Mexico City, Mexico - Health authorities seized hundreds of thousands of natural food supplements that made false claims about their effectiveness in curing cancer, diabetes, obesity and other diseases, the Mexican Health Secretariat said.

Federal Comission for Health Risks Oversight, or Cofepris, personnel seized 685,000 items stored at warehouses in Irapuato, a city in the central state of Guanajuato, "for failure to comply with health laws," the secretariat said in a statement.

"Miracle" medicines are products that make false claims about their ability to cure illnesses, are not registered with health authorities, and have not undergone laboratory testing in accordance with the General Health Law.

Health officials seized the illegal products during an operation last weekend, targeting the Tonic Life, Natural Health, and Naturismo Jaguar companies.

The banned products were being sold under the "Cancer y tumores Tonic Life," "Pancreas Tonic Life," "Diabatex Tonic Life," "Prostata Tonic Life," "Reudol," "Diabherbal," "Uva Ursi," "Te de la Mujer" and "Urinari" brands, among others.

Bogus health products have proliferated in Mexico in the past few decades, with hundreds of medications being sold that promise to help people lose weight, lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, cure cirrhosis of the liver, and heal many other ailments.