These natural ingredients in nutritional supplements are harmful to health, according to a study

Why Higenamine can endanger your health

When people eat dietary supplements with an ingredient called Higenamine, it can affect their health. A problem with such dietary supplements is that it is often not clear how much Higenamine is in a single pill. This can lead to ingestion of dangerously high concentrations of the herbal active substance.

Scientists at NSF International and staff at the internationally respected Harvard Medical School have found in their current research that taking Higenamine supplements may be harmful to their health. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Clinical Toxicology".

How was the study done??

For their study, researchers examined 24 brands of nutritional supplements available in the United States that contain so-called Higenamine. Many of these products are marketed as a means of weight loss or increase athletic performance. The physicians tested the chemical composition of the pills using two different laboratories to separately analyze two samples from each brand.

How much Higenamin took the subjects daily?

All of the products studied contained some higenamine, but the amount varied greatly from sample to sample. Based on the samples, humans have taken tiny amounts of Higenamine up to more than 100 milligrams a day. The instructions on the respective label of the products were followed. Only five products actually contained the amount of higenamine indicated on the label, as determined by analysis of the corresponding samples. In the products tested, the actual amount of Higenamine was between 0.001 percent and 200 percent of the stated amount, the researchers explain.

Dosage information was extremely inaccurate

While higenamine is considered to be a legal food ingredient when it is a component of plant compounds, investigators at food supplements see health risks because of extremely inaccurate dosage information, according to study author John Travis of NSF International. NSF International is a long-established Michigan-based non-profit organization that conducts consumer product testing and testing, including nutritional supplements. The company also provides independent certification and standards for various industries.

Higenamin mainly affects the heart

Higenamine comes from a variety of plants, including monkshood. Higenamine has recently been sold in nutritional supplements and drinks to promote athletic performance, say the authors. In contrast to homeopathic products, these Higenamin variants mainly affect the heart. This made them a popular tool for professional athletes looking for a legal competitive advantage. But in 2017, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has officially banned its use.

The dangers of Higenamin largely unknown

Given that some nutritional supplements have unclear compositional information, athletes may accidentally take Higenamine, which would seriously jeopardize their careers, the experts said. In addition, the dangers of Higenamin are virtually unknown. Since 2014, the Food and Drug Administration has received reports of negative side effects of Higenamin, the authors said.

How much Higenamin harms the health?

There has been little research, neither in humans nor in animals, to determine the risks of ingestion. It is not even known how much Higenamine is needed to harm your health, although studies in China have found that 2.5 milligrams (injected directly into the blood stream) can accelerate the heart. However, medications taken orally tend to be less effective than when given intravenously, the experts explain.

Take care when taking Higenamin

Other plant-based stimulants, such as those found in ephedra (banned by the FDA in 2004), are known to cause heart attacks and strokes in high enough doses and may even lead to coma or death of the users. Both competitive and recreational athletes, as well as general consumers, should think twice before taking a product containing Higenamin, Travis said. It is estimated that dietary supplements are responsible for a total of more than 23,000 emergency department visits a year in the US alone, the researchers report. (As)