FOR the first time the US government is to ban a dietary supplement because of its adverse effects on health. But the ban does nothing to close a loophole that allows other supplements, including herbal remedies, to be sold without being tested for safety because they are not classified as medicines.
On 30 December 2003, the Food and Drug Administration announced its intention to prohibit as soon as possible the sale of all dietary supplements containing the plant extract ephedra, on the grounds that they pose “an unreasonable risk of illness or injury”.
Athletes and dieters buy products containing the…
