A study, published Tuesday in the journal "Drug Testing and Analysis," found that many diet supplements contain beta-methylphenylethylamine, or BMPEA, an isomer of amphetamine that could pose serious threat to human health.
The Food and Drug Administration should have tight regulation for these supplements, scientists and consumer advocates say.
Importantly, the FDA had found the same results two years ago, but the study was not publicized enough.
Amphetamines increase blood pressure, cause cardiovascular issues, affect sleep and decrease appetite. They can also be addictive, informs The Washington Post.
Physiological effects of BMPEA are similar to those of DMAA, an amphetamine-like stimulant that can cause strokes.
Supplements containing DMAA were banned from military by the Department of Defense in 2011. The scientists have urged for similar FDA regulation for the dietary supplements that contain BMPEA.
"I think health authorities should be concerned," Bastiaan Venhuis, a scientist at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands, said.
The scientists have found that more than 50 percent of studied samples of weight-loss and diet supplements labeled as containing Acacia rigidula contained BMPEA.
Acacia rigidula is a shrub found mostly in Texas.
"Acacia rigidula is code in the industry for a potent synthetic stimulant," lead author of the study, Pieter Cohen told Reuters. "They are using the name as a cover."
Three supplements - JetFuel Superburn, JetFuel T-300 and MX-LS7 - found in the study contained BMPEA. These were open for sale at Vitamin Shoppe, a leading supplement retailer in hundreds of locations, according to The New York Times blog 'Well'.
Aro Black Series Burn, Black Widow, Dexaprine XR, Fastin-XR, Lipodrene Hardcore, Lipodrene Xtreme, Stimerex-ES and Yellow Scorpion were the other supplements named in the study that contained BMPEA.
In last five years, many unstudied ingredients in diet and health supplements have been found to be related with kidney failure, hepatitis and many other health problems.
Many studies have criticized the FDA's loose regulation of the $33 billion-a-year supplements industry.
In a statement to Reuters, a FDA spokeswoman said, "Ensuring supplement safety is our first priority."
The agency will consider taking regulatory action, if appropriate, she added.