Re: OJO con las HIERBAS!!!

[sbassi@...>]

Hola!

Esto lo publicaron hoy en SOC.CULTURE.ARGENTINA. Parece que originalmente 
es de AP.

Y despues nos venden esto porque es natural...


Aug. 28, 1996 

FDA targets 'herbal high'

WASHINGTON - They are sold as food supplements that promise more
strength,
slimmer bodies and better health, but herbal concoctions containing the
ancient
Chinese drug ephedrine have caused heart attacks, seizures and at least
17 deaths. 

Food and Drug Administration officials said Tuesday that more than 800
people have
been treated for disorders linked directly to "health food" preparations
that are sold to
reduce weight, build muscle and stamina, or, in a few cases, to produce
a "herbal high"
that makers claims will rival cocaine. 

All of the concoctions contain ephedrine, a naturally occurring drug
that Chinese
practitioners have used for centuries to treat colds. But in recent
years, preparations
loaded with the compound have been peddled as "dietary supplements" that
can be
sold without the rigid control that the FDA has over pharmaceuticals. 

The products are being sold in health food outlets, convenience stores
and exercise
parlors. Most of the customers are young people looking to enjoy better
health or a
risk-free "high." Instead, many end up in the hospital. 

Reports of adverse reactions to the preparations have so alarmed FDA
officials that
they are moving to either force changes in labels, require pure
ingredients, or perhaps
to stop sales of some ephedrine-based food supplements altogether. An
FDA advisory
panel began considering the issue on Tuesday and is expected to make a
recommendation to the agency on Wednesday. 

"What we are concerned about is the safety of these products," said FDA
chief David
Kessler. Right now, he said, people see labels that claim products are
"all natural" or
"herbal" and believe they are safe. That is a risky assumption, said
Kessler. 

"It is buyer beware," he said. 

Most of the concoctions are packaged as pills or capsules that cause
people to lose
weight and to get more energy. But there is a growing number of products
that promise
drug-like euphoria. 

"Some of these products are nothing more than street drugs masquerading
as diet
supplements," said Kessler. 

In a study of people sicken by the products, the FDA found that heart
attack, stroke,
angina and heart arrhythmias were the most common. The products also
have caused
seizures, psychiatric disorders, dizziness, personality changes, memory
loss, rashes,
vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue. 

"This is happening to young, healthy people," said Kessler. 

He was particularly concerned about two recent deaths. In one case, a
20-year-old took
a preparation called Ultima Xphoria and was found dead eight hours
later. The coroner,
who said tests for alcohol and other drugs were negative, blamed the
death on heart
attack caused by the ephedrine-based preparation. 

In another case, a 24-year-old college student who was trying to build
up his body died
after two years of taking a product called Ripped Fuel. At autopsy, the
student's heart
was found riddled with dead patches of cells. The coroner blamed
ephedrine toxicity. 

The FDA already has taken steps to stop sales of preparations that
officials described
as "street drug alternatives." 

In letters that often are one of the agency's last steps before taking a
company to court,
the FDA last week accused six firms of ignoring repeated warnings about
health risks. 

"We consider marketing of these products to be irresponsible," says one
letter,
obtained by The Associated Press, that gives companies until Friday to
settle the
issue. The FDA has not said what its next step would be. 

The FDA advisory panel meeting this week is expected to determine if
there is a
dosage of ephedrine in food supplements that is safe. A committee that
met last
October recommended that the FDA set dose limits for food supplements
containing
ephedrine, require warning labels and establish basic manufacturing
standards. 

By The Associated Press 
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--
Regards,
Seba.

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* Sebastian Bassi                               (PGP key upon request)    *
* Autor de: "Manual Internet", Muy Interesante, Marzo 1996, Argentina.    *
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