Congressman’s wife dies after taking herbal remedy as diet supplement

“We are devastated and our world is shattered. Only those who knew her can understand the enormity of the tragedy of her passing for her family and many friends.

“Our only comfort is that her unbounded charity, goodness, and faith assures her eternal life in heaven, where she will surely watch over all who loved her and whom she loved.

"On behalf of our grieving family, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all who have offered so many kind “memories and tributes in condolence. We will always love her ‘more than all the stars in the sky.’” https://www.facebook.com/RepMcClintock/posts/pfbid0FNc2YoPB8aHQvpqHMK9CzoDirVacSW2en75YDk9aicgLkkSPK5xjPPgLDXbQCLVZl It is unclear in what form McClintock took the supplement, but the coroner noted that a "partially intact" white mulberry leaf was found inside her stomach after she died. According to Kaiser Health News (KHN), mulberry leaf is usually considered safe to consume, and has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine. Studies have found it can lower blood sugar levels and help with weight loss. Just two cases of people falling ill after taking the supplement have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2004. [caption id="attachment_355792" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Lori McClintock, second from the right, stood next to her husband, Republican congressman Tom McClintock (Getty)[/caption] Dr. D’Michelle DuPre, a retired forensic pathologist and a former medical examiner in South Carolina who reviewed the documents, told KHN that mulberry leaves "do tend to cause dehydration, and part of the uses for that can be to help someone lose weight, mostly through fluid loss, which in this case was just kind of excessive." But Daniel Fabricant, chief executive and president of the Natural Products Association, said any connection between McClintock’s death and white mulberry leaf was "completely speculative."