You already know the secret to eating foods that are more natural than they are chemical-y: Don’t eat anything you can’t pronounce. But what happens when you can pronounce it—and it actually sounds good for you? Case in point: “All-natural geranium extract.” Sounds super healthy, right? Like a deliciously healthful bouquet stuffed into a compact capsule, ready to bloom once it hits your insides. But according to a new study, it’s anything but natural—and it might even be lethal. Makers of workout and weight-loss products—think diet pills and sports drinks—containing DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine) tout it as a natural stimulant, made from geranium plants, that can boost athletic performance. But new research from Daniel Armstrong, PhD, a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, finds that DMAA is actually a synthetic substance—one that the FDA has received 42 complaints about regarding adverse effects, such as cardiac and psychiatric disorders, as well as death. More from Prevention.com: 11 Health Food Impostors Dr. Armstrong examined eight different commercial geranium extracts looking for even a shred of DMAA. He found none. And that’s a big deal because it means that DMAA should have been regulated by the government—as it’s clearly unnatural—but hasn’t been. The good news is that the FDA is doing something about it. In April 2012, they sent warning letters to 10 manufacturers that products containing DMAA are now considered to be “new dietary ingredients.” That means that under a 1994 law, those companies are required to provide evidence to FDA of their safety before marketing them—something none of these companies did, says Daniel Fabricant, PhD, director of FDA’s Dietary Supplement Program. More from Prevention.com: The Scary Truth About Diet Drugs And even if they had submitted safety documentation, the FDA probably wouldn’t have accepted it in light of clear evidence to the contrary. At least two deaths of U.S. soldiers have been reported—as well as multiple reports of kidney and liver failure—which led to the Department of Defense banning anything containing DMAA in military bases in 2012. (Want to keep your athlete safe? Check out our guide to sports enhancement supplements.) However, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA, similar to our FDA) banned DMAA in August 2012 “amid concerns of potential risks to public safety,” according to a press release on MHRA’s website. The bottom line: if you’re outside the UK, it’s up to you to protect yourself. Go to the Human Performance Resource Center for a complete list of products containing DMAA, as well a list of the 30 other names DMAA is referred to on labels.
