Claimed to Boost Virility, These Four Local Coffees Could Trigger Heart Problems
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Coffee marketed as a drink to boost stamina and male virility is not always safe to consume. Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has found several locally made coffee products containing sildenafil citrate, a medicinal chemical.
The substance poses health risks if consumed indiscriminately without medical supervision. Misuse of sildenafil citrate can cause heart problems and may even lead to death.
BPOM chief Taruna Ikrar said the products were found during the agency’s monitoring of traditional medicines and health supplements.
“Products promoted as food, and even claimed to improve virility, were found on examination to contain sildenafil citrate,” Taruna said, as quoted on BPOM’s official website.
Sildenafil citrate is the active ingredient in prescription medicines used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Its use must take consumers’ health conditions into account and be supervised by medical professionals.
Adding the substance to health products is extremely dangerous, as it can cause side effects including impaired vision and hearing, as well as chest pain. Consumption also carries the risk of fatal conditions such as stroke, heart attack and death.
The four coffee brands found to contain the hazardous substance are:
Kopi Macho – contains sildenafil citrate (fake marketing authorisation number TR110828024).
Kopi Jantan Gali-Gali – contains sildenafil citrate (fake marketing authorisation number MD090910002236).
Kopi Arjuna – contains sildenafil citrate.
Kopi Stamina Dewa Jantan – contains sildenafil citrate (fake marketing authorisation number TR MD 182009124).
Taruna Ikrar said the distribution of illegal and dangerous products continues, with increasingly varied methods. He said sellers use online platforms and social media, as well as concealed distribution channels that are difficult to trace.
Products of this kind are often promoted as stamina supplements, particularly for men. However, their ingredients conceal dangers that are not disclosed to consumers.