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- Because bitter orange contains chemicals that may speed up the heart rate and raise blood pressure, it may not be safe to use as a dietary supplement A product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet.<a href="#hdng0">(More...)</a>
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Because bitter orange contains chemicals that may speed up the heart rate and raise blood pressure, it may not be safe to use as a dietary supplement A product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs. <a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned ephedra because it raises blood pressure and is linked to heart attacks and strokes; it is unclear whether bitter orange has similar effects.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a>
There have been reports of fainting, heart attack, and stroke in healthy people after taking bitter orange supplements alone or combined with caffeine. People should avoid taking bitter orange if they have a heart condition or high blood pressure, or if they are taking medications (such as MAO inhibitors), caffeine, or other herbs/supplements that speed up the heart rate.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Bitter orange has been used in traditional Chinese medicine A whole medical system that originated in China. It is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Practices such as herbs, meditation, massage, and acupuncture seek to aid healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi. and by indigenous people of the Amazon rain forest for nausea, indigestion, and constipation.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Bitter orange oil used on the skin may increase the risk of sunburn, particularly in light-skinned people.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Bitter orange oil is used in foods, cosmetics, and aromatherapy A therapy in which the scent of essential oils from flowers, herbs, and trees is inhaled to promote health and well-being. products.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Many herbal weight-loss products now use bitter orange peel in place of ephedra.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> There is currently little evidence that bitter orange is safer to use than ephedra.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> There is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of bitter orange for health purposes.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Due to lack of safety evidence, pregnant women should avoid products that contain bitter orange.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Bitter orange contains the chemical synephrine, which is similar to the main chemical in ephedra.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Bitter orange oil from the tree's leaves is called petitgrain, and oil from the flowers is called neroli.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Current uses of bitter orange are for heartburn, loss of appetite, nasal congestion, and weight loss. It is also applied to the skin for fungal infections such as ringworm and athlete's foot.<a href="
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bitterorange/" TARGET="_blank"
[1]</a> Because caffeine increases the tendency of Bitter Orange to increase blood pressure and constrict blood vessels, Schumer said that unknown amounts of Bitter Orange along with unknown amounts of caffeine can be a particularly dangerous combination. Based on the results of his study, Schumer today asked the FDA to ban Bitter Orange, usnic acid and aristolochic acid.<a href="
http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/PR02364.html" TARGET="_blank"
[2]</a> Scientists say that Bitter Orange works like ephedra does, by increasing blood pressure and constricting blood vessels. Scientists also warn that using Bitter Orange with caffeine can exacerbate these effects ephedra users typically combined that supplement with caffeine to enhance results.<a href="
http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/PR02364.html" TARGET="_blank"
[2]</a>
With the ephedra ban spurring an increasing number of people to start abusing Bitter Orange, we could soon see the same horrible results.<a href="
http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=265580" TARGET="_blank"
[3]</a> We agree that Bitter Orange use is skyrocketing, and we shouldn't have to wait for years -- or for deaths -- to act." Schumer and Sweeney also noted that ephedra products were marketed to teens, and their replacements appear to be particularly popular among teen athletes. They asked Dr. McClellan to target teen populations with information campaigns about ephedra copycats, and told parents to watch out for their teens using ephedra replacement products like Bitter Orange.<a href="
http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=265580" TARGET="_blank"
[3]</a> Dr. McClellan specifically cited the supplement Bitter Orange " also called citrus aurantium " that contains the chemical stimulant synephrine. Dr. McClellan announced during the Tuesday speech that his agency is planning on stepping up scrutiny of Bitter Orange specifically because consumers are now using it as an ephedra replacement.<a href="
http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=265580" TARGET="_blank"
[3]</a>
In that time, at least 155 people died from it," Schumer said. "Just this week they said they were going to start studying the ephedra replacement Bitter Orange. Well, that's not good enough: ephedra is a killer, and Bitter Orange is its kissing cousin.<a href="
http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=265580" TARGET="_blank"
[3]</a>
Product type: Soft drinks Picnic choice FBC 5325 sd., col., 6 ft., 10 sec. Product type: Soft drinks Advertises both Bitter Lemon soda and Bitter Orange soda.<a href="
http://www.loc.gov/rr/mopic/findaid/karr/karr4.html" TARGET="_blank"
[4]</a>
"Bitter Orange may sound harmless, but evidence points to it being anything but. Ephedra was a killer, and the FDA must move much more quickly this time to protect us from dietary supplements by another name that could be just as deadly," Schumer said.<a href="
http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/PR02364.html" TARGET="_blank"
[2]</a>
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