Two products used as dietary supplements have been withdrawn from the market because they secretly contain the active ingredient of viagra. In a series of controls carried out by the Spanish Medicines and Health Products Agency (Aemps), it happened in Spain that cedanfil, which is used as a sexual stimulant in medicine, was found in two drugs used in diets. However, there was no indication on the label that it seriously endangered the health of those suffering from certain pathologies and those who found themselves unknowingly taking the drug.
Sildenafil molecule, which is widely used in the treatment of sexual impotence, was found in Mero Macho and Mero Macho Premium products. El Diario writes that its use in food supplements is illegal, given that its composition has not been subjected to special analyzes prior to sale in the EU. The drug is licensed only for drugs that are subject to strict controls and must meet a set of specific requirements in order to be placed on the market.
Therefore, people who (unknowingly) take these products are at risk of putting their health at serious risk, especially if they suffer from certain pathologies such as myocardial infarction, stroke, severe liver failure, or are pregnant women. The danger is even greater when it is considered that these drugs may be present in higher than normal doses prescribed in the drugs in which they are placed. In addition, sildenafil has numerous interactions with other drugs, which increases the risk of side effects in case of combined use. Following this reasoning, both manufacturers and distributors/sellers of these modified food supplements would be committing a public health crime.
Mero Macho (withdrawn by Aemps on April 19) is not an isolated incident, given that the Agency has had to periodically remove similar products from the market. Between 2013 and 2019 alone, a total of 106 supplements (many from non-EU countries) were banned for being mixed with drugs.
According to a study published in the journal Farmacéuticos Comunitarios en 2020, in the vast majority of cases (85%), the secret drugs are drugs used by men to treat impotence. Among them are sildenafil, tadalafil and yohimbine (the latter is not even licensed as a drug in Spain). Other active ingredients that can be found in so-called “fat burner” products are appetite suppressants, skin whiteners or anabolic steroids for muscle building.
Often, it is the manufacturer himself who deliberately adds the drug to the supplement, hiding this “detail” on the label, and instead advertising other healthy properties attributed only to natural ingredients. It is also true that sometimes pharmaceuticals can be accidentally present due to very poor manufacturing processes where cross-contamination occurs.
Much of this illegal trade takes place at non-pharmaceutical outlets (such as herbalists, health food stores or sex shops) as well as on the Internet, a medium that makes it very difficult for authorities to recall these products. Others, such as steroids, are sold in gyms or the bodybuilding industry. In this regard, a study published by the University of Alicante in 2017 revealed that between 12% and 58% of international food supplements contain stimulants, anabolic steroids and hormonal derivatives.
The actual size of these changes may be much higher than official data show. In the Netherlands, for example, regular analyzes by the Dutch Food Safety Authority (Nvwa) revealed that 64% of the 416 dietary supplements tested between 2013 and 2018 contained one or more drugs or plant toxins.
In this context, “Drug adulteration of food supplements: Is it a threat to public health in the European Union?” published in 2018. He explained to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (Rasff) that in recent years there has been a significant increase in notifications about supplements and fortified dietary products, particularly the presence of unauthorized ingredients.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
