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FDA issues warning against Magic Power Coffee

By the CNN Wire Staff
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • FDA says consumers shouldn't use Magic Power Coffee
  • The instant coffee is marketed as a sexual enhancer
  • Agency says it contains chemical that lead to dangerously low blood pressure
  • Company's website includes disclaimer to check with doctor before using product

(CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning Saturday for the public to stop using an instant coffee marketed as a sexual enhancer, the agency announced in a news release.

Magic Power Coffee contains a chemical that can cause dangerously low blood pressure when it interacts with prescription drugs such as nitrates, the FDA said. The chemical, hydroxythiohomosildenafil, is similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, which is available by prescription.

Customers who have Magic Power Coffee should stop using it, the agency said.

"Because this product is an instant coffee labeled as an 'all natural dietary supplement,' consumers may assume it is harmless and poses no health risk. In fact, Magic Power Coffee can cause serious harm," Deborah M. Autor, director of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's office of compliance, said in the statement.

The agency warned the public that sexual enhancement products that claim to work as well as prescription drugs "are likely to expose consumers to unpredictable risks" and the potential for injury or death.

However, the FDA said no adverse events associated with the Magic Power Coffee have been reported. The agency advised anyone who has experienced a negative side affect from Magic Power Coffee or any sexual enhancement product to consult a doctor or nurse.

Magic Power Coffee, which calls itself the "world's first passion coffee," is sold online and by independent distributors.

There was no immediate response from the company to the FDA announcement.

The Magic Power website contains a disclaimer that reads in part: "Consult a physician before using this product if you have any medical condition including, but not limited to, strokes, high blood pressure, heart, liver, kidney or thyroid disease, diabetes, anemia, depression, anxiety, other psychiatric conditions, a family history of these or other medical conditions, or if taking any prescription, OTC and/or other herbal medications."