FDA finds more hazardous diet pills

Grady Jackson, a defensive tackle with the Atlanta Falcons, said he used the weight-loss capsules. Kathie Lee Gifford was enthusiastic about them on the "Today" show. Retailers sold them, no prescription required.

But the Food and Drug Administration now says those weight-loss capsules, called StarCaps and promoted as natural dietary supplements using papaya, could be hazardous to your health. In violation of the law, the agency has found, the capsules also contained a potent pharmaceutical drug called bumetanide which can have serious side effects.

In a continuing investigation that has prompted consumer warnings and recalls by some distributors, the FDA has determined that dozens of weight-loss supplements, most of them imported from China, contain potentially harmful drugs. In the coming weeks, the agency plans to issue a list of brands to avoid, an FDA spokeswoman said.

If a weight-loss supplement contains an undeclared active pharmaceutical, the FDA considers the product to be an illegal, unapproved drug. Doctors said undeclared drugs could cause problems on their own, like elevated blood pressure or seizures, could have toxic interactions with other medications, and could make it difficult for physicians to diagnose patients.

A full list of the tainted pills and other details are available on the FDA's website, www.fda.gov.

NEW YORK TIMES