Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Health has warned the public from using ‘Meizitang' slimming capsules and weight loss coffee that are available in the market as they contain the banned substance, sibutramine, which causes uncontrolled hypertension for patients diagnosed with coronary disease.
Dr Ameen Hussain Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licensing at the Ministry of Health, said that the ministry noticed the presence of herbal and weight loss products and immediately sent a circular to all medical districts, directors of public and private hospitals as well as private clinics, instructing them not to use botanical slimming products as they contain chemical substances that are not stated on the external batch.
The product is not registered in the pharmaceutical registration and control department in the ministry.
Additionally, the FDA issued a warning against using the ‘Meizitang' weight loss product because it contains sibutramine which causes hypertension and increases the rate of heart beat and causes danger for heart disease patients.
The pharmaceutical control and registration labs in the ministry of health tested the weight loss coffee and ‘Meizitang' botanical slimming samples and discovered sibutramine in one of the coffee samples and capsules.
Blood clotting
It is medically known that the substance is carefully used in cases of depression, glaucoma, high blood pressure or for patients who suffer from high risk of bleeding or under drug treatments to prevent blood clotting.
The substance may also lead to the intervention of medicines when they are taken together. Therefore, it is not advisable to take it for migraine or other analgesic tablets such as Tramadol or Vintanil.
