Health Ministry officials have issued a warning against three juices produced by Sri Saga Marketing Sdh Bhd, telling consumers stop drinking them, and retailers to cease distributing.
Jus Al Sunnah, Jus Al Sunnah Gold, and Jus Al-Sunnah Penawar were found to contain both dexamthasone and prednisolone, two steroids that are banned under the Food Act 1983.
Authorities also discovered that Sri Saga Marketing, marked on the bottles’ labels as the drinks manufacturer, doesn’t actually exist, which turns out, is also a violation under the Food Act 1983.
Those who continue to sell the drink, either in shops or online, are now punishable under the same act, for the distribution of poisonous, damaging and harmful substances, and can be prosecuted, warn officials.
Wondering what kind of side effects will arise from the unsupervised imbibing of steroids? So were we. Turns out prolonged use can lead to muscle weakness, bone density loss, increased blood sugar, increased blood pressure, cataract, as well as an increase in the likelihood of infections. Those with diabetes (oh, about 12% of us) are at risk for even more serious complications, as the two compounds can lead to uncontrolled blood sugar levels.
In short: Do not, under any circumstances, drink these beverages! If you have been dabbling in the odd glass or two, go see your doctor immediately. If you’ve been on a steady, long-term diet of the sundry juices from Sri Saga Marketing, health officials advise that you seek medical attention as soon as possible, so that you can be weaned off with supervision.
Water, people. Just drink water. It’s cheap, it’s good for you, and you’re probably not having enough.
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