Lori McClintock‘s autopsy has finally revealed her cause of death following her passing last year.
You may recall in December 2021 it was announced via California Representative Tom McClintock‘s Facebook page his wife Lori passed away. A statement made by the family said it was their “darkest day” and their world was “shattered”:
“Our family’s darkest day and most terrible nightmare has come. Lori is gone. And with her all the light, warmth, fun, friendship and love she brought everywhere she went and to everyone she met. 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.”
You can read the full post (below):
According to a Sacramento County Coroner‘s report obtained by KHN, Rep. McClintock found his wife in their Elk Grove, California home on December 15 after returning home from a Congress voting session in Washington D.C. She was unresponsive and unfortunately died — her cause of death was written as “pending” on her official death certificate on December 20.
Such a sad situation to return home from work and find your spouse unresponsive…
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Now, the official coroner’s report which was dated March 10, 2022 has given the 61-year-old an official cause of death — dehydration due to an herbal remedy she ingested. She complained of a stomach ache the day before her passing, which the coroner ruled as “dehydration due to gastroenteritis”:
“[She passed] due to dehydration due to gastroenteritis — an inflammation of the stomach and intestines — that was caused by “adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion.”
The white mulberry tree is used as a natural remedy and is said to cure a range of ailments, analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, diabetes treatment, weight loss aid and a blood pressure lowering agent. It’s unclear if she took a dietary supplement pill, ate fresh or dried leaves, or drank the mulberry in tea — but a “partially intact” leaf was found inside of her stomach. The herb can be taken in a variety of ways, some of the most popular being soft gels and liquid extracts.
So scary! She probably assumed she was aiding better health…
This situation, while heartbreaking, is starting a new and necessary narrative among lawmakers, though. Not every product sold in the US is safe! Senator Richard Durbin said during a legislation introduction in April not all products are “inspected”. This proposal, if passed, would strengthen scrutiny of dietary supplements:
“Many people assume if that product is sold in the United States of America, somebody has inspected it, and it must be safe. Unfortunately, that’s not always true.”
But the CEO of the Natural Products Association doesn’t agree! Daniel Fabricant, who oversees the dietary supplement industry, says despite the coroner’s report the woman’s cause of death being related to white mulberry is “completely speculative”:
“It’s completely speculative. There’s a science to this. It’s not just what a coroner feels. People unfortunately pass from dehydration every day, and there’s a lot of different reasons and a lot of different causes.”
Yikes! Coroners use science too, you know…
Our hearts go out to Lori’s loved ones during this difficult time. May she rest in peace.
And next time, before starting a new diet or health trend, make sure you do plenty of research to benefit your wellbeing — it might be a good idea to stick to only FDA approved products (and not those sketchy health pills your high school bully is hitting you up about in your DMs)! What do U think, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below).
[Image via Facebook/Lori Huizenga McClintock/YouTube/CBS Sacramento]
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