Israel on Sunday issued a warning against purchase of illegal weight loss pills that appear to contain a stimulant ecstasy drug.
The Health Ministry said the "Zero Fat" supplement, sold by unauthorized sellers online, was found to contain dangerous substances, among them MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. According to the ministry, taking these pills constitutes an "immediate threat" to one's life.
Similarly to other weight loss supplements, Zero Fat works by suppressing appetite.
"In lab tests conducted by the Health Ministry on the weight loss pills that are illegally sold, dangerous substances were detected, and among them was ecstasy," said the ministry on Sunday morning. "The health ministry is warning the public against consuming these pills."
The public announcement also said that the pill "contained the active substance called sibutramine, which has been banned for use and marketing due to cardiac side effects and psychotic side effects."
The ministry added that they're "calling on the public to purchase medication, including weight loss pills, only from pharmacies and pharm chains, and avoid purchasing the pills through social media, and unrecognized and unregulated internet sites."
There have been several occasions in the past in which dangerous substances were discovered in weight loss pills. In 2016, the Slim Extreme supplement was found to contain dangerous substances, in 2008, "Hoodia" was prohibited for use, while many pills of this type were deemed dangerous due to severe health complications.