The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase or use Stiff Bull Herbal Coffee, a product promoted for improving energy. This product was identified by FDA during an examination of international mail shipments. FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that Stiff Bull Herbal Coffee contains desmethyl carbodenafil. Desmethyl carbodenafil is structurally similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, an FDA-approved prescription drug for erectile dysfunction (ED). This undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates.
The FDA notification, released Friday is to inform the public of a growing trend of dietary supplements or conventional foods with hidden drugs and chemicals. These products are typically promoted for sexual enhancement, weight loss, and body building and are often represented as being “all natural.”
Jeffrey Newman represents whistleblowers.
