Sold over the counter in UK.. illegal 'miracle' tanning spray that could stop your heart and damage your brain; A INVESTIGATION.(News)

Byline: GARY ANDERSON; ELISSA CORRIGAN

A TANNING spray that is SNORTED up the nose contains a chemical with potentially dangerous side-effects

Thousands of Brits have been snapping up bottles of Ubertan - a product that promises an even, golden tan with just a few sniffs.

But a Sunday Mirror investigation has revealed that side-effects include a risk of low blood pressure and an elevated heart rate - conditions which in extreme circumstances can lead to heart failure and permanent brain damage.

The "miracle" product - of which Ubertan boast they have sold more than 250,000 units - has not undergone tests or been licensed in the UK.

It is therefore illegal to sell it for profit or promote it - although it is lawful to buy it for your own use.

The spray, which costs pounds 40 a bottle, can be bought over the internet and is also stocked in tanning shops, beauty salons and gyms.

The Sunday Mirror commissioned a report into its contents by Dr Dominic Williams, of the Medical Research Council's Centre for Drug Safety Science, after learning that girls as young as 15 were using it.

Dr Williams warned: "If my daughter came home with a bottle of this I would tell her not to take it.

"It doesn't match up to UK regulations so you simply don't know what it is - it's not worth the risk."

After putting the spray through extensive tests, he identified the possible sideeffects, due to one of the chemical ingredients - forskolin, which is derived from the coleus plant.

Forskolin can have some medical benefits, according to experts, but only if properly tested and regulated.

But Dr Williams said: "Taking forskolin-containing products may elevate the normal heart rate.

"When the heart rate increases significantly, this will lead to lightheadedness, shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitation, rapid pulse or loss of consciousness.

"Dangerous complications associated with tachycardia include heart failure, blood clots, frequent fainting or sudden death."

Ubertan claim its only downsides are suppressed hunger and an enhanced libido.

We bought Ubertan from a tanning shop in Lancashire. A shop assistant told us: "It's all amino acids and leaf extracts and things, so it's safe."

A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said they had launched an investigation.

He said: "We are preparing a report and a decision will be taken on enforcement action." Ubertan's internet domain name is registered to a Caribbean lawyer. He did not reply to messages left by the Sunday Mirror.

UBERTAN'S CLAIMS

UBERTAN bills itself as a "revolutionary new nasal spray tanning product" on its website.

It claims it "stimulates an increase in natural melanin production". Melanin is a natural substance which determines skin colour.

The website adds: "The unique ingredients in our product work by entering the body's system safely through the nasal cavities and in turn heighten the natural melanin in your skin."

CAPTION(S):

"It's safe"... what assistant in Lancs shop said Big seller... the popular Ubertan is taken up the nose