The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, has said that excessive fast can lead to kidney problems.

Adeyeye who said this on Monday while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja noted that using substandard, unwholesome products can also lead to kidney failure and death.

Kidney failure happens after your kidneys can no longer properly filter your blood. This causes toxins to accumulate in your body.

According to the President of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology, Dr Adanze Asinobi, about 869 million people globally are suffering from kidney disease and in Nigeria, there is an increasing prevalence of the disease.

Meanwhile, the NAFDAC DG said “We are a very religious country – Muslims and Christians, we fast a lot and it is part of the kidney problem. Your body has to have homeostatic balance, meaning the water level in your body must be enough to make your organs function.

“Some people will fast for 20 days or 10 days without drinking even a little bit of water and the kidney is being punished and it can damage your kidney because the kidney does not have water to dilute and filter, that is what some of us do.

“I fast but I fast with common sense. You have to fast with common sense or else you pay with your kidney.”

The NAFDAC boss also warned against patronising hawkers and corner stores for medicines.

“Do not buy medicines from hawkers, do not buy medicines from corner stores, buy medicines from pharmacies.”