Acacia rigidula extract has been a shiny star as a stimulant in the sports nutrition supplements since 2012. Just like banned DMAA, AMP citrate or DMBA, acacia rigidula has come to an end. All acacia rigidula extract–containing supplements are removed from the shelves of vitamine Shoppe, GNC and many other large retailers in the United States due to its health risks posed to the body.

acacia-rigidula-plant

More than 21 products are found to contain beta-methylphenylethylamine according to the testing report by Pieter A. Cohen, Clayton Bloszies, Caleb Yee and Roy Gerona titled “ An amphetamine isomer whose efficacy and safety in humans has never been studied, β-methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA), is found in multiple dietary supplements.” The six-page long report includes the materials and methods, tested supplements and respective manufacturers, results and discussions. More details of this report is uploaded to the BMPEA test report.

What is BMPEA?

BMPEA, a short form of R-beta-methylphenylethylamine HCl or N-Methyl-Beta-Methylphenylethylamine HCL, is an amphetamine-like powerful stimulant, and is reported to find in the acacia rigidula-containing products, mostly in the popular weight loss and pre workout supplements. BMPEA may be unfamiliar to supplement takers, but it is not new to us. We sold acacia rigidula extract two years ago, but most of the acacia rigudula in China are ratio extract, such as 10:1, 20:1, etc. No standardized extract of acacia rigidula is available. Many sports nutrition brands require us to use (R)-beta-MethylphenylethanaMine Hydrochloride (CAS 34298-25-4) to refer to acacia rigidula extract. All we know that acacia rigudula plant contains more than 60 chemical compounds and amines in it, BMPEA can never represent acacia rigidula. From then on, we no longer carry acacia rigudula extract. Eventually, it ran into trouble.

The Canadian government issued a public health alert about BMPEA to consumers: “Amphetamine stimulants can increase blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature; lead to serious cardiovascular complications (including stroke) at high doses; suppress sleep and appetite, and be addictive.”

Although BMPEA was first synthesized in the 1930s as a replacement for amphetamine, it was never introduced as a pharmaceutical drug and its side effects were never studied in humans.

The full list of supplements containing acacia rigidula is as below:

Legal alternatives to BMPEA

Dendrobium extract is proved to be fake, and doesn’t work as a stimulant at all; AMP Citrate and 1,3 DMBA is to be banned by the FDA soon. If you are really looking for legal stimulants for your dietary supplements, you may try hordenine hcl, N-methyltyramine hcl, Metyl synephrine hcl, Octopamine hcl, synethrine hcl, DL-Halostachine, theobromine, higenamine hcl,theacrine etc.