Yellow Oleander Hidden in Weight Loss Supplements: The FDA's Ongoing Alert on Tejocote Root and Brazil Seed Products Sold on Amazon

A weight loss supplement sold on Amazon as "tejocote root" or "Brazil seed" can deliver an uncontrolled cardiac glycoside overdose to an adult or a child without breaking a single labeling rule. The substitute is yellow oleander, a tropical shrub whose seeds and sap contain cardenolides that act on the same sodium-potassium ATPase pump that digoxin acts on, with the same narrow margin between any clinical effect and a fatal arrhythmia. The FDA's first public safety alert on this issue was issued on January 4, 2024, and has been expanded six times since, most recently on March 11, 2026. As of that update, 29 products labeled as tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) root or Brazil seed have been confirmed by the agency to contain yellow oleander (Cascabela thevetia, syn. Thevetia peruviana) [1][4][12]. Yellow oleander poisoning is a medical emergency, and at least one pediatric case in the United States has been documented in the peer-reviewed literature, with the child requiring two doses of digoxin-specific antibody fragments before the electrocardiogram normalized [2].

What the FDA Found

The trigger for the FDA's investigation was a September 2023 CDC MMWR report describing a 23-month-old New Jersey child poisoned in September 2022 after the mother had purchased "Eva Nutrition Mexican Tejocote Root" online as a weight loss product for herself [2]. The child developed nausea, vomiting, age-specific bradycardia at 90 bpm, hypotension at 71/60 mm Hg, and ECG findings of sinus bradycardia with frequent premature ventricular complexes and the "scooped ST" pattern of digitalis effect. Treatment required 40 mg of digoxin-specific antibody fragments (Digibind), followed by a second dose 12 hours later when arrhythmia returned, after which the ECG normalized [2].

The New Jersey Poison Information and Education System then purchased 10 tejocote products online in December 2022. Ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography found that 9 of the 10 were 100 percent yellow oleander, with no detectable tejocote root [2]. Independent DNA fingerprinting of an Alipotec-brand product published in 2021 had reached the same conclusion before the FDA acted [2]. The FDA issued its first public warning on January 4, 2024, and has expanded the safety alert on March 12, 2024; April 4, 2024; September 27, 2024; December 3, 2024; November 3, 2025; and most recently March 11, 2026 [1][10][12]. Industry coverage notes that every one of at least 18 samples the FDA had tested through December 3, 2024 contained yellow oleander [9].

As of March 11, 2026, the FDA's table lists 29 products sold on Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Brands that have issued voluntary recalls include VidaSlim (Motivate Me Ashley), SiluetaYa, Alipotec/World Green Nutrition, Global Mix (EVA Nutrition, Science of Alpha, Niwali), H&Natural/GA Mart, and Backstage Center [1][6][8]. Brands for which the FDA's published table does not list a recall include OBC Group Corp (SdB), Creativa Interiors/Privit Wellness (Primor Health Optimus Weight), Pastor-Villareal, Inc. (Tejocotex), Sunset Sales (ELV King), and Innovacion Natural, LLC; the FDA has documented some of these firms as unresponsive to contact attempts [1][6]. One serious adverse event has been reported to the FDA, involving the Green ELV Nutrition brand Elv Control Herbal Supplement in capsule form [1]. Other brands widely promoted online include ALIPOTEC, ELV King, Nutraholics, nwl NUTRA, Niwali, Science of Alpha, H & Natural, and the SdB family, though the FDA's table is not exhaustive and new sellers appear faster than old ones are removed [5][6]. The most recent addition, on March 11, 2026, was "Chupa Panza" sold on eBay by Naturista Reyes [6]. Backstage Center's documented recall covered approximately 280 bottles of Alipotec Raiz de Tejocote (Lot 238124, expiration 08-2027), distributed exclusively on Amazon.com since September 15, 2023 [8].

Practical takeaway: Do not buy tejocote root or "Brazil seed" weight loss products from third-party sellers on Amazon, eBay, or Etsy. If a package in your home carries any brand on the FDA table, or is labeled "tejocote," "Crataegus mexicana," "Raiz de Tejocote," "Mexican Hawthorn," or "Brazil seed" for weight loss [11], set it aside and follow the discard steps in the final section.

The Cardiac Glycoside Problem

This section describes hospital management for educational context. Consumers should not attempt to direct their own care; if exposure is suspected, contact a health professional.

Yellow oleander contains a mixture of cardenolides, principally thevetin A, thevetin B, neriifolin, peruvoside, and oleandrin, all of which inhibit the sodium-potassium ATPase pump (Na/K-ATPase) in cardiac myocytes [7]. The downstream effect is the same toxidrome as digoxin overdose: rising intracellular sodium, rising intracellular calcium, and rising serum potassium, with the heart pushed into rhythms it was not designed to sustain [7]. All parts of the plant are toxic, and ground or processed seeds retain their glycoside content [7].

The MMWR report warned clinicians that serum digoxin assays are not reliable for the detection of thevetin B and cardiac glycosides other than digoxin, meaning a reported "digoxin level" after oleander ingestion does not accurately reflect the serum concentration of the toxic agent [2]. The specific antidote, digoxin-specific Fab antibody fragments (Digibind or DigiFab), is dosed against the estimated digoxin-equivalent load, and higher doses may be required for thevetin B reversal than for typical digoxin toxicity [2][7]. In the New Jersey case, the second 40 mg dose was triggered by recurrent ECG abnormalities, consistent with prolonged tissue binding of thevetin B [2].

ECG findings are characteristic: sinus bradycardia, AV block, atrial tachycardia with block, premature ventricular complexes with scooped ST segments, hyperkalemia, hypotension, and in severe cases, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and cardiac arrest [7]. Mount Sinai's clinical summary lists the presenting features as arrhythmia, low blood pressure, blurred vision, hives, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, headache, lethargy, dizziness, depression, and death [9]. Supportive care is non-negotiable: continuous cardiac monitoring on a unit equipped for arrhythmia management, atropine for symptomatic bradycardia, magnesium sulfate for torsades de pointes, and activated charcoal for recent ingestions [7].

Practical takeaway: Yellow oleander poisoning is digoxin-equivalent toxicity. Any consumer who develops nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, or palpitations after taking a weight loss product should be evaluated in an emergency department with cardiac monitoring, a digoxin level drawn with the caveat that the assay is unreliable for thevetin B, and the treating team told what product the patient took.

Why These Products Stay on Sale

The FDA's enforcement options against dietary supplements are constrained. The agency cannot force a mandatory recall on a supplement the way it can on a drug; it can issue warning letters, request voluntary recalls, and refer non-compliant firms for enforcement action through the courts, but firms that decline to recall can continue distributing product during the proceedings [10]. Industry coverage of the November 2025 expansion noted that some firms have initiated recalls while others have not responded to FDA contact attempts or have declined to recall, and that Amazon has removed listings for certain flagged items but not others [10]. Food Safety News reported the same pattern in November 2025 and again in March 2026, noting that some firms had issued recalls while others refused to act [3][4].

The platforms have removed specific listings, and Amazon publishes policies prohibiting the sale of unsafe products, but the turnover rate is high enough that removals do not stop the flow [3][10]. Some firms the FDA has been unable to contact remain listed under multiple brand names [6]. The newest addition to the FDA table in March 2026 was already a live eBay listing—evidence that enforcement continues to lag the supply of mislabeled product [6].

Practical takeaway: A product being listed on Amazon, eBay, or Etsy is not evidence that it is safe. Trust the FDA's table, not the marketplace, and assume that any brand not explicitly cleared by name on the agency's recall list may still contain yellow oleander.

Symptoms and What to Do

Symptoms of yellow oleander poisoning typically begin within hours of ingestion. Early signs are gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Cardiovascular and neurologic symptoms follow: dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion, lethargy, and palpitations or a sensation of skipped heartbeats [5][7][9]. Severe cases progress to bradycardia, heart block, ventricular arrhythmia, convulsions, coma, cardiac arrest, and death [1][5][7]. The CDC has documented hospitalizations consistent with this pattern, including the New Jersey pediatric case [2].

If you have one of these products at home, the FDA's guidance is direct. Stop using it. Discard the product in household trash. Save the original packaging and any remaining capsules or seeds, in case the FDA or a local health department asks for a sample. Report the product through the FDA's Safety Reporting Portal (MedWatch), and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, available 24/7 in the US, for guidance on disposal and to document exposure [1][5]. The Center for Science in the Public Interest advises consumers to keep the product and packaging until instructed to submit it to the FDA [5].

If anyone in the household develops symptoms, particularly vomiting combined with dizziness or palpitations, treat it as a medical emergency. Call 911 or go directly to an emergency department, and tell the triage team that yellow oleander ingestion is a possibility, because the relevant antidote (Digibind or DigiFab) and the relevant cardiac monitoring are not always available at smaller hospitals [2][7].

For Australian Readers

The US FDA table and US recall status described above apply to the US market. Australians who have purchased any of these products, or any 'tejocote', 'Crataegus mexicana', 'Raiz de Tejocote', 'Mexican Hawthorn', or 'Brazil seed' weight-loss supplement, should stop using it, keep the packaging, and call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (24/7, Australia-wide) for guidance. Adverse events can be reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) via the TGA adverse-event reporting system. The products discussed are also sold into Australia through Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.

Practical takeaway (US): Stop the product, discard it in household trash, save the packaging, report it to the FDA through MedWatch, and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Any combination of vomiting, dizziness, and palpitations after a weight loss supplement is a 911 event, not a wait-and-see situation.

Practical takeaway (Australia): Stop the product, keep the packaging, and call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (24/7, Australia-wide). Report adverse events to the TGA. Any combination of vomiting, dizziness, and palpitations after a weight loss supplement is a 000 (triple zero) event, not a wait-and-see situation.