Medical experts attending a forum on health food and advertisements pertaining to them yesterday warned local residents against abusing health tonics, saying the side effects can be lethal and even lead to poisoning.

The Shanghai Consumers' Association, which organized the symposium, revealed it has received 87 complaints about health food in the first eight months of this year, surging 50 percent year-on-year.

"Many consumers, who were misled by the exaggerated ads, grumbled about diet food that claimed to expel internal toxins," said Lao Jianhong, association spokeswoman.

The alluring ads for health food often boast that the products can quickly expel internal toxins, which cause constipation, stomach discomfort, chloasma and halitosis.

According to the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau, this year it has uncovered 30 suspected illegal ads for 11 tonic products, which make exaggerated claims about "toxin expulsion."

In fact, the toxin expulsion function isn't included in the Ministry of Health's list of 22 approved health food effects.

Many health food produ-cers promote the toxin expulsion effect because it can attract consumers, especially women, who want to become more beautiful, experts said.

"It's true that some health foods can help ease the symptom of constipation but it doesn't mean toxins are expelled," said Kuang Diaoyuan, professor at the Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

"If people take health food that isn't suitable to their constitution or over-indulge in them, their health will be harmed by side effects," he said.

Doctors suggest producers clarify possible side effects and the proper period to use the health food, as well as detailed product infor-mation in their ads.

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