(haipo) The Ministry of Health has issued a warning to the public against the purchase and use of illegal peptides, which are marketed as injectable or ingestible substances without regulatory oversight. The substances are marketed as solutions for weight loss, bodybuilding, skin rejuvenation and improving athletic performance, even though they are not approved for use in Israel and may pose a serious health hazard.
Dangerous peptides not approved for use in Israel
Among the substances marketed without approval are BPC-157, GHK-Cu, CJC-1295 and TB-500, as well as Retatrutide – a substance that is still in the clinical trial stages for the treatment of obesity and has not yet been approved for marketing in Israel.
The use of these materials from unregulated sources can cause serious health problems, including liver and kidney damage, hormonal disruptions, blood sugar disruptions, allergic reactions, and infections. In addition, materials manufactured or packaged under unregulated conditions may contain contaminants or hazardous ingredients that are not listed on the packaging.
International warning and call for the public to report
The Ministry of Health's warning joins similar warnings issued by health authorities in Canada and Australia regarding the risks associated with the use of these types of substances. The Ministry of Health constantly warns the public about the dangers of purchasing medicines and nutritional supplements outside the legal marketing channel, and calls on the public to purchase medicines only in approved places and to avoid purchasing substances and medicines through social networks and unknown websites.
In the event of symptoms or concern about health damage following use, seek medical treatment as soon as possible and inform the treating team about the substance consumed.
Reporting to the hotline and enforcement actions
The Ministry of Health calls on the public to report the sale or marketing of these substances through the "Voice of Health" hotline at *5400.
The ministry emphasized that it will continue to work in cooperation with enforcement authorities to prevent the import and marketing of illegal substances that may endanger public health. This is a growing phenomenon of marketing unregulated substances, sometimes under the cover of products supposedly intended for research only, but in reality reaching private consumers without any medical or regulatory control.