Question - What is higenamine?
Answer - The cited article reports “Higenamine, a stimulant found in plants, has beta-agonist activity with chronotropic and inotropic properties. The stimulant has been studied in clinical trials in China but has never been approved as a drug by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Higenamine occurs naturally in a variety of traditional botanical remedies, such as Aconitum carmichaelii (Sichuan aconite) and Nandina domestica (nandina fruit) and is sold over the counter in the United States as an ingredient in dietary supplements. The FDA has received reports of adverse effects from higenamine-containing supplements since 2014, but higenamine’s health risks remain poorly understood.” (Cohen PA et al. The stimulant higenamine in weight loss and sports supplements. 2019 Clin Tox 57(2):125-130)