Dubai: The Department of Health in Abu Dhabi has banned a popular brand of slimming coffee that used to be promoted and sold across social networking sites in the UAE.
The health department issued a circular that called against the unauthorized promotion of the Lishou Slimming Weight Loss Coffee, according to the Arabic daily Emarat Al Youm.
Manufactured in China, the packet of the slimming coffee reads that it is made of the natural plant Hoodia Cactus found in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa.
In the circular, the DoH said laboratory results confirmed that the beverage contained a banned substance, which was undeclared on the product’s packaging, and was responsible to increase the risk of a heart attack and stroke when consumed.
The slimming coffee is among 444 weight loss products deemed as unsafe by the DoH.
A report recently issued by the World Health Organization stated that about 90 per cent of the drugs sold online are adulterated and fake. In addition, the report pointed out that those promoting the supplements were often based in foreign countries.
In the UAE, products containing sibutramine are banned.
Sibutramine is an active medicinal ingredient which being prohibited due to its serious side effects by leading to increase blood pressure and/or pulse rate in some patients and may present a significant risk for patients with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, irregular heartbeat, or stroke.
Slimming pills and diet supplements banned in the UAE, according to Dubai Municipality, include:
Super slimming herb. Contains Sibutramine
La' Trim Plus. Contains Sibutramine
Ultimate Body Tox Pro. Contains Sibutramine
Super Herbs. Contains Sibutramine, Desmethylsibutramine and Phenolpthalein
ABX Weight Loss. Contains Sibutramine
Skinny Bee Diet. Contains Sibutramine
Pink Bikini. Contains Sibutramine and Phenolpthalein
Shorts on the Beach. Contains Sibutramine and Phenolpthalein
Eradicate Capsules. Contains Sibutramine and Desmethylsibutramine
Xerophagy Capsules. Contains Sibutramine
Dynamizm Capsules. Contains Sibutramine
X-treme Beauty. Contains Sibutramine
Platinum Weight Loss Solution. Contains Sibutramine
