Hydroxycut - Yet another supplement bites the dust after sending dieters & body builders into liver failure disorders amongst numerous other serious side effects.
Even though Hydroxycut is being recalled in the United States by order of the
FDA (Food & Drug Administration) it will continue being sold overseas, causing havoc in countries such as India, where there is no central oversight body to copy the FDA's actions.
Sold under the Muscle Tech and Hydroxycut brand names, to name a few, this magic pill is available in India and worldwide in wholesale product marts and online as a weight-loss aid, a fat burner, an energy-enhancer and a low carb diet aid. There is a clear need to ensure that users are advised of the damage this product can cause to their long term health.
The recall came about after the FDA's food and nutrition division received 23 reports of serious health problems, including the death of a 19 year old boy living in the Southwest. The teenager died in 2007, but the death was reported to the FDA this March. There have also been reports of other health issues including seizures, cardiovascular disorders, and muscle damage that in turn caused kidney failure, in individuals who were otherwise healthy but became ill after they started using Hydroxycut in the recommended amounts.
Symptoms:- Liver injury - including jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
- Brown urine
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Light-colored stools
- Excessive fatigue
- Weakness,
- Stomach or abdominal pain
- Itching
- Loss of appetite.
DISCONTINUE USE OF HYDROXYCUT IMMEDIATELY IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS.Hydroxycut is made by Iovate Health Sciences, a company based in Canada. Although available there, it is not approved for use by the Canadian health authorities. Seventeen adverse reactions related to its use have also been reported in Canada.
Health officials in both Canada and the USA are examining the ingredients, formula and dosages of this product to determine what caused the reactions.
Hydroxycut is often advertised as made from natural ingredients. Hydroxycut started out by containing Ephedra (ma huang) among other `natural' ingredients, but has since reformulated its recipe to make it Ephedra free. It is being speculated that Hydroxycitric acid, another `natural' ingredient in Hydroxycut may be the culprit responsible for liver damage - but this has yet to be ascertained.
The FDA has come been under fire for sometime now regarding its ability to regulate the supplement industry. As of now, the FDA gets involved with a supplement only if an adverse reaction / extreme side effects are reported. The onus of making sure that a product is safe and true to what it claims to be lies with the manufacturer - which seems to be a conflict of interest!
However natural the ingredients may be, the final product sold as fat burners, slimming pills, weight loss enhancers - in the end, are extreme drugs. AND Use of these pills STILL requires disciplined eating and exercise - the cornerstones of health.
The NutritionVista.com Mantra nutrition + exercise = health + fitnessBy Meenakshi Hejmadi, Nutritionist, www.NutritionVista.com
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