Identifying 3 types of products containing dangerous banned substances
On October 13, the news of Vo Thi Ngoc Ngan (Ngan 98) being arrested caused public concern, because many of her products have been sold and many people have used them.
According to the investigation results, since 2021, Ngan has begun to cooperate with a number of factories in Hanoi to process "health protection and weight loss" food products such as Super Detox X3, X7, X100...
On the documents, these are all products licensed for circulation. However, Ngan took advantage of the "supply" form to consume another product called "collagen vegetables".
The authorities have conducted an appraisal at the Institute of Criminal Science - Ministry of Public Security, thereby determining that the products manufactured and traded by Vo Thi Ngoc Ngan did not meet the announced quality standards, and were counterfeit goods, in which some samples (collagen products) contained banned substances sibutramine and phenolphthalein.
According to doctors, the weight loss drug Ngan 98 contains dangerous banned substances such as sibutramine and phenolphthalein, which are dangerous to health.
Poison Control Center - Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) has received many cases of severe poisoning due to the use of weight loss drugs floating on social networks, especially capsules, tea, and powders labeled "super-fast weight loss", "fat loss in 7 days"...
The common point of these cases is that they all contain sibutramine - an active ingredient banned worldwide for causing serious consequences for the cardiovascular and central nervous system.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, the two banned substances sibutramine and phenolphthalein are often used in many foods to support weight loss.
Accordingly, functional foods advertised for weight loss often contain a lot of substances and are often divided into groups. stimulants such as banned substances sibutramine, caffeine, even animal thyroid powder...
The mechanism of action is to force the body's internal organs, especially the cardiovascular system, to burn fat, consume energy without having to increase physical activity. This is unscientific and very dangerous, causing problems with the heart, brain...
In addition, appetite-causing substances, such as phenylpropanolamine (these substances also contain many substances with high risk and toxicity).
Phenolphtalein in weight loss drugs can seriously affect the digestive system, cardiovascular system, and liver of users. Using phenolphtalein to lose weight also causes unwanted side effects such as dizziness, nausea, fatigue, long-term health loss...
The Ministry of Health also absolutely prohibits sibutramine, but many facilities still secretly mix it into weight loss drugs
According to Dr. Duong Minh Tuan - Department of Endocrinology - Diabetes, Bach Mai Hospital, sibutramine was once used in obesity treatment because it has the effect of suppressing appetite center, helping users lose weight quickly.
However, after a series of studies showing that drugs increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia, high blood pressure, mental disorders and depression, the US Food Safety Administration (FDA) and the European Health Agency (EMA) have withdrawn all drugs containing sibutramine from the market since 2010.
In Vietnam, the Ministry of Health also absolutely prohibits sibutramine, but many facilities still secretly mix it into weight loss drugs to create a "quick" effect.
Doctors recommend that to lose weight, people should go to the doctor or have direct advice from the doctor to guide, assess the condition and specific measures for each person. The most popular and safe way is still to adjust your diet and increase physical activity.
"In addition, functional foods are currently being advertised and misunderstood a lot in Vietnam. When it is necessary to buy any product, especially for personal use, people need to choose products produced by licensed companies that meet state standards, the purchase and sale also need to go directly through an official distributor, have invoices, and pay taxes clearly.
Up to now, to ensure safety and desired effects, with all functional foods and drugs, people should not buy them on social networks, over the internet or by phone," the doctor warned.
Signs of sibutramine poisoning:
- Anxiety, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure
- Insomnia, anxiety, agitation, hallucinations
- Nausea, headache, sweating, shaking hands
- In severe cases: increased body heat, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, stroke, even death.
