When Hydroxycut hit the markets in 2002, it was described as a miracle for people who were on the look-out for an effective weight loss technique. Manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences International, Hydroxycut was introduced as a brand wherein it comprised of a range of products, each of which could be acquired without prescription and were meant to aid in weight loss. Something that was truly surprising was the lack of studies backing the brand’s claim although the company itself said that it had conducted two studies which had not been published.

Soon after its release, Hydroxycut as a brand ran into controversy for the first time courtesy of one of its ingredients named ephedra. As it turned out, this plant extract had been banned by FDA and any supplement which was found to contain ephedra was withdrawn for reformulation. Controversy occurred once again in 2009 when the company received a consumer warning from FDA on all its supplements, the basis being 23 medical cases pertaining to malfunctioning of liver. In reaction to this, Hydroxycut acted by withdrawing all its products from the market and in spite of re-introducing them with a different set of ingredients it has continued to remain under shadow.

Most of the reviews pertaining to Hydroxycut are unanimous about its ingredients namely herbal extracts of Lady’s Mantle, Wild Olive, Wild Mint, cumin and in some case caffeine and extract of green coffee-bean. While its manufacturer Iovate has emphasized on having applied stringent procedures to ensure quality assurance, doubts still linger about the side effects that have been linked to its usage. The crux of the problem lies in the fact that companies that manufacture supplements are not required by FDA to prove the safety or effectiveness of their products, something that is a must in case of drug manufacturing outfits.

Over the years, side effects that Hydroxycut has been associated with are –

Causing damage to liver – There is medical evidence that links Hydroxycut with damage suffered by the liver with the degree of affliction varying from one user to another. While some reported symptoms of jaundice and elevated level of liver enzymes, others complained of exhaustion, weakness and itching without the presence of any particular factor.

Injury to liver was also manifested in form of digestive problems like stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. According to FDA, the extent of liver damage suffered due to intake of Hydroxycut was severe enough to warrant a liver transplant and in an extreme case the symptoms aggravated sufficiently to cause death of a person. It was also found that many of these symptoms abated when the user stopped taking Hydroxycut.

Rhabdomyolysis – Another name for muscle damage, rhabdomyolysis causes a fluid named myoglobin to be released into the bloodstream in large quantities wherein it is capable of causing damage to kidneys and disrupt the functioning of the circulatory system. This condition was linked to the presence of caffeine in Hydroxycut.

Cardiovascular concerns – FDA found that people taking Hydroxycut for weight loss were particularly prone to heart related problems like irregular heart-beats and even heart attacks. Some of the ingredients of Hydroxycut, although herbal, were linked to enhanced electric activity in the cardio organs because of which heart-beats were either too slow or too fast. This in turn resulted in interrupted blood supply to the heart, thus causing premature death of some of the cells and decreasing the efficiency of the heart.

Seizure – Another side effect pertaining to Hydroxycut was brain seizure, either partial or generalized, wherein the brain was found to go into a sudden overdrive due to sporadic electrical activity.

Ischemic colitis – Cases of Ischemic colitis, a medical condition wherein the colon experienced reduced flow of blood owing to constricted arteries, were reported amongst users of Hydroxycut and this further caused the FDA to issue warnings against this brand.

That said, labels of Hydroxycut products also feature warnings directing the use of products but even then given its side effects users are advised to stay away from it and consume only after seeking medical advice and reading reviews.