The Federal Food and Drug Administration has warned that a coffee that was branding itself as a natural aphrodisiac, under the marketing slogan ‘serving passion one cup at a time’, may be boosting libido but is putting consumer’s health at risk.
They have warned that the ingredients of the ‘Magic Power’ coffee include a chemical similar to the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra, which could be exposing coffee lovers to ‘unpredictable risks’.
They say that hydroxythiohomosildenafil, the offending chemical, could interact with prescription medications and cause lowered blood pressure, dizziness or light-headedness. The FDA has expressed particular concern that patients taking nitrates, which are commonly prescribed to heart patients, could be at risk.
The company that manufactures Magic Power say that the active ingredients in the mix are horny goat weed, often described as a ‘herbal Viagra’, goji berry and ginseng.
The FDA has criticised the company for promoting the product as an ‘all natural dietary supplement’. The director of the FDA’s centre for Drug Evaluation and Research, Deborah M Autor said that was likely to lead consumers to assume that this meant the product was harmless and posed no health risks, when in fact it could cause ‘serious harm’.