The Food and Drug Administration has warned against using Vita Breath after a patient with lead poisoning reported using the supplement plus two other herbal products. It was the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that alerted the FDA to the case of lead poisoning. When that agency tested Vita Breath, it found the drug contained 1,100 parts per million of lead, that’s 10,000 times higher than the FDA’s maximum allowable lead levels for candy.
 
Vita Breath, which is manufactured by American Herbal Lab in California, is sold at health fairs and on the Internet. People who have taken Vita Breath should talk to their health care provider about getting their lead levels tested. The FDA is currently analyzing samples of the dietary supplement, and working with New York and California officials to further investigate the product.
 
Acute lead poisoning symptoms can include abdominal pain, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and bloody or decreased urinary output. Children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning. Also note that people with high levels of lead in their blood may show no symptoms, but the condition can still damage the nervous system and internal organs. 

—Maggie Shader