CA Congressman's Wife Dies After Ingesting Weight-Loss Herb: Report

SACRAMENTO, CA — The wife of California congressman Tom McClintock died last year as a result of an infection likely caused by ingesting an herbal supplement containing white mulberry leaf, according to a report by Kaiser Health News.

Lori McClintock, 61, was found unresponsive at their Elk Grove home on Dec. 15, 2021, according to the coroner’s report. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office released the report detailing her cause of death in March, but it was not immediately made available to the public.

According to the report, Lori McClintock died from dehydration due to gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines. The coroner's office determined her death was caused by "adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion" after officials found a partially intact leaf in her stomach.

It's unclear what type of supplement McClintock was taking, but white mulberry is often used for weight loss and treatment of diabetes due to its glucose-lowering properties.

Tom McClintock represents California's 4th congressional district, which includes Sacramento and Fresno.

At his wife’s funeral, Tom McClintock told attendees "she was carefully dieting."

"She just joined a gym," he said. “At home, she was counting down the days to Christmas, wrapping all the gifts and making all the plans to make it the best family Christmas ever, and it would have been."

When asked by Kaiser Health News, Daniel Fabricant, CEO and president of Natural Products Association, questioned whether McClintock’s death was related to a supplement.

"It’s completely speculative. There’s a science to this. It’s not just what a coroner feels," Fabricant told KHN. "People unfortunately pass from dehydration every day, and there’s a lot of different reasons and a lot of different causes."

Kaiser Health News contributed to this report.