14 DAY TRIAL // A recent investigation whose findings are published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis has found that a dietary supplement marketed under the name Craze contains a compound whose chemical makeup is not all that different from that of methamphetamine.
By the looks of it, researchers led by Pieter Cohen with the Harvard Medical School decided to study this sports supplement's makeup after learning that several athletes using it had failed to pass drug tests.
“In recent years banned and untested drugs have been found in hundreds of dietary supplements. We began our study of Craze after several athletes failed urine drug tests because of a new methamphetamine analog,” lead author Dr. Pieter Cohen said in a press release.
As part of their investigation, the scientists analyzed three different samples of said dietary supplement, one of which came from a retailer in the US. The other two were ordered online from a company in the US and one in Holland, Business Insider tells us.
All three of these samples were found to contain noteworthy amounts of a chemical compound known as N,α-DEPEA. The researchers say that, all things considered, it is highly unlikely that the N,α-DEPEA ended up in these samples by mistake.
“We identified a potentially dangerous designer drug in three separate samples of this widely available dietary supplement. The tests revealed quantities of N,α-DEPEA of over 20mg per serving, which strongly suggests that this is not an accidental contamination from the manufacturing process,” Dr. Pieter Cohen explained.
“The phenylethylamine we identified in Craze, N,α-DEPEA, is not listed on the labeling,” the researcher added.
Due to the fact that this compound's structure is similar to that of methamphetamine, it is likely that this compound has stimulant and addictive properties. However, since its effects on humans have never been tested, researchers cannot comment on any potential side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to get involved, verify this investigation’s findings and decide whether or not the sale of this dietary supplement should be banned.
“If these findings are confirmed by regulatory authorities, the FDA must take action to warn consumers and to remove supplements containing N,α-DEPEA from sale. Our fear is that the federal shutdown may delay this, resulting in potentially dangerous supplements remaining widely available,” Dr. Pieter Cohen wished to stress.
Craze is currently manufactured and marketed by Driven Sports, Inc. People can either buy it in stores across the US, or order it online internationally.