Botanical Ingredient May Be Cause of Hydroxycut Liver Damage, Study Finds

A dietary supplement ingredient derived from a tropical fruit may be to blame for liver failure and other severe injuries suffered by people who took Hydroxycut products, a new study finds.

A total of 14 Hydroxycut products were recalled on May 1, 2009 after reports of deadly liver failure and liver disease in people taking them to lose weight and build muscle. In research published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, a condition called hepatoxicity caused by a Hydroxycut ingredient derived from a fruit called Garcinia cambogia is blamed for the injuries.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, there have been nearly two dozen reports of liver failure, jaundice, and other liver-related injuries in Hydroxycut users. One consumer, which some media reports have identified as a 19-year-old male, suffered liver failure and died after taking Hydroxycut.

Hydroxycut Ingredient Blamed for Injuries

In announcing the recall, the FDA did not identify a specific ingredient in Hydroxycut that was suspected of causing the liver damage. Dietary supplements like Hydroxycut are not considered drugs and are not regulated in the same way by the FDA. Unlike with drugs and medical devices, which undergo extensive clinical studies before they are approved for use in patients, the ingredients in dietary supplements do not need to be considered “generally regarded as safe” and the FDA only intervenes regarding supplements if the product is deemed to be harmful.

In the new study, researchers say cases of hepatoxicity have been linked to Hydroxycut products since at least 2005. In each case, users who were otherwise healthy reported liver abnormalities and symptoms that stopped when they stopped using Hydroxycut, the study said.

The New Fen-Phen?

According to the study, the reports of hepatoxicity in Hydroxycut users are similar to reports of heart problems, stroke, and other severe complications in people who used ephedrine-based products, also called Feh-Phen. Ephedrine was banned in the U.S. in 2004 after the ingredient was linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular injury. A total of 155 people reportedly died due to ephedrine diet products.

Another ingredient in some dietary supplements, called kava-kava, was banned in Canada in 2002 after it was linked to 29 cases of hepatoxicity, the study said. About 40 more cases also were reported in Europe.

The U.S. FDA has warned of risks from kava-kava but has not banned its use.

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