In recent years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken action against dietary supplement companies for selling products with ingredients that put them in a category of being “adulterated” or “misbranded.” Examples of these ingredients include Acacia rigidula, BMPEA, DMAA, DMBA, ephedra, methylsynephrine, and picamilon. Such ingredients have been determined to be unsafe, lack evidence of safety, don’t meet the definition of a dietary ingredient, or combinations of these issues. Some are even used as drugs in other countries.
Although these ingredients are not allowed in dietary supplements, you might still find them in some products, so always read product labels carefully. Service members especially take note! Since FDA has declared the ingredients listed above (and others) to be “illegal” or “not allowed” in dietary supplements for one reason or another, commands have restricted their use by military members. For more information about FDA’s role in regulating dietary supplement products and ingredients, visit FDA’s web page.
Updated 31 May 2016