Banned Fenfluramine Found in Chinese Teas in Britain -
And, Yet Again, Another Weight-Loss Drug Under Watch by FDA

Herbal Medicine Found to Contain Fenfluramine

Although banned since 1997, reported cases of fenfluramine toxicity appeared in Great Britain this past year. Fenfluramine, a component of the diet drug "fen-phen," has been linked to potentially fatal pulmonary hypertension. The source of the fenfluramine appears to be Chinese herbal medicine from a local source.

In a letter to the British Medical Journal, the researchers stress the need for stricter regulation of traditional herbal medicine. While acknowledging that most Chinese herbalists and practitioners of other nontraditional medicines are responsible and professional, the general public is naïve about the safety of natural remedies, the letter states.

Use of herbal supplements is often unreported to physicians, according to a 2001 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Herbal supplements can cause complications such as bleeding, or can interfere with other medications during surgical procedures, according to the researchers. The researchers found that people did not report their herbal medication for various reasons, including the following:

• a belief that physicians are not knowledgeable about herbs
  
  
• a belief that physicians are prejudiced against herbs
  
  
• a fear of admitting use of unconventional therapies to their physician
  
  
• taking the herbs for reasons unrelated to their medical condition
  
  
• not considering herbal supplements as medications

The researchers recommend that physicians ask their patients very explicitly about herbal medications usage. However, even when asked about use of herbal medication, one in five patients will not know the exact preparation of the herb they are taking.

About Herbal Supplements

Herbal supplements are considered foods, not drugs, by the FDA and therefore are not subject to the same testing, manufacturing, and labeling standards and regulations as drugs. Until 1994, the FDA had disallowed health claims of any kind on herbal supplements. The passage of the federal Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) in late 1994 started to reverse this trend.

As recently as January 2000, the FDA updated the laws governing the labeling of herbal supplements, so consumers now can see labels that explain how herbs can influence different actions in the body. However, herbal supplement labels still cannot say anything about treating specific medical conditions, because herbal supplements are not subject to clinical trials or to the same manufacturing standards as prescription or traditional over-the-counter drugs.

Always consult your physician for more information.

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