Hydroxycut ingredients may cause damage
The FDA has issued a Hydroxycut recall, saying the wildly popular weight loss supplement can cause liver damage and other health problems.
The Hydroxycut recall means a slew of problems for the manufacturer, Ontario-based manufacturer MuscleTech Research and Development Inc. Besides killing sales of the product, the company now no doubt will face a flood of lawsuits.
Why recall Hydroxycut?
The FDA finalized a ban on selling products that contain ephedrine in 2004, making it illegal to sell supplements containing ephedrine in the United States. Hydroxycut originally contained ephedra, but later developed an ephedra-free formula.
Hydroxycut has marketed itself for the past few years as an “all-natural” supplement. Health officials are having a hard time determining which ingredients in Hydroxycut are causing health problems because the product’s formula has changed several times.
Reported cases
MuscleTech better secure some installment loans or at least some short-term loans for lawyer fees because the lawsuits are coming. I predict this company will be seeking debt relief in the future.
The Sacramento Bee reports that Hydroxycut has been linked to at least one death, a 19-year-old boy from the South. On top of that, the FDA has been informed of 23 cases of liver damage.
What took so long?
Hydroxycut has been on the market since 2002, and the death reportedly caused by the supplement happened in 2007. The lag between product release and recall is largely because the FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they enter the market.
“Part of the problem is that the FDA looks at dietary supplements from a post-market perspective, and an isolated incident is often difficult to follow,” said Dr. Linda Katz of the FDA’s food and nutrition division.
The FDA relies on voluntary reports on dietary supplements, and the cases of liver damage were rare.
Who does this affect?
Hydroxycut makes up an unbelievable 90 percent of the weight loss supplement market, with 14 different products. People looking to lose weight or gain muscle mass typically use the product, which acts as both an appetite suppressant and a thermogenic fat-burner.
Hydroxycut has sold more than 1 million bottles every year since it has been on the market. Last year alone it sold 9 million bottles. The FDA has warned users to stop taking the supplement immediately.
Here is the product recall list:
- Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
- Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
- Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
- Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
- Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
- Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
- Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
- Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
- Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
- Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
- Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
- Hydroxycut 24
- Hydroxycut Carb Control
- Hydroxycut Natural
There is no miracle drug for weight loss. Exercise and better eating are the keys, and any doctor would probably tell you that, which is why dieting is a stupid concept. If you want to be healthier, then be healthier by getting proper exercise and eating nutritional foods. If all you want to do is lose weight…what’s the point? Just because a person drops a few pounds doesn’t make them automatically healthier. Skinny people can have high cholesterol, and plenty of people that are lighter on the scales have heart attacks. Ironically, many of the things that were seen as attractive qualities are now being touted as unattractive. For instance, tanning – it used to be that a person that was extensively tanned only got that way because they worked outside all the time, because they were poor. The incredibly white people had white collar jobs and were well off. Now, tans are thought of as being more attractive. I hate to break this to anyone, but having skin complexion of a carrot is not attractive. Every time a person fake tans, an oncologist buys another Maserati.
I’ve been taking Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Capsules for over 3 years. I’ve never had any problems with them ever. Does the FDA know how many doses he was taking a day. He could have been pounding down a bottle a day.
I agree – it is shocking how easily and quickly so many of us fall for these dangerous scams. Bottom line is: there are just no quick fixes. The only way you can lose weight safely and keep it off is by reducing you calorie intake. And not by too much, just a little. I have been quite successful so far by just recording everything I eat on a free online food journal. I am slowly getting to know my body, and which food groups I should have more of and which less. Only way to go!