Hydroxycut Recalls 14 Weight Loss Products

Posted May 5, 2009 in Medical, Supplements 9 Comments »

Hydroxycut kills.

No, I’m not talking about the ephedra laced Hydroxycut that actually works, I’m talking about the ephedra-free Hydroxycut products that are supposed to be safe. Yeah, not so safe.

Hydroxycut
Hydroxycut

Hydroxycut products are marketed as inexpensive, energy-enhancing fat-burners. They do work to some extent. Hydroxycut will definitely increase your energy, but at what cost to your body?

Why Hydroxycut Was Recalled

  • 23 reports of serious liver injuries
  • liver damage
  • elevated liver enzymes
  • reports of jaundice
  • liver transplants
  • confirmed as the cause of death in a 19 year old male
  • cardiovascular problems
  • seizures
  • rhabdomyolysis – serious muscle damage directly linked to kidney failure

What Caused All These Problems

In April 12, 2004 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned ephedra because its use was directly related to heart problems, including heart attacks and death.

After the ban, Hydroxycut and many other companies reformulated their line of ephedra products, using a variety of combinations of herbal ingredients designed to mimic the effects of ephedra. There is no single ingredient or combination of ingredients that can mimic ephedra, but yet they tried.

The results are scary. Instead of heart attacks now we have to deal with liver and kidney failure, and the end result is still sometimes death.

Hey FDA, was it worth it?

Did it really matter in the end?

Consumers will find a way to try to get the results they want. It doesn’t matter if the ingredients are untested, if obtaining the products is illegal, or if any certain combination of ingredients can lead to organ failure.

Supplement manufacturers will find a way to sell products to consumers. It doesn’t matter if the ingredients are untested or FDA approved, or if the product really even works. Hype goes a long way in selling supplements and consumers will buy it if you tell them that it works.

Even today with the products being recalled, the FDA still doesn’t know exactly which ingredient or combination of ingredients is responsible for all the damage. There is a wide variety of herbal extracts and ingredients that could be linked to the problems.

Please do yourself a favor and avoid trying new fat burning products until they have been market tested and consumer approved.

Danger!
Hydroxycut = Danger!

Recalled Hydroxycut Products

These are the Hydroxycut products that have been recalled:

  • Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
  • Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
  • Hydroxycut 24
  • Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
  • Hydroxycut Carb Control
  • Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
  • Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
  • Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
  • Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
  • Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
  • Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
  • Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
  • Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
  • Hydroxycut Natural

Hydroxycut Products That Were Not Recalled

But wait, some Hydroxycut products are safe!

  • Hydroxycut Cleanse
  • Hoodia products

Until the FDA releases reports that Hoodia causes some kind of illness or organ damage. All in good time.

The Hydroxycut Response

“While this is a small number of reports relative to the many millions of people who have used Hydroxycut products over the years, out of an abundance of caution and because consumer safety is our top priority, we are voluntarily recalling these Hydroxycut-branded products.”

Although there are several organizations in the process of testing the Hydroxycut products, and no ingredients have been singled out as the culprit, Hydroxycut still agreed to recall its 14 products based on principle alone. I am sure that will account for a HUGE profit loss in addition to the bad press caused by the recall itself.

At least we can give them credit for that.

An Alternative to Hydroxycut

Biotest Hot Rox Extreme (HRX) is the best legal fat burner I have ever tried. HRX gives me a ton of energy, totally curbs my appetite, increases focus, and improves my mood.

Biotest Hot Rox Extreme Fat Loss SupplementI only take one capsule in the morning and sometimes one in the afternoon if I’m dieting or really tired. If I am not dieting or tired, I take one as necessary for the benefits listed above, maybe 2-3 times a week. Big dudes could theoretically take 4 caps a day, but I couldn’t handle that.

If you want the all powerful version, buy 110 caps of Biotest Hot Rox Extreme now for $39.99.

If you want to save a little money and/or get a Hot Rox product that is not quite as strong, buy 72 caps of Biotest Hot Rox now for $19.99. Note: this is not the ‘Extreme’ version.

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9 Responses to “Hydroxycut Recalls 14 Weight Loss Products”

  1. Wow…. you guys are something else. 23 reports in 10 years. You do the math. 2.3 per YEAR. In 2008 they sold over 8 million units of Hydroxycut. Hmmmm…. yeah, don’t take chances, just throw everything that might kill you away. Get a freakin grip………….. sorry, sometimes I’m amazed at people and how incredibly scared they get over nothing.

  2. If people would take the products as recommended, and not more often thinking it will make a difference, then the number of cases would not be nearly as high.

  3. Scary stuff… hydroxycut was one of the supplement industries’ top products. Who knows what else might be causing problems?

  4. AVISO IMPORTANTE: O produto Hydroxycut é retirado das prateleiras nos EUA e Canadá « Blog da Dieta says:

    […] Fonte: dietblog, Project Swole […]

  5. Wow. I actually bought this supplement (The liquid tablets) a few weeks ago and have fortunately had no such symptoms. I’m throwing the rest of bottle away right now though. Do not want to take any chances.

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