Health authorities take the risk very seriously. In its Vigil’Anses bulletin last March, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety warned about several so-called “natural” products that actually contain dangerous drugs for the health of consumers.
Among the specially targeted substances, those intended for aphrodisiac or slimming purposes that are partially composed of tadalafil or sildenafil, drugs accessible only with a prescription and that, consumed in high doses, can have serious adverse effects. These products that contain an active substance not mentioned in their composition also have a name: adulterated products.
And the examples multiply. In the form of honey or powder, several of them have been banned, including, according to the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products), Black Horse Honey, Jaguar Power or Bodygoal, a food supplement that supposedly facilitates weight loss composed of a dangerous component at the cardiovascular level.
many risks
Juliette Bloch, director of alerts at ANSES, trusts her concern on Tuesday in the columns of the Parisianconfirming that cases of poisoning are becoming more frequent.
“There’s a lot. There are very regularly patients poisoned by these products that they take without knowing it,” he says.
The case of Bodygoal is also mentioned, whose media claim that the latter, marketed by Body Sherry, contained sibutramine, an appetite suppressant banned in Europe for more than ten years.
“In these products there is no reliable dosage, sometimes the equivalent of several medications is reached in a few milliliters or grams of a product. It’s patchy, some batches have high doses, others don’t. All this without any control”, insists Juliette Bloch.
The consequences can be many. In its document, ANSES mentioned the case of a woman who had consumed a weight-loss product called INCI Naturel for several days. She soon suffered “symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, vomiting, dry mouth, fast heartbeat, chest pain.” After medical consultation and analysis of the tablets, which were purchased on an online platform, the presence of sibutramine and sildenafil was confirmed.
Avoid online shopping
To avoid all risk, the ANSES advises avoiding purchases online or, where appropriate, “buy them in conventional circuits, even for food supplements for slimming or aphrodisiac purposes.” It is also recommended to “talk to your doctor before starting consumption”.
In general, the body “remembers that a sufficient and balanced diet provides all the necessary elements for a good state of health, without the need for food supplements”.
Source: BFM TV
