. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
Below is general information about the adverse effects of the known ingredients contained in the product Oligo Cobalt. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
General ...Orally, cobalt seems to be well-tolerated when taken for up to 90 days in small amounts. Taking cobalt orally long-term or in high doses may cause cardiomyopathy, hearing loss, and vision loss (102066,102068,102077). Topically, cobalt-containing products can cause allergic contact dermatitis in some patients (102070,102071,102072,102073). Occupational exposure to cobalt dust may cause cardiomyopathy, interstitial lung disease, and hearing and vision loss in some people (102066,102067,102068,102077). Exposure to cobalt from cobalt-containing prosthetic joints has been linked to cardiomyopathy, dermatitis, hypothyroidism, hearing loss, and vision loss (102066,102068,102070,102074,102076,102077).
Cardiovascular ...Oral, occupational, and systemic exposure to cobalt may cause cardiomyopathy. While rare, this adverse effect has been reported in patients taking cobalt for anemia, consuming cobalt-fortified beer, working in industries with exposure to cobalt dust, and those with cobalt-containing prosthetic joints (102066,102076). Patients who consume a low protein diet, are thiamine deficient, or who have hypothyroidism appear to be at a greater risk of cobalt-induced cardiomyopathy. Cobalt-related cardiomyopathy can be distinguished from non-cobalt-related cardiomyopathy by its rapid onset and progression (102066).
Dermatologic ...Topically, cobalt can cause allergic contact dermatitis. Numerous cases of allergic skin reactions have been reported after contact with cobalt in leather goods, jewelry, nail polishes, cobalt blue tattoo ink, and cement (102069,102070,102071,102072). Dermatitis has also been reported in patients with occupations that involve the production or handling of ceramics, enamel, glass, heavy metals, pigments, or electrical components, as cobalt is extensively used in these industries (102070,102073). Exposure to cobalt found in prosthetic joints and other metallic surgical implants has also been reported to cause generalized dermatitis in some patients (102070).
Endocrine ...Exposure to cobalt-containing prosthetic joints may cause hypothyroidism in some patients (102074,102076).
Neurologic/CNS ...Exposure to cobalt may cause reversible neurologic adverse effects in some patients (102074,102076,102077). Demyelinating neuropathy, cognitive decline, headaches, depression, convulsions, and forgetfulness have been reported in patients with cobalt-containing hip joint prostheses (102074,102077). Vertigo and impairment in memory and attention have been reported after occupational exposure to cobalt (102077).
Ocular/Otic ...Oral, occupational, and systemic exposure to cobalt may cause adverse ocular and otic effects. While rare, reversible and irreversible vision loss, optic neuropathy and atrophy, signs of abnormal retinal functioning, hearing loss, bilateral deafness, and tinnitus have been reported in patients taking cobalt for anemia, working in industries with exposure to cobalt dust, and those with cobalt-containing prosthetic joints (102068,102074,102077).
Pulmonary/Respiratory ...Occupational exposure to cobalt can cause interstitial lung disease (ILD). Patients with subacute cobalt-related ILD may present with dyspnea, cough, fevers, chills, and weight loss a few months to years after exposure, and symptoms typically resolve after removal of the exposure. Patients with chronic cobalt-related ILD experience a more gradual development of dyspnea and cough which generally do not improve after removal of the exposure. Chronic cobalt-related ILD can progress to end-stage fibrosis and death. While removal of exposure is the mainstay of treatment, some case reports show that inhaled or systemic corticosteroids can improve symptoms and radiographic signs of cobalt-related ILD (102067).
Other ...Exposure to cobalt-containing prosthetic joints may cause pseudotumor formation near the replaced joints (102074,102075,102076). In one study, around 54% of patients with metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty developed pseudotumors, while 22% with conventional metal-on-polyethylene articulations developed pseudotumors. Women with metal-on-metal articulations and elevated serum cobalt levels were at the greatest risk of developing pseudotumors (102075).
