Hydroxycut diet supplements recalled
Pomegranite juice and prostrate cancer
THE U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall of 14 Hydroxycut® supplements due to reports of serious liver damage in patients who took the recommended dosages. Liver damage linked to Hydroxycut® use has resulted in at least one death and one liver transplant.
The recalled products are marketed as weight-loss supplements under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names.
So far, the FDA has received more than 20 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice to liver failure. Symptoms of liver damage may include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, fatigue, weakness, abdominal pain, itching and loss of appetite. Other adverse effects that have been reported include seizures; heart problems and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that may lead to kidney failure.
The FDA has not determined which ingredients or other factors may be associated with the reported health risks.
The recalled products include:
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®Hydroxycut Cleanse® and Hoodia® products, two other products marketed under the Iovate or MuscleTech brands, are not affected by the recall.
Pomegranate juice may be beneficial in men who have undergone standard treatment for localised prostate cancer, according to a long-term study presented at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association.
The study, which began in 2003, included 48 men older than 60 who underwent surgery or radiation therapy to treat localised prostate cancer. All of the men had rising prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after treatment. PSA is an enzyme that helps break down proteins in the seminal fluid and plays an important role in fertility. Prostate cancer patients often have increased PSA levels, although cancer may occur with any PSA level.
Participants drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily. During the six-year follow-up, men who continued drinking pomegranate juice had lower PSA levels than those who stopped drinking the juice and were no longer active in the trial. By the end of the study, it took about four times longer for active participants' PSA levels to double than it had at the beginning of the study.
