Natural is not necessarily safer.
The Food and Drug Administration is warning those hoping to lose weight not to take two popular plant-based alternatives to Ozempic, citing potentially fatal consequences.
Candlenut — sold online on sites like Amazon under the names Nuez de la India, Indian seed and Indian nut — has been widely advertised as “natural Ozempic,” but the product may actually be mislabeled and contain potentially poisonous yellow oleander.
The FDA issued a safety warning for two specific brands, Nut Diet Max and Todorganic, which were found to contain yellow oleander when the packaged product was compared to natural hazelnuts.
Both products have been subject to recalls as a result — but are still available through several online stores.
“Ingestion of yellow oleander can cause adverse neurological, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health effects that may be severe, or even fatal,” the agency warned, noting that vomiting, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain and irregular heartbeat are some symptoms.
Certain brands that market these weight loss products, sold in capsule or pill form, have recalled them.FDA
The FDA compared pure hazelnuts to products sold by online retailers such as Amazon and eBay.FDA
The announcement, which urges consumers to exercise caution when purchasing other “botanical weight loss products,” follows the recent hospitalization of a patient in Maryland who had used a product labeled as Nuez de la India.
Dr. Joshua King, medical director at the Maryland Poison Center, told NBC News that he was “shocked that this mix-up could happen.”
“I have no reason to think so [the substitution] malicious, intended to kill, but most likely these are more available than hazelnuts because they look similar,” he said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 1-year-old child in New Jersey was also treated for yellow oleander poisoning after mistakenly taking Eva Nutrition Mexican Tejocote Root, a weight-loss supplement purchased by the child’s mother.
The young patient had nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure and a slow heart rate, according to the CDC report.
Nut Diet Max recalls brand name capsules and seed supplements.FDA
Hazelnuts look very worrisome with yellow oleander.FDA
Concerned about potentially mislabeled products, the New Jersey Poison Control Center purchased 10 tejocote root products to determine their ingredients — nine of which contained yellow oleander without traces of tejocote root.
As the weight loss drug craze grips Hollywood, people sharing their diet struggles on social media have discussed switching to Ozempic or Wegovy alternatives in the hopes that this will have the same effect.
However, the FDA has warned against taking off-brand drugs that are sold with claims to contain semaglutide, the active ingredient in prescription drugs.
On social media, claims of plant-based alternatives to popular weight-loss drugs have also surfaced, despite experts’ doubts about their effectiveness.
Often marketed as Nuez de la India, mislabeled yellow oleander products can result in serious health consequences.FDA
The FDA urges consumers to purchase the product with caution.FDA
Berberine has been touted as “nature’s Ozempic” on TikTok, promising health benefits such as blood sugar regulation and better digestion. Meanwhile, TikTokers are praising its weight-loss properties — but experts have slammed Berberine as an unfounded “diet culture” practice.
“It’s an herb — herbs can interact with other medications, supplements and cause harm in some populations,” registered dietitian Jenna Werner previously told The Post.
The FDA does not test supplements for safety, effectiveness or label accuracy before the product hits the shelves, placing the onus on the manufacturer.
A study, published in April, tested more than two dozen sleep aid gummies for melatonin levels, finding that brands contained as much as 300% more than the serving dose promised on the label.
“When it comes to products like melatonin sold in the US as dietary supplements, current laws leave consumers at the mercy of the market – whatever the manufacturer puts into the product is what you get,” said study author Dr. Pieter Cohen previously told The Post.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
