Health authorities warn against use of fraudulent herbal supplements

The Ministry of Health has seized undisclosed quantities of a herbal supplement called Ultra Power, being distributed by a company called For Life which makes fraudulent claims of sexual enhancement in the case of diabetic patients.

Making the announcement, Dr Ameen Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing sector in the Ministry of Health, cautioned the general public against the use of such fraudulent herbal supplements.

"The Ministry of Health constantly monitors the unauthorised distribution of such drugs making false claims. People are generally misguided by the ‘herbal' moniker which gives them the impression that these supplements are safe. However, most of these supplements contain undisclosed formulations and the side effects of these can be very harmful and also fatal.”

Dr Al Amiri added that the seized herbal supplement, Ultra Power, was being advertised on social media and some television channels and was smuggled into the country by unscrupulous elements. Tests conducted on the seized supplements revealed that the supplement contained large amounts of tetracycline, a first generation antibiotic which has been discontinued. "This antibiotic was introduced in the 1950s and later found to have several side effects. Today, the medical fraternity uses new and more effective second and third generation antibiotics. Besides, the indiscriminate use of any kind of antibiotic without medical supervision is not recommended.”