FDA warns of weight-loss supplements containing poisonous plant
- Nut Diet Max and Todorganic Natural Nuez de la India products are affected
- Instead of Nuez de la India, they contained yellow oleander seeds
- The seeds look similar but yellow oleander is highly toxic
Authentic Nuez de la India seeds are on the left compared to sampled seeds on the right, identified as yellow oleander. (Food and Drug Administration)
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(NewsNation) — The Food and Drug Administration has issued a safety alert warning consumers to avoid purchasing herbal weight-loss supplements labeled Nuez de la India after finding they contain a toxic ingredient.
The brands affected are Nut Diet Max and Todorganic Natural. The products may be labeled as Nuez de la India, India nuts or India seeds. The supplements have been sold through Amazon, eBay and Walmart.
Rather than containing the correct ingredient, Nuez de la India, they instead contained yellow oleander seeds, which are highly toxic.
Nuez de la India, also known as candlenut, is considered mildly toxic. However, it has been traditionally used in Asian medicine to treat a variety of conditions, as well as being used as an ingredient in cooking. When ingested, it has a laxative effect and can also cause vomiting.
No scientific studies have backed up health claims regarding candlenut.
The seeds of the plant are similar in appearance to yellow oleander, which is considered extremely toxic. Yellow oleander has been found to cause serious poisonings and death even in small amounts. Even touching the plant can result in poisoning and symptoms include gastrointestinal distress and heart problems.
Testing by the FDA and the Maryland Department of Public Health revealed the mislabeled ingredients. Todorganic Natural has issued a recall for the supplements, which can be returned for a full refund.
The FDA is continuing to investigate similar products and has advised consumers to be cautious when purchasing similar supplements.
