* MAY 1, 2009, 1:10 P.M. ET
FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Taking Hydroxycut Products
from wall street journal
By JARED A. FAVOLE
WASHINGTON -- Consumers should "immediately stop" using Hydroxycut weight-loss products amid concerns they may cause jaundice and liver failure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
The FDA has received 23 serious reports of health problems with Hydroxycut products and one death in a 19-year-old male who had used the weight-loss products, said Linda Katz, interim chief medical officer in the FDA's food safety and nutrition division.
The FDA strongly advises people against using 14 Hydroxycut products, Ms. Katz said. Iovate Health Sciences Inc. of Canada markets the products, also known as dietary supplements, as fat burners and energy-enhancers. Iovate representatives couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
The company has agreed to recall 14 of its Hydroxycut products. Other Hydroxycut products, such as Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia, won't be recalled as the FDA said they contain different ingredients from the other products.
Vasilios Frankos, director of the FDA's dietary supplement program, said it's still unclear what ingredients in the products are harmful. The FDA is trying to get a better understanding of what ingredients, or combination of ingredients, is causing the liver damage. Other dietary supplements may contain similar ingredients.
The FDA recommends people call their physicians if they are worried about any damage caused by the products.
Write to Jared A. Favole at jared.favole@dowjones.com
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