## forwarded from: /FIDO/HERBS-N-SUCH
         F D A seeks restrictions on herbal diet supplements
                    (Associated Press)
   WASHINGTON --- After at least 17 deaths and 800 illnesses linked to
  ephedrine-laced dietery supplements, the government said Monday it
  will crack down on the pills, tablets and teas that promise to help
  people lose weight, build muscle and feel more energetic.
   The Food and Drug Administration plans to dramatically cut the dose
  of the herbal stimulant that can be put into any dietary supplement
  and to ban the marketing of ephedrine-containing products as weight
  loss or body building agents.
   In addition, many of the supplements would bear warnings that too
  much of the product can kill, the FDA announced.
   No one with heart disease, high blood pressure or neurological
  disorders should use ephedrine supplements because the amphetamine
  like stimulant can cause heart attack, stoke,seizure or death, the
  FDA said.
   To back its case, the FDA detailed how a previously healthy 23-year-
  old Boston college student used an ephedrine-containing "proteindrink"
  for bodybuilding for two years.
   One day he dropped dead because, the coroner ruled, the drink killed
  portions of his heart.
                 ****  F D A proposals ****
  *  Banning supplements with more than 8 milligrams of ephedrine or
    related alkaloids per serving, and setting the maximum daily dose
    at 24 milligrams.
  *  Prohibiting use of ephedrine products for more than seven days.
    That would essentially ban ephedrine weight-loss or bodybuilding
    supplements, because getting those purported health effects
    requires weeks of use.
  *  Requiring many supplements to bear the warning: " Taking more than
    the recommended serving may result in heart attack, stroke, seizure
    or death.
  *  Banning caffeine or other stimulants in combination with ephedrine.
   (Published in the "Waterbury Republican " newspaper on June 3 1997
    from Waterbury, Connecticut )
PGP-fingerprint: C8 62 0E A5 1D 33 FD 3D  E1 41 15 47 C1 B4 83 41
--- CrossPoint v3.11 R
---------------