Diet food and fenflulamine

　Fenflulamine is a drug that has been approved in U.K. and France as an appetite suppressor, but has not been approved in Japan. Although it was previously approved in the United States, it was banned in 1997.
　The structure of fenflulamine has the skeleton of phenethylamine, as shown in the figure. This structure is similar to that of stimulant amphetamine, and is similar to the structure of ephedrin, which is used as an antitussis agent and as a raw material for stimulant. The action of fenflulamine is said to suppress appetite by stimulating the central nervous system and stimulating the satiety center. There is a drug called Mazdall, an appetite suppressant agent in Japan, but it has central nervous agitation effect similar to fenflulamine and is designated as a psychotropic drug. Psychotropic drugs are not easily purchased at pharmacies, but are used under the supervision of a doctor. Fenflulamine is also a drug that requires the same treatment, but it cannot be sold in Japan.

　It became clear that such drugs were mixed in health tea for the purpose of slimming in 1996, and measures such as voluntary collection and suspension of sales were taken nationwide. However, recently, there has been a case in which fenflulamine was detected in health tea. Most of the healthy teas where fenflulamine was detected are mixed with white granules or powder in the tea leaves, which is clearly visible to the naked eye. Fenflulamine examination involves the separation of these white granules and powders, and is confirmed and identified with an infrared absorption spectral analyzer or other analytical instruments.

Finally, the content of fenflulamine in the health tea is quantified using a high-speed liquid chromatography. In 2002, it was reported that several Chinese health foods, in addition to health tea contained fenflulamine. Fenflulamine was also detected in tablets sold as health foods (pictured).
When it comes to the shape of a tablet, it is not clear whether fenflulamine is mixed.
　In addition, not only fenflulamine but also N-nitrosophenflulamine with -NO (nitroso group) to fenflulamine has been detected in Chinese health foods. As a result of taking these, liver damage and fatal accidents also occurred. Until now, there has been no research papers on the toxicity and pharmacological activity of N-nitrosophenflulamine, and this substance could not be identified as the cause of liver damage. In February 2003, a survey report including the results of animal experiments reveal that N-nitrosophenflulamine in Chinese health foods.
　Thus, some health foods are not clear what is mixed. We can't decide whether to drink or not, but be careful about health hazards.
　If you are drinking healthy tea, be careful if you open the tea bag and find white granules or powder in the tea! !