London, United Kingdom—The bad news continues for proponents of DMAA (dimethylamylamine). U.K. regulators have decided to ban a popular sports supplement that contains the ingredient. 

On August 28, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA, which ensures “medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe”) ruled that Jack3D is “an unlicensed medicinal product.” This supplement and all products containing DMAA are now prohibited for sale in the U.K. and must be removed from shelves due to “concerns of potential risks to public safety.”

The U.K.’s Daily Mail reported that Jack3D is the U.K.’s most popular sports supplement.

DMAA is marketed for workout support, but has been linked to health problems, says MHRA, including accelerated heart rate, shortness of breath and even heart attacks. It was suspected to be the cause of fatality of two U.S. soldiers, probing the military to cease its sale on all U.S. bases.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) banned the substance on August 8, 2012 after a coroner determined DMAA caused the death of a man who consumed a DMAA product. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has challenged the marketing of DMAA and sent warning letters to 10 DMAA distributors in April, but the supplement can still be sold legally in the United States if it is done in compliance with FDA regulations.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, October 2012 (online 8/28/12)