There’s a brand of coffee apparently being touted as more than your usual pick-me-up…and aimed especially at men, it seems. It’s got herbal extracts (tongkat ali, maca root and guarana) that are meant to boost libido and health and are all-natural (whatever that means, isn’t everything natural?). However, one news site points out that the herbal coffee also contains desmethyl carbodenafil, which is, as you might guess from the name, an analogue of sildenafil, which is commonly prescribed as Viagra (as the orally available citrate salt).
Undeclared active pharmaceuticals in food and drink products are not allowed for good reason. A person hoping for a simple health boost and a pick-me-up might get more than they bargained for if they’re on nitrate, or other, medication for cardiovascular disease, a sudden drastic drop in blood pressure, for instance, or cardiac arrest.