The parents of a young U.S. soldier who died shortly after taking the workout booster, Jack3d, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against USPlabs and GNC last Wednesday in San Diego. The plaintiffs claim that the two companies deceptively marketed Jack3d as safe and effective while not warning consumers about its potential health risks. Unfortunately, this case brings to light the devastating gaps in product safety and regulatory oversight in the supplement marketplace which is a $30 billion dollar industry in the United States.
Jack3d contains a stimulant called dimethylamylamine or DMAA which was found in the bloodstream of the two U.S. Army soldiers who died of heart attacks during physical training . According to medical literature, DMAA is described as a synthetic stimulant similar to amphetamines that can constrict blood vessels, raise blood pressure and heart rate, potentially increasing risk of heart attack and strokes. After the deaths of the two soldiers, the Defense Department removed all products containing DMAA from stores on military bases and the Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to 10 manufacturers citing that the agency had no evidence that DMAA qualified as a dietary ingredient or that it was safe. Health professionals and family members of the victims then ask why, nearly half a year after the warnings, retailers are still able to advertise and sell products containing this harmful stimulant.
Learn more about this newly filed lawsuit in The New York Times article: A Workout Booster, and a Lawsuit.
DMAA is known to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.