- JEDDAH: The local Directorate of Health Affairs instructed stores in Jeddah to stop selling a berry beverage called Symmetry Genesis, manufactured by Symmetry Corp.
- in the US, that it says is making false health claims, including that drinking the product reduces blood pressure, encourages weight loss and lowers the risk of cancer.
“The marketers for this product falsely claim the product has a large number of medicinal qualities, none of which are true,” said Jeddah Health Affairs Director Sami Badawood.
Officials began seizing boxes of the product and have issued the public statement to discourage consumers from heeding the claims. The Symmetry Corp. website claims the beverage extends life by “30 to 70 percent,” “controls blood pressure,” “inhibits blood clots,” “prevents damage caused by lack of oxygen to the brain and heart,” “reduces the risk of breast cancer,” “causes apoptosis (death of cancer cells),” and “reduces the risk of prostate cancer.”
The directorate says the danger the product poses is that people with certain health conditions might believe the product has medicinal qualities that can replace real treatment for related adverse health conditions.