The notorious DMAA
Germany posted two separate notifications for nor-DMAA in supplements coming from the US via the Netherlands.
Nor-DMAA is extracted from the banned substance DMAA (1,3-dimethylbutylamine) and as an illicit supplement ingredient is often marketed as containing compounds found in geraniums.
Structurally similar to amphetamines, the substance has been linked to narrowing of the arteries, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, heart attacks, psychiatric disorders and cerebral haemorrhage.
In 2013 it was linked to several deaths including that of a 30-year-old British marathon runner as well as dozens of cases of acute hepatitis and at least one death in Hawaii.
The incidents sparked international action, however last autumn an investigation by a US Department of Defence initiative revealed 39 products containing DMAA were commercially available online in the US despite the ingredient being banned.
