Fwd: [discusschineseherbs] ...And Another Chinese Herb Alert

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Thanks to Colleen DeLaney of discusschineseherbs for permission

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Victoria

 

>Colleen DeLaney <herbdocs

>discusschineseherbs

>discusschineseherbs

>[discusschineseherbs] ...And Another Chinese Herb Alert

>Sun, 04 Jun 2000 11:56:31 -0700

>

>FDA to block Chinese herb suspected of kidney toxicity

>

>

>Friday, June 2, 2000

>Breaking News Sections

>

>

> (06-02) 15:47 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- The

> government is preparing to stop the import of a

> Chinese herb that caused kidney failure in Britain

> and Belgium. It has also alerted doctors to be on

> the lookout for the herb.

>

> The herb family is called Aristolochia, and the

> kidney-toxic ingredient is called aristolochic acid.

> The ingredient also is suspected of causing cancer.

>

> The Food and Drug Administration warned doctors

> that a list of botanical products is suspected of

> containing or being contaminated with aristolochic

> acid.

>

> No American is known to have been injured. Nor

> does the FDA know how many such products are

> sold here. Federal law severely restricts oversight of

> dietary supplements unless the government proves

> there's a health concern.

>

> But the FDA decided to crack down on the

> possible threat after Britain last summer reported

> two cases of kidney failure in people taking

> aristolochic-containing Chinese herbs to treat a skin

> condition. One needed a kidney transplant; the

> other is on dialysis awaiting a transplant.

>

> Also, Belgian doctors have reported at least 70

> people who needed dialysis or a transplant after

> taking a aristolochic-containing Chinese herb to lose

> weight.

>

> ``This one is extremely dangerous. It destroys your

> kidneys,'' said FDA dietary supplement chief

> Christine Lewis. ``We're trying to head it off at the

> pass.''

>

> Within weeks, the FDA will stop at the docks all

> imports of herbs suspected to contain aristolochic

> acid, Lewis said.

>

> The FDA wrote dietary supplement manufacturers

> this week urging that they test certain botanical

> products for the ingredient, and wrote thousands of

> physicians to alert them about the concern. The

> hope is that doctors check patients with unexplained

> kidney failure, and that they educate patients to

> avoid the suspected products.

>

> For a list of plants under concern, check the FDA's

> Internet site at

> http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpwhats.html, and

> click on ``dietary supplements.''

>

>

> ©2000 Associated Press

>--

>------>Colleen

>

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