Two products have been added to a safety alert by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on supplements that contain toxic yellow oleander.
The addition of New Me and VidaSlim brings the FDA's list of toxic supplements to 25 products, as of Tuesday.
These supplements were sold online as products containing tejocote root—otherwise known as Brazil seed, raiz de tejocote, Mexican hawthorn and Crataegus Mexicana—which has long been used in traditional medicine for digestion, weight loss, inflammation and more.
But testing by the FDA has found that they contain yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana), a poisonous plant that can be fatal if ingested.
Yellow oleander can cause severe health problems involving the brain, nerves, heart, blood vessels and digestive system.
The FDA has received reports of people becoming ill after taking the supplements involved in its safety alert, including one serious incident related to ELV Control Herbal Supplement Capsules by Green ELV Nutrition.
In response to the FDA's safety alert, 10 products have been recalled by the brands or sellers involved, but other companies have declined to recall their products or have not been able to be contacted by the FDA.
The FDA's safety alert states that the organization is "concerned that products containing toxic yellow oleander remain on the marketplace."
Those who might have these supplements in their homes should stop using them and dispose of them.
Consumers who may have taken these products are being advised to contact their healthcare providers immediately, regardless of when they may have taken them, so they can be evaluated by a medical professional.
Serious side effects may occur after ingesting these products; call 911 if you believe this may be happening to you or someone in your care.
The FDA has advised that those who have taken impacted supplements can also contact their state's poison control center.
Issues with tejocote supplements initially arose after a toddler, almost two years old, was treated in hospital after consuming their mother's Eva Nutrition Mexican Tejocote Root supplements, in September 2022.
The child developed nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure and a slowed heart rate, among other heart problems, but recovered after medical treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report the following year of several tejocote products it had found to be substituted with toxic yellow oleander, and then the FDA launched an investigation into these products.
The FDA's safety alert was initially called in January 2024, but has been updated several times since, with new information about products that have been found to contain yellow oleander.
Newsweek has contacted the FDA and Amazon for comment via email, and has attempted to contact the companies involved via email and Instagram.
Other recalled supplements include hyaluronic acid tablets that contained undeclared drugs, vitamin B supplements that were incorrectly formulated and men's health supplements that contained hidden drug ingredients.
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