Local News in Brief : Diet Capsule Warning
The Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday that some Diennet diet capsules distributed by mail from Los Angeles contain potentially dangerous levels of prescription drugs and should not be taken.
The capsules--some yellow, some colorless and some with a white body and blue cap--are portrayed as “herbal” remedies and are sold as food supplements for weight loss, the FDA said.
A customer complained that he became sleepy after taking the capsules sold by the Diennet Institute of Los Angeles and submitted them to a private laboratory. The FDA lab in Los Angeles confirmed the pills contained an appetite suppressant, diethylpropion hydrochloride, and two drugs with sedative and anti-anxiety properties, diazepam and chlorodiazepoxide hydrochloride.
All can be dangerous in unsupervised use and are controlled substances with a potential for abuse, the agency said.
FDA spokeswoman Susan Cruzan said it was unclear what, if any, legal action might be taken against the firm.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
