DMAA Not Present in Geranium, NSF Finds

ANN ARBOR, Mich.Independent health organization NSF International and the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine confirmed 1,3 dimethylamylamine (DMAA) is not present in Geranium or Pelargonium species. The results, which determined DMAA is not "natural," are published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis and support previous research conducted by the universities of Milan, Mississippi and Texas and Arlington (Drug Test Anal. 2013 May 22. doi: 10.1002/dta.1491).

The news comes after recent controversy concerning the substance, which acts like a stimulant in the body. In 2012, FDA issued warning letters to DMAA marketers, calling the ingredient synthetic and illegal for use in dietary supplements. Then, in April 2013, the agency issued a public warning to consumers about the possible dangers. At that point, USPlabs, the only company left marketing the sports nutrition ingredient, removed it from its products.

Products that are linked to illness and death have no place in the dietary supplement industry. NSF International and the US Army research reveals that the DMAA found in these harmful products is a synthetic pharmaceutical and should be removed from over the counter products to avoid further harm to consumers," said Ed Wyszumiala, general manager of NSF Internationals Dietary Supplement Certification programs.

In the study, researchers used ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) to analyze Pelargonium and Geranium plant material and essential oils alongside DMAA powder and dietary supplements. NSF International and USARIEM scientists found no measurable levels of DMAA in the plants, but not in the powder or supplements; consequently, researchers determined the DMAA on the market was of synthetic origin.

Follow INSIDER's complete coverage of DMAA in the article, "Final FDA Warning Letter Delivers DMAA KO."