Many Dietary Supplements Contain BMPEA, a Potentially Dangerous Substance
Many Dietary Supplements Contain BMPEA, a Potentially Dangerous Substance – A new study published in journal Drug Testing and Analysis, reports that in 2013, the Food and Drug Administration found BMPEA in diet and sports supplements, advertised as containing acacia rigidula, a shrub native to Texas.
Researchers involved in the study points out that though BMPEA is advertised as being derived from a plant, the substance is actually made synthetically and is reported to be like an amphetamine. The substance has not been tested in humans. Researchers say BMPEA health risks are not known, FDA should have warned consumers about it, and required manufacturers to remove it, but it did neither. They ask doctors to be vigilant for patients exhibiting toxicity from taking these supplements.
An FDA spokesperson, Julie Putnam, acknowledged finding BMPEA in Acacia rigidula supplements in 2013, but said that they did not find any safety issues at the time, and assured that the FDA would take appropriate regulatory action to protect consumers as needed.
Dietary supplements are not subject to FDA testing before being introduced in the market, but it can take action if the products are found to be harmful, and this has been a cause for concern for consumers. The most recent case, where New York Atty. Gen. Eric T. Schneiderman conducted a study that found contaminants and unlabeled ingredients in herbal supplements resulted in supplement maker, GNC, agreeing to conduct DNA-based testing to authenticate ingredients in their supplements.
Researchers, Peter Cohen from Harvard Medical School and others tested 21 brands of Acacia rigidula and found BPMEA in almost half of them. They say that research on cats and dogs conducted in 1930s and 194os showed that BMPEA is linked to high blood pressure and increased heart rate, and has been banned by the World Doping Association.
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