Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products.

Linda Katz, M.D.
Interim Chief Medical Officer
FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

I saw an ad for Hydroxycut in a magazine this morning and was wondering about the safety and claims made by the product. Another one of those…”looks too good to be true” and “buyer be ware.” I guess it was only been a matter of time that something would come up.

Today the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued an official release warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products.  To date the FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. In addition one death due to liver failure has been reported to the FDA.

About Hydroxycut Products
Hydroxycut products are dietary supplements that are marketed for weight-loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names. The products are prodiced by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., of Oakville, Ontario and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y.

Return Products to Place of Purchase
Consumers who have any of the products involved in the recall are advised to stop using them and to return them to the place of purchase. The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products. The products contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts.

List of Hydroxycut Products being Recalled:
The list of products being recalled by Iovate currently includes:

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

More on Dietary Supplements

For more information on Dietary Supplements, see the page on FDA 101: Dietary Supplements.

Sources:

FDA. May 1, 2009. FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Using Hydroxycut Products. FDA News.
FDA. May 1, 2009. Hydroxycut Products. FDA Products.

What is Airborne?

According to the Airborne Company’s website:

Airborne is a dietary supplement that was created by a school teacher. Airborne is a proprietary combination of 17 vitamins, minerals and herbs.

The key ingredients in Airborne have been shown to help support a healthy immune system as shown in scientific studies and medical journals.

Airborne was created by Victoria Knight-McDowell, a second-grade teacher who got tired of catching colds from her students.

She started selling the product in 1997, three after Congress voted to allow dietary supplement makers to claim their products have an effect on a body structure or function, such as the immune system. Claiming to cure or treat illnesses requires FDA approval.

No Tangible Evidence to Support the Claims

Lydia Parnes, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection said that “There is no credible evidence that Airborne products . . . will reduce the severity or duration of colds, or provide any tangible benefit for people who are exposed to germs in crowded places.”

Consumers who bought Airborne products between 2001 and 2008 have until Sept. 15 to apply for a refund for as many as six purchases, the FTC said. Claims will be paid by Oct. 15, 2008.

The FTC action adds $6.5 million to a previous class action settlement in which Airborne agreed to pay $23.5 million in customer refunds and attorney fees.

When I looked for Airborne on Amazon, the ‘Immune Boosting’ formulas were listed as being currently unavailable, but they had a whole host of other options, including a formula for children.