Diet Supplement Labels Don't Match Ephedra Amounts
Diet Supplement Labels Don't Match Ephedra Amounts
April 20, 2000 -- Many makers of dietary supplements containing ephedra are selling products containing significantly less -- or much more -- ephedra than stated on the label, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. Now the question facing the manufacturers is whether they're being purposefully deceitful or just careless.
"It could be both," study co-author William J. Gurley, PhD, tells WebMD. Gurley is an associate professor in the department of pharmaceutical sciences in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Critics of ephedra's use as a dietary supplement point out that the active ingredient of this Asian herb is ephedrine, a stimulant that acts similarly to amphetamines. The American Council on Science and Health reports that serious effects of ephedrine-based products have been linked to psychosis, seizure, heart attack, stroke, and even death.
Just this week, 24-year-old Sarah Ingram, who wanted to lose 10 pounds before her wedding, now lies in a Virginia hospital after suffering a stroke that has paralyzed her right arm and left her unable to speak or understand language.
"At this point I have no other reason to suspect anything else except ephedra use," says Michael Hoffstetter, MD, a neurologist and Ingram's attending physician at Prince William Hospital in Manassas, Va. He tells WebMD it's extremely unusual for someone this young to have a stroke like this -- the odds are about 3.5 per 100,000 people. "Her family has no history of stroke and she has no history of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes," he says.
Some people taking the supplement may be getting even more than they bargained for, according to the new study. In it, researchers analyzed 20 different ephedra-containing products purchased in 1999 from retailers or via the Internet. Two separate lots of 10 of the products were compared and analyzed for ephedra content. Researchers discovered half of the products exhibited discrepancies of at least 20%. Some even had 154% more ephedra than the amount claimed on the label. One product had no ephedra at all. Researchers frequently even found inconsistencies between groups of the same product.
Diet Supplement Labels Don't Match Ephedra Amounts
"It could be both," study co-author William J. Gurley, PhD, tells WebMD. Gurley is an associate professor in the department of pharmaceutical sciences in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Critics of ephedra's use as a dietary supplement point out that the active ingredient of this Asian herb is ephedrine, a stimulant that acts similarly to amphetamines. The American Council on Science and Health reports that serious effects of ephedrine-based products have been linked to psychosis, seizure, heart attack, stroke, and even death.
Just this week, 24-year-old Sarah Ingram, who wanted to lose 10 pounds before her wedding, now lies in a Virginia hospital after suffering a stroke that has paralyzed her right arm and left her unable to speak or understand language.
"At this point I have no other reason to suspect anything else except ephedra use," says Michael Hoffstetter, MD, a neurologist and Ingram's attending physician at Prince William Hospital in Manassas, Va. He tells WebMD it's extremely unusual for someone this young to have a stroke like this -- the odds are about 3.5 per 100,000 people. "Her family has no history of stroke and she has no history of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes," he says.
Some people taking the supplement may be getting even more than they bargained for, according to the new study. In it, researchers analyzed 20 different ephedra-containing products purchased in 1999 from retailers or via the Internet. Two separate lots of 10 of the products were compared and analyzed for ephedra content. Researchers discovered half of the products exhibited discrepancies of at least 20%. Some even had 154% more ephedra than the amount claimed on the label. One product had no ephedra at all. Researchers frequently even found inconsistencies between groups of the same product.