by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about the potential presence of a highly toxic substance in Tejocote weight-loss supplements sold through online retailers such as Amazon and Etsy. Recent tests conducted by the FDA revealed that capsules labeled as tejocote actually contained yellow oleander, a poisonous plant native to Mexico and Central America.
The FDA identified nine different products labeled as tejocote that were found to contain yellow oleander. These products were purchased from various online platforms, including Amazon, Etsy, and natural food or supplement retailers.
The adulterated products identified by the FDA include Alipotec Tejocote Root, Nutraholics ELV Tejocote Root, ELV Nutraholics Mexican Tejocote Root, ELVPOTEC Tejocote Root, Science of Alpha Mexican Tejocote Root, Niwali Raiz de Tejocote, Alipotec Tejocote Root, Tejocotex, and ELV Alipotec Raiz de Tejocote.
Ingesting yellow oleander can have severe health effects, including neurologic, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular complications. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and heart rhythm problems.
Tejocote, also known as Mexican hawthorn root, has gained popularity on social media as a weight-loss supplement. However, concerns were raised when a 23-month-old toddler in New Jersey experienced adverse reactions after consuming his mother’s tejocote capsules. The child developed symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, slowed heart rate, and low blood pressure. The incident was reported in a CDC report issued in September 2023.
Following the incident, the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System conducted a study and found that nine out of ten tejocote products purchased online contained yellow oleander.
The FDA is now concerned that there may be more products falsely labeled as tejocote in the market, which could pose a significant risk to consumers.
Apart from tejocote, the supplement is also sold under alternative names such as Crataegus mexicana, Raiz de Tejocote, and Mexican Hawthorn, according to the FDA.
Consumers are advised to be cautious when purchasing weight-loss supplements online and to only buy from reputable sources. It is crucial to carefully read product labels and check for any FDA warnings.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
