In the News – “Natural” Diet Pills Laced with Drugs

Snippet from the article:

Grady Jackson, a defensive tackle with the Atlanta Falcons, said he used the weight-loss capsules. Kathie Lee Gifford was enthusiastic about them on the “Today” show. Retailers like GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe sold them, no prescription required.

But the Food and Drug Administration now says those weight-loss capsules, called StarCaps and promoted as natural dietary supplements using papaya, could be hazardous to your health. In violation of the law, the agency has found, the capsules also contained a potent pharmaceutical drug called bumetanide which can have serious side effects.

Read the full article at the NY Times

Just goes to show that not everything “natural” is good for you. At least it is being pulled from the market. This supplement contained bumetanide, which is a medication used to treat edema. Some of the possible side effects from bumetanide include nausea, cramps, impaired hearing, premature ejaculation, and a variety of other things (see list). Yikes!