Tejocote Root Weight Loss Supplements May Contain Toxic Substance, FDA Warns
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Key Takeaways
The FDA issued a warning that some tejocote root supplements contain toxic yellow oleander.
Yellow oleander poisoning can cause heart problems, gastrointestinal issues, or death.
Dietary supplements in the U.S. are not regulated by the FDA. Unlike prescription drugs, these products aren’t tested for safety or efficacy.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about weight loss supplements labeled as tejocote root that may actually contain yellow oleander, a toxic plant that can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, cardiovascular issues, and death.
Concerns about mislabeled tejocote root first appeared in 2022 when a toddler in New Jersey was poisoned after accidentally taking their mother’s supplements. The New Jersey Poison Information and Education System had a laboratory test products that were labeled as tejocote and marketed as weight loss supplements. Of the 10 tested products, nine turned out to be 100% yellow oleander.
The FDA launched its own investigation and found the same results in nine samples. Last year, the agency also warned that weight loss supplements marketed as “Nuez de la India” contained toxic yellow oleander.
Even ingesting a small amount of yellow oleander can cause symptoms, according to Edward W. Boyer, MD, PhD, an emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. However, it’s treatable and identifiable.
Related: How Do I Choose a Supplement?
“The real problem is that it’s in so many different products, and that suggests that it’s contaminated at the source,” Boyer told Verywell.
The FDA is not responsible for ensuring that dietary supplements are safe, effective, or properly labeled before these products are sold to consumers. Tejocote root is marketed as a weight loss supplement, but there are no clinical trials supporting this claim.
“A marketer doesn’t have to prove that the that the product is safe. It’s up to the FDA to prove that it’s unsafe. So you have to wait until an adverse effect appears before the FDA can do anything,” Boyer said.
The FDA is “actively working with third-party” suppliers while continuing its investigation into mislabeled tejocote root. In the meantime, Boyer said it would be “unwise” to assume that tejocote root products not listed on the FDA reports are safe.
“Widespread contamination means widespread problems,” he said.
Tejocote Root Products That Are Yellow Oleander
So far, the FDA has tested nine samples of the following eight products and found that they contained yellow oleander:
Alipotec Tejocote Root
Nutraholics ELV Tejocote Root
ELV Nutraholics Mexican Tejocote Root
ELVPOTEC Tejocote Root
Science of Alpha Mexican Tejocote Root
Niwali Raiz de Tejocote
Tejocotex
ELV Alipotec Raiz de Tejocote
How Serious Is Yellow Oleander Poisoning?
Yellow oleander poisoning is treatable, especially if medical care is administered quickly. Symptoms can last one to three days, but signs of yellow oleander poisoning appear shortly after consuming the toxin, according to Jennifer Susan Love, MD, a toxicologist and an emergency medicine physician at Mount Sinai in New York.
“If someone either has consumed or thinks that they have consumed yellow oleander, and they’re experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, they should go to the emergency department for care,” Love told Verywell.
Healthcare providers will use vital sign tests and an electrocardiogram (EKG) to determine if a person is experiencing yellow oleander poisoning before administering an antidote.
The FDA also encourages consumers who experienced adverse effects to contact their state’s poison control center and report their issue to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
Anyone who consumed yellow oleander without experiencing symptoms should still stop taking the supplement and consult a healthcare provider, Love said.
“Consumers really need to review the product labels and supplements with their family doctor prior to taking them for any supplement, whether that’s tejocote root or something else,” she said.
Read Next: Your Herbs and Spices May Contain Lead and Other Heavy Metals
What This Means For You
Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, and irregular heartbeat are signs of yellow oleander poisoning. If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, call 911 and the national, toll-free Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
