More than seven years after the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would ban dietary supplements containing ephedra, the herb is still available for sale at some online retailers. The agency announced that it would ban ephedra supplements in December 2003 after they were linked to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and sudden death. (more…)

A coroner’s report has revealed that Michael Jackson may have been taking the banned stimulant ephedrine at the time of his death. The Los Angeles County coroner’s report revealed that the singer also had the anesthetic propofol and the sedative lorazepam (Ativan) in his system, both of which contributed to his death. (more…)

The Mayo Clinic is warning consumers about the serious and potentially deadly side effects they may face from taking over-the-counter herbal supplements. The warning was sent in the Clinic’s August 2009 issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. (more…)

Critics of the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of dietary supplements say that the agency needs to be given more power in order to protect consumers from the potential health risks associated with these products. Concerns about the FDA’s regulation of supplements arose this week after the agency warned consumers about reports of acute liver injury and kidney failure among consumers taking over-the-counter body-building products. (more…)