“Natural male enhancement” pills pulled for having unnatural ingredient

The FDA has worked with a consumer products company to pull a "natural male enhancement" product off the market as an ironic consequence of the fact that it was likely to work. FDA testing has shown that the ROCK-It MAN Male Enhancement Capsules, sold as being an all-natural product, contain a close chemical relative of the drug marketed as Viagra. As a result, the product creates a risk of a dangerous interaction with common heart medications.

Consumer Concepts, Inc. (the marketers behind the product) agreed to the voluntary recall after being informed of the FDA's testing. The chemical in question sounds a bit like a sneeze (Hydroxythiohomosildenafil) but the key feature is its root: sildenafil. That's the chemical more commonly known as Viagra. Due to the strong chemical similarities, the two compounds are expected to have very similar biological effects.

That's good for the product, since it's likely to actually function as it's marketed. But it's a serious problem for human health, as noted in the FDA's announcement of the decision. Male impotence is a common side effect of various heart problems (presumably due to the altered circulatory system behavior associated with them). Sildenafil, however, can have dangerous interactions with drugs commonly used to treat these ailments, including nitroglycerin. The combination causes a serious drop in blood pressure. Since male heart patients can't take Viagra, the reasoning goes, they might be more likely to turn to a supplement like ROCK-It Man.