The chemicals enumerated below which were banned by the United States Food and Drug Administration may still be found in supplements being manufactured and smuggled into Nigeria for sale through patent medicine dealers and even pharmacies spread across the country.

When buying supplements please read the label carefully. Use your phone to check Google for the purpose of the component you do not readily know its purpose in the supplement.

Ephedra (Banned)

Once widely sold as an ingredient in diet supplements, the Chinese herbal stimulant ephedra was banned by the FDA in 2004 because of evidence that its use could increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. In the United States in 2005, a lower court ruled that ephedra could be used in small doses. In 2006, a federal appeals court reinstated the FDA’s original ban, ruling that ephedra was too dangerous to be used as a supplement at any dose. According to WebMD, 64 percent of harmful reactions to herbal supplements were attributed to ephedra in 2001. The question is, are there supplements on sale in Nigeria that contain this chemical?

Hydroxycut (Recalled and banned)

Some weight loss products can cause severe damage to the kidneys, liver and other vital organs. According to the publication, Consumer Reports, Hydroxycut products were banned and recalled in 2009 because of reports of serious adverse reactions, including hepatitis and jaundice. One person who took these fat-burning supplements died; another required a liver transplant. Again, is this chemical incorporated into supplements in Nigeria?

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Fen-Phen

(Recalled)

Fenfluramine, one of the two active ingredients in the off-label diet drug Fen-Phen, was recalled in the late 1990s after the drug was linked to cases of heart damage and lung disease. Phentermine, the other primary ingredient in Fen-Phen, is still prescribed in certain cases for weight loss, but should be used only with a doctor’s prescription.

Meridia

Sibutramine, a prescription drug sold as Meridia, was withdrawn from the market in 2010 after a clinical study indicated that the drug could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. According to the National Institutes of Health, subutramine was originally prescribed as a long-term appetite suppressant and weight management solution. The manufacturer voluntarily stopped production after Meridia was associated with evidence of cardiovascular damage. Don’t take any supplement that contains sibutramine.