Metabolife Gives FDA Ephedra Complaints

WASHINGTON — Metabolife International, leading seller of the dietary supplement Ephedra, Tuesday gave the Justice Department 1,400 additional records of customer complaints, including 14 that mention serious side effects. The Justice Department is investigating into whether the company had lied about ephedra’s safety. Metabolife had previously turned over 14,700 customer health complaints to the Justice Department and to the Food and Drug Administration.

Ephedra is a popular herb commonly used for weight loss that has been linked to heart attacks, strokes and other serious side effects. Critics have called on the Food and Drug Administration to ban sales.

(via The Associated Press)