FDA warns dieters to stop using Hydroxycut weight-loss supplements

Firm recalls Hydroxycut

National health officials said on Friday (May 1, 2009) that Iovate Health Sciences Inc, the maker of the widely sold Hydroxycut weight-loss supplements, is recalling 14 products after reports of liver damage and one death.

Available in grocery stores and pharmacies, the recalled products were advertised as made from natural ingredients and marketed for weight loss, boosting energy and other uses.

FDA warning

Federal regulators with the FDA have now urged all the consumers to stop using Hydroxycut health products as they warn some Hydroxycut products are associated with a number of serious liver injuries.

“The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products,” said Linda Katz, M.D., interim chief medical officer of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Products in question

Following is the list of Iovate’s recalled products:

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

Fed regulators advise consumers who have any of the above mentioned products to immediately stop using them and to return them to the place of purchase.

The agency has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes to liver damage. Also, one person has died from use of the over the counter diet pill, according to the FDA. The victim was a 19-year-old boy living in the Southwest, who died in 2007, but the death was reported to the FDA this March.

However, the diet pills maker, Iovate Health Sciences, said in a statement that the 2007 death of the teen boy was not due to the use of Hydroxycut.