Warning issued against dietary supplement
DUBAI: The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), has issued a warning against the hazards of buying medicines online or relying on its allegations. In this context, the Ministry has strongly warned against the use of a dietary supplement produced from red rice yeast claiming its ability to unclog blood vessels.
In a statement, the Ministry said that its inspection team has spoted a video on social media, promoting a natural product containing red rice yeast, allegedly claiming that the product, ater a month-long use, can help in unclogging and cleansing arteries, geting rid of cholesterol, triglyceride, and hypertension, in addition to protecting from heart atacks, and improving the blood circulation and enhancing memory, physical activity, and sleep paterns.
“All the communicated information is deceptive and not based on scientific ground, and it can lead to health hazards that may occur to high cholesterol and hypertension patients,” the statement said, and underlined that this product is not licensed by the MOHAP and its specifications are unknown. Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Under-secretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing, underscored that the promotion of dietary supplements that are of unknown origin and are not registered, whether locally or internationally, is morally unacceptable and may lead to health hazards since there are no sufficient studies and information about the product and its specifications.
Al Amiri strictly warned members of the society of the daunting risks arising from buying medicines and dietary supplements online to be delivered to their homes, as if they are buying watches or clothes or electronic devices.
He further said: “Buying medicine and dietary supplements online became global practice. Therefore, MOHAP imposes strict measures to reduce the entry of those medicines to the country. These measures include the existence of MOHAP’S employees with customs’ employees in the country’ s airports and ports.
“If the inspection bodies seized such products, they would refer the package to MOHAP’S employees to be destroyed,” Al Amiri added.
Furthermore, he shed light on the atermath of using such unregistered products without referring to the MOHAP, the competent authority to announce the approved drugs across the country.
“Social media platforms are a positive environment, but they might be used for false allegations. In order to increase their followers, some pages exploit people’s concerns about finding the treatment of some chronic diseases without using the registered medicines.”