Hydroxycut, manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences, is marketed as a nutritional weight loss supplement. Hydroxycut is formulated with Garcinia cambogia, a tropical-fruit extract believed to suppress appetite and aid in burning fat. These claims, however, are debatable. A three-week study of Hydroxycut done at the University of Wisconsin found no significant difference between subjects who took Hydroxycut to lose weight versus those who took a placebo.
Liver Damage
In 2009, the "World Journal of Gastroenterology" published a report indicating that a growing number of Hydroxycut users were developing liver damage. Ano Lobb, author of "Hepatoxicity Associated with Weight Loss Supplements," assigned blame to the potentially toxic hydroxycitric acid, one of Hydroxycut's active ingredients. Shortly following the release of this report, Iovate Health Sciences issued a voluntary nationwide recall. The Food and Drug Administration stated, "Although the liver damage appears to be relatively rare, FDA believes consumers should not be exposed to unnecessary risk."
Central Nervous System Effects
As far back as 2001, reports were circulating of dangerous side effects associated with the use of Hydroxycut. In the journal "Pharmacotherapy," researchers reported that central nervous system stimulants in Hydroxycut were most likely responsible for causing seizures. Based on this and other similar reports, including unresponsive patients, the FDA proposed regulations on products containing ingredients used in Hydroxycut. Ephedra, which has not be used in the supplement since the early 2000s, is the main culprit for the onset of central nervous system symptoms. However, you can still purchase Hydroxycut containing ephedra on the Internet, albeit illegally.
High Blood Pressure
Even after ephedra was banned from use in the United States, users of Hydroxycut were still experiencing dangerous side effects. In a 2006 article published in the journal MedGenMed, doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, reported that caffeine-based Hydroxycut was responsible for causing hypertensive retinophathy (damage to the retina caused by high blood pressure). In 2007, the journal "Vascular Disease Prevention" reported that several negative consequences had been associated with the high caffeine content present in herbal supplements, such as Hydroxycut.
Increased Heart Rate
Of course, the majority of people who take Hydroxycut won't have liver failure or seizures. But the common side effects, as reported by the online magazine Body Building For You, include increased blood pressure and heart rate, dizziness, headaches, and feeling jittery and restless---all of which should be avoided by people with heart disease and other serious health conditions.
References
- "World Journal of Gastroenterology": Hepatoxicity Associated with Weight Loss Supplements
- FDA: Iovate Health Sciences U.S.A., Inc. Adds Hydroxycut-Branded Product Universal Product Codes to its Voluntary Nationwide Recall
- "Pharmacotherapy": Seizure Activity and Unresponsiveness after Hydroxycut Ingestion
- "Vascular Disease Prevention": Does Caffeine Affect Cardiovascular Responses?
- University of Wisconsin: Differences in Body Composition Between Users and Non-Users
Member Comments