About half of Americans use dietary supplements. These nutritional aids alleviate deficiencies caused by an inadequate diet, and are used to complement conventional treatments for medical conditions. Unfortunately, the supplement industry remains poorly regulated. This lack of oversight has allowed the sale of unsafe substances. Some spices and herbs, for example, become toxic in large doses. Before taking any dietary supplement, speak with your doctor about its safety.
Digitalis Purpurea
Physicians in the 1700s administered digitalis purpurea, also known as foxglove, to treat heart irregularities." This herb, called digoxin and digitalis in it's drug form, remains in use despite being toxic in large amounts. A 2010 article presented in the "Journal of the Chinese Medical Association" describes an outbreak of digitalis poisoning. Nine people accidentally used foxglove in place of comfrey because the two plants look similar. Ingesting digitalis caused dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. Several patients had an unusual amount of potassium in their bloodstream, a potentially lethal condition called hyperkalemia. Emergency medical treatments restored the patients to good health.
Aristolochia Fangchi
Ingesting Aristolochia fangchi, an herb present in diet pills, has caused kidney failure in patients around the world. This prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning about products containing Aristolochia. A 2006 paper offered in the "Bulletin et Memoires de l'Academie Royale de Medecine de Belgique" tested the effects of Aristolochia on laboratory animals. Rats given aristolochic acid, the active ingredient in Aristolochia, for seven weeks developed kidney problems. Their symptoms were similar to those of 100 Belgian patients who had taken excessive amounts of diet pills containing Aristolochia extracts. Nearly half of these patients ultimately developed bladder cancer as well.
Stephania Tetrandra
Stephania tetrandra has many health applications including the treatment of high blood pressure and autoimmune disorders. These benefits are tempered by possible toxic effects such as permanent injury to the kidney and liver. Supplement makers include Stephania in diet pills sold to American consumers. An investigation described in the 2010 edition of the "Journal of Chinese Materia Medica" looked at the effects of Stephania on laboratory animals. Rodents received injections of Stephania, Aristolochia or water for a month. Treated rats had elevated blood urea nitrogen, an indicator of kidney damage. Autopsies supported this finding and revealed liver damage as well. Rats given Stephania showed more extensive organ damage than those given Aristolochia.
Ephedra Sinica
Many diet pills list Ephedra sinica plant extracts as an ingredient. Taking these diet pills remains controversial. The Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of Ephedra in the United States because of deaths related to it. A study reviewed in the 2007 volume of "Toxicologic Pathology" evaluated the safety of Ephedra in an animal model. The authors gave rats the stimulant or a placebo during a single testing session. Relative to no treatment, the extract caused salivation and stupor. Autopsies revealed internal bleeding and heart damage. Because Ephedra is often combined with caffeine, researchers conducted additional experiments testing that combination. Those studies revealed toxic effects similar to, but even greater than, the ones obtained with Ephedra alone.
References
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Dietary Supplement Use in the United States, 2003-2006; Regan L. Bailey, et al.; April 2010
- "Journal of Cardiac Failure"; A Fond Farewell to the Foxglove? The Decline in the Use of Digitalis; Allen B. Weisse; January 2010
- MedinePlus: Digitalis Toxicity
- "Journal of the Chinese Medical Association"; Outbreak of Foxglove Leaf Poisoning; Chun-Chi Lin, et al.; February 2010
- "Kidney International"; Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy: A Worldwide Problem; Frederic D. Debelle, et al.; July 2008
- "Bulletin et Memoires de l'Academie Royale de Medecine de Belgique"; Nephropathy Caused by Chinese Plants and Aristolochic Acids: From Clinical Observation to Experimental Model; Frederic Debelle and Joelle Nortier; 2006
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