Zantac is one of the most popular over-the-counter medications in the country, with millions of people using it to relieve heartburn symptoms and chest pain. However, it’s also a potential cancer risk.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of Zantac along with all other medications using its active ingredient, Ranitidine. This recall follows new research that found that the Ranitidine used in medications like Zantac was too often contaminated by N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a chemical classified as a probable carcinogen by the FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Health Organization. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), NDMA has been linked to a variety of diseases, including severe liver disease, liver cancer, testicular cancer, and lung cancer.