Japan Halts Production of Diet Supplement Tied to 20 Deaths
- Share via
TOKYO — Japan’s leading chemical company has halted production of a dietary supplement linked to about 20 deaths in the United States, a company spokesman said today.
The Showa Denko company began exporting L-tryptophan to the United States in 1983 and exports had jumped for the past four years, the spokesman said.
It also exported a small amount to Europe but did not market the product in Japan.
L-tryptophan--used to counter insomnia, depression and to control appetite--has been linked to about 20 deaths and more than 1,500 reports of illness in the United States.
The illness is a blood disorder called eosinophiliamyalgia, or EMS, causing muscle pain, swelling of the limbs and rashes.
L-tryptophan accounted for less than 0.2% of Showa’s total sales and suspending production will not harm profits, the spokesman said.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
