On the Internet, it is possible to order various food supplements with slimming or aphrodisiac properties. However, these products can be very dangerous to health.
- Side effects associated with an adulterated product should be reported to Nutrivigilance or a Poison Control Centre.
- Despite their ban, certain products continue to circulate in France, explained ANSES.
On September 6, Juliette Bloch, director of alerts at the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), pointed to an increase in cases of poisoning linked to products so-called “natural”, but which contain dangerous drugs. Sold in the form of food supplements or powder, these products are called “adulterated”, that is to say that they contain an active substance not mentioned in their composition.
An uncertain dosage
“There are very regularly patients poisoned by these products which they take without their knowledge (…) In these products, there is no reliable dosage, you sometimes find yourself with the equivalent of several drugs in a few milliliters or grams of a product. It’s irregular, some batches have high doses, others don’t. All this without any control”explained the director of alerts at ANSES in an interview with Parisian.
In a Vigil’Anses bulletin published in March 2022, the health authority had already pinned various products offered over the counter on the Internet or on social networks. “Some aphrodisiac or slimming products contain, in a hidden way, powerful drugs such as tadalafil or sildenafil, both subject to compulsory medical prescription in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, or even sibutramine, a prohibited appetite suppressant in France for several years”had warned the organization.
In France, certain drugs such as sibutramine or fenfluramine are prohibited because they increase the risk of cardiovascular accidents. However, these substances can be found in certain slimming food supplements. “Other drugs are authorized but only on prescription, so that a doctor can check that there are no contraindications to their use and explain the instructions for use at an appropriate dose. This is the case of molecules effective on erectile dysfunction such as sildenafil (molecule of Viagra®) and tadalafil (molecule of Cialis®) to name only those encountered most often in adulterated food supplements.said ANSES.
A case of intensive care hospitalization
Among the reports mentioned in its alert, ANSES cited a case of serious poisoning caused by Black horse vital honey, an aphrodisiac product considered a “honey of love”. According to the leaflet, it was supposed to contain honey, ginseng, royal jelly and Eurycoma longifolia, a plant with potential aphrodisiac properties. A patient had been hospitalized in intensive care for convulsions, cerebral edema as well as major respiratory and renal insufficiency after ingesting this product.
“The analyzes carried out on the product had identified tadalafil at a concentration of 8 mg/ml. By way of comparison, the drugs contain 5 to 20 mg per tablet. The consumer ingesting several milliliters of aphrodisiac honey in one take (one tablespoon contains about 10 ml or 80 mg of medicinal substances), therefore absorbs the equivalent of several tablets of this drug, while the usual dosage is 10 mg, with a maximum of 20 mg”, can we read in the alert bulletin.
Products banned in France
In July 2021, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) and the National Medicines Agency (ANSM) published a press release on the dangers of aphrodisiac honeys. Jaguar Power and Black Horse Vital Honey products were then withdrawn from the market or recalled.
To avoid the risk of poisoning, ANSES has recommended avoiding ordering slimming food supplements or love honeys on the Internet. It is better to buy them in specialized stores. Before starting a treatment, it is also recommended to discuss it with your doctor, in particular if the patient has a condition and/or is taking medication with which the products can interact.
