Metabolife 356 Dangers

Metabolife 356 is a diet pill that contains ephedra in the form of a Chinese herb Ma Huang. Ephedra is an herbal stimulant that increases the heart rate and raises blood pressure. Ephedra appetite suppressants have been linked to strokes, seizures, heart attacks, and even sudden death.

Metabolife is now the nation's leading maker of ephedra supplements, which stimulate the nervous system and speed up metabolism. Metabolife has also been used to enhance athletic performance. However, many athletic organizations, including the International Olympic Committee and the NCAA, have banned Metabolife due to concerns about its safety.

At the request of the FDA, the Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into whether Metabolife International lied to federal regulators about the safety of their ephedra-based weight control pills. Public Citizens Health Research Group in Washington, D.C. is calling for a total ban on ephedra. Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen, said, "A responsible company shouldn't sell products like this."

Jury Awards $4.6 million in Metabolife Lawsuit Settlement

On November 19, 2002, Metabolife International was ordered to pay $4.6 million to four people who had strokes or heart attacks after taking Metabolife 356, the company's ephedra diet pills. A federal jury in Birmingham, Alabama, found Metabolife's product was "unreasonably dangerous" under the state's manufacturer liability laws. The decision was made after reviewing testimony by expert witnesses and thousands of complaints that Metabolife recently turned over to federal regulators.