The wife of a California congressman died last year after reportedly ingesting a plant she believed to be a safe herbal remedy.
The report states that a “partially intact” white mulberry leaf was found in her stomach.
The white mulberry tree, which is native to China, is often used in traditional medicine for ailments such as weight loss, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, according toWedMDandHealthline. It is typically taken in capsule, liquid or tea form.
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A small2017 studyfound that the white mulberry leaf can cause gastrointestinal side effects including nausea, abdominal pain, cramping, distension or flatulence.
Dr. D’Michelle DuPre, a former medical examiner in South Carolina who reviewed the documents, told KHN that white mulberry leave also “tend to cause dehydration, and part of the uses for that can be to help someone lose weight, mostly through fluid loss, which in this case was just kind of excessive.”
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Despite the autopsy report, Daniel Fabricant, CEO and president of the Natural Products Association, which represents the dietary supplements industry, said it’s “completely speculative” that McClintock’s death is related to the supplement, according to KHN.
“There’s a science to this. It’s not just what a coroner feels,” said Fabricant, noting that coroner or family should have reported the death to the FDA for an investigation. “People unfortunately pass from dehydration every day, and there’s a lot of different reasons and a lot of different causes.”
source: people.com
