Ephedra-free patches may pose danger

KINGSVILLE, Texas, May 27 (UPI) -- Dietary supplements with the promise of helping weight loss are becoming more prominent, but a U.S. pharmacist says beware.

Mary Chavez of the Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy says that although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned ephedra, there are ephedra-free supplements that tout the same weight-loss effects, including guarana, bitter orange, cola nut and green tea extract.

There are many cases surfacing in which these supplements are proving to be more harmful than helpful, Chavez says.

"This is not the same as drinking a cup of green tea," Chavez said in a statement. "What they are doing is taking the leaves and extracting the chemical constituents epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, and they make it into a powder they put into capsules. There have been over 100 reports of liver damage from around the world associated with using green tea extract."

Some people may take these ephedra-free supplements without knowing they have an underlying heart condition and their blood pressure can spike, or they can get an arrhythmia, Chavez says.

"Weight is not going to come off in a week or month. It's a lifestyle change," Chavez said.