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Saudi Arabia bans life-threatening Gluco Life

Published On: September 7, 2009, 6:56 am

By Vanita Chitkara

Following a warning issued by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Gluco Life has been removed from the Saudi Market. The herbal product is believed to have life-threatening consequences; its side-effects include severe damage to the liver, kidneys and other vital human organs.

 
This Canadian-made herbal formulation for diabetes patients contains lead and arsine. A spokesman from the SFDA said; 
 
“The product, which goes by the brand name Gluco Life, has had a troubled history. The product which is a transparent capsule containing dusty coloured powder has high level of lead and arsine, which cause damage to human organs. This is the sole reason for the ban and for the withdrawal from the local market.” 
 
A warning has already been posted on the SFDA’s website.
 
The ban will also help to check the illegal trading of this 'so-called highly-effective herbal product' for curing diabetes patients, whose number has been growing in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom, according to World Health Organization (WHO), is one of the top 10 countries that have the highest number of diabetics in the world. In fact, diabetes affects nearly 30 percent of the population in some way or the other.
 
The herbal product was being sold in the Kingdom despite not being registered or allowed by the Kingdom’s regulatory bodies. To this, the spokesperson said that several such products are being dumped in the local market by a few foreign companies. He further said that not only the pharmaceutical sector, but other sectors are dumped with fake products in the Gulf markets.
 
Arab News visited seven pharmacies and supermarkets in Riyadh to see whether the capsules were available. Not even a single pack of Gluco Life was available on the shelves.
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