Key Takeaways

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)issued a warningabout weight loss supplements labeled as tejocote root that may actually contain yellow oleander, a toxic plant that can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, cardiovascular issues, and death.

Concerns about mislabeled tejocote root first appeared in 2022 when a toddler in New Jersey was poisoned after accidentally taking their mother’s supplements. The New Jersey Poison Information and Education System had a laboratory test products that were labeled as tejocote and marketed as weight loss supplements. Of the 10 tested products, nine turned out to be 100% yellow oleander.

The FDA launched its own investigation and found the same results in nine samples. Last year, the agencyalso warnedthat weight loss supplements marketed as “Nuez de la India” contained toxic yellow oleander.

Even ingesting a small amount of yellow oleander can cause symptoms, according toEdward W. Boyer, MD, PhD, an emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. However, it’s treatable and identifiable.

How Do I Choose a Supplement?

“The real problem is that it’s in so many different products, and that suggests that it’s contaminated at the source,” Boyer told Verywell.

The FDA is not responsible for ensuring that dietary supplements are safe, effective, or properly labeled before these products are sold to consumers.Tejocote root is marketed as a weight loss supplement, but there are no clinical trials supporting this claim.

“A marketer doesn’t have to prove that the that the product is safe. It’s up to the FDA to prove that it’s unsafe. So you have to wait until an adverse effect appears before the FDA can do anything,” Boyer said.

The FDA is “actively working with third-party” suppliers whilecontinuing its investigationinto mislabeled tejocote root. In the meantime, Boyer said it would be “unwise” to assume that tejocote root products not listed on the FDA reports are safe.

“Widespread contamination means widespread problems,” he said.

Tejocote Root Products That Are Yellow OleanderSo far, the FDA has tested nine samples of the following eight products and found that they contained yellow oleander:Alipotec Tejocote RootNutraholics ELV Tejocote RootELV Nutraholics Mexican Tejocote RootELVPOTEC Tejocote RootScience of Alpha Mexican Tejocote RootNiwali Raiz de TejocoteTejocotexELV Alipotec Raiz de Tejocote

Tejocote Root Products That Are Yellow Oleander

So far, the FDA has tested nine samples of the following eight products and found that they contained yellow oleander:Alipotec Tejocote RootNutraholics ELV Tejocote RootELV Nutraholics Mexican Tejocote RootELVPOTEC Tejocote RootScience of Alpha Mexican Tejocote RootNiwali Raiz de TejocoteTejocotexELV Alipotec Raiz de Tejocote

So far, the FDA has tested nine samples of the following eight products and found that they contained yellow oleander:

How Serious Is Yellow Oleander Poisoning?

Yellow oleander poisoning is treatable, especially if medical care is administered quickly.Symptoms can last one to three days, but signs of yellow oleander poisoning appear shortly after consuming the toxin, according toJennifer Susan Love, MD, a toxicologist and an emergency medicine physician at Mount Sinai in New York.

“If someone either has consumed or thinks that they have consumed yellow oleander, and they’re experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, they should go to the emergency department for care,” Love told Verywell.

Healthcare providers will use vital sign tests and an electrocardiogram (EKG) to determine if a person is experiencing yellow oleander poisoning before administering an antidote.

The FDA also encourages consumers who experienced adverse effects to contact their state’spoison control centerand report their issue to theFDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

Anyone who consumed yellow oleander without experiencing symptoms should still stop taking the supplement and consult a healthcare provider, Love said.

“Consumers really need to review the product labels and supplements with their family doctor prior to taking them for any supplement, whether that’s tejocote root or something else,” she said.

Your Herbs and Spices May Contain Lead and Other Heavy Metals

What This Means For YouNausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, and irregular heartbeat are signs of yellow oleander poisoning. If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, call 911 and the national, toll-freePoison Help lineat 1-800-222-1222.

What This Means For You

Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, and irregular heartbeat are signs of yellow oleander poisoning. If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, call 911 and the national, toll-freePoison Help lineat 1-800-222-1222.

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Berland N, Kababick J, Santos C, Calello DP.Notes from the field: online weight loss supplements labeled as tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) root, substituted with yellow oleander (Cascabela thevetia) - United States, 2022.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(37):1016-1017. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7237a3Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.University of Texas at El Paso.Herbal safety - Mexican hawthorn root.Mount Sinai.Oleander poisoning.

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Berland N, Kababick J, Santos C, Calello DP.Notes from the field: online weight loss supplements labeled as tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) root, substituted with yellow oleander (Cascabela thevetia) - United States, 2022.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(37):1016-1017. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7237a3Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.University of Texas at El Paso.Herbal safety - Mexican hawthorn root.Mount Sinai.Oleander poisoning.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Berland N, Kababick J, Santos C, Calello DP.Notes from the field: online weight loss supplements labeled as tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) root, substituted with yellow oleander (Cascabela thevetia) - United States, 2022.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(37):1016-1017. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7237a3Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.University of Texas at El Paso.Herbal safety - Mexican hawthorn root.Mount Sinai.Oleander poisoning.

Berland N, Kababick J, Santos C, Calello DP.Notes from the field: online weight loss supplements labeled as tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) root, substituted with yellow oleander (Cascabela thevetia) - United States, 2022.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(37):1016-1017. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7237a3

Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.

University of Texas at El Paso.Herbal safety - Mexican hawthorn root.

Mount Sinai.Oleander poisoning.

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