There are so many wrong paths that people seek to try to lose weight, that the latest news related to this fact caused a death. The case of nurse Edmara, 42, who died after liver transplant rejection due to the patient having had fulminant hepatitis after consuming “weight loss tea capsules” raises the alarm once again about the desperate search for an ideal body as portrayed by the media and dangerous self-medication. “What we always warn patients is to seek a specialist doctor and undergo all the tests to find the best way to lose weight – if it is really necessary – and never self-medicate or believe in miracle recipes, especially those that are advertised without medical backing,” says endocrinologist and sports medicine specialist, Gisele Lorenzoni.
The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) warned that the products from the brand selling the tea had been banned in the country since 2020, and that this activity was clandestine. “Never buy a medication without a package insert and medical indication. The risk of poisoning is real,” warns Gisele. “Little is known about the side effects of these teas, plants, and people think that because it is natural, it is harmless, and sometimes they replace water with tea, which can bring serious side effects to these patients, such as liver damage, kidney damage, altering liver enzymes, due to not knowing the real harms and benefits that these teas can bring to the population,” points out the endocrinologist.
In addition to the risks with products that can be toxic and affect body organs, the doctor emphasizes that dieting without medical supervision can pose health risks: “Radical diets can bring harm in the short and long term, such as changes in cholesterol, fat, and sugar levels and lead to other problems and even poor body function,” she points out.
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