The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has warned citizens and residents of the dangers of some herbal products alleged, via TV channels and social networks, to be of help for slimming. Such products, according to the center, lack safety, as well as containing some chemical substances that may cause serious health complications.
Within the same vein, the CEO of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Dr. Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Baddah, has revealed that the results of analyzing some products used for slimming and weight loss have shown that they contain various chemical substances and ingredients, with concentrations greater than the allowable limit therapeutically. Furthermore, Dr. Al-Baddah has pointed out that those herbal products contain some drugs which are unauthorized in some countries and those drugs used as anti-epilepsy, as well as drugs triggering cancer, all of which may cause serious diseases and severe complications; such as hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, convulsions, and cancer, etc. "Besides, those herbal products may interact with other medications taken by the patient, and increase their side effects," said Dr. Al-Baddah, showing how such products are particularly risky for pregnant women, infants and children under 16 year to use those aforementioned products; as demonstrated by a number of the international scientific organizations.
Finally, Dr. Baddah has indicated that these medicines are not registered in Saudi market, meanwhile warning citizens and residents of the consequences of being misled by the promotional ads of those products, via TV, internet or any other means. Moreover, he underscored that the NCCAM vigorously and actively seeks to educate the community members, and to warn them of anything that may affect their health, or of any trails, driven by rapid profiteering, to exploit or cheat them with fake treatments, without verifying of such claims and the health complications that may result from these herbal products, or other illegal practices attributed to alternative medicine.