Before the 2009 reformulation, formulations contained several substances with potential to harm the liver. After a series of reports in the medical literature of serious liver problems, including one death, the FDA warned consumers to stop using Hydroxycut, and Iovate agreed to voluntarily recall the products.

Ingredients varied in different forms of the Hydroxycut products, but they generally included caffeine, green tea extract and proprietary mixtures of botanicals of undeclared concentration, source and purity. Hydroxycut products continued to be implicated in rare cases of acute liver injury.

Hydroxycut is a brand of wildly popular weight loss supplements. The active ingredients, caffeine and green coffee bean extract, may help you lose weight. But weight loss and maintenance require long-term lifestyle changes, like a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Directions. To assess individual tolerance, for the first 3 days, start with one (1) caplet taken with a glass of water two (2) times daily, approximately 30 to 60 minutes before your 2 main meals. For days 4 and beyond, take two(2) caplets taken with a glass of water two (2) times daily.

The agency pointed to 23 cases of liver-related problems associated with the use of Hydroxycut. These included jaundice, brown urine, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. The agency said that while adverse events were rare, they were still cause for concern.

Hydroxycut Hardcore contains a highly concentrated form of caffeine and is targeted toward athletes and bodybuilders, claiming to support weight loss and boost energy levels. In contrast, Hydroxycut Original claims to support general weight loss. Currently, there is no research that either supplement is effective.

Over the past decade, the components of Hydroxycut have been modified, yet new cases of liver injury have continued to emerge [3]. Consumption of dietary supplements in US has doubled to 18.9% of adults admitting their use only between 1999 and 2004 [4,5].

FDA Prohibits Sales of Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedra. prohibiting the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids (ephedra) because such supplements present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury. In addition, FDA reiterated its advice that consumers stop using ephedra products immediately.

What Are the Dangers? Hydroxycut has reduced or eliminated some of the ingredients that caused concerns in its early formulations, most notably ephedra. However, since 2009 there have been a number of reported cases of liver failure, among other problems, that researchers have linked to Hydroxycut.

While some ingredients in Hydroxycut Original may have modest effects on weight or appetite, there's currently insufficient evidence to suggest that taking supplements containing these ingredients will result in meaningful weight loss.

Though it claims that its products will help you lose weight, very few of the ingredients' weight loss claims are supported by scientific research. What's more, there are no clinical trials on the safety or effectiveness of Hydroxycut supplements.

Some of the most common Hydroxycut side effects include:

• Cardiac Side Effects. One of Hydroxycut's most troublesome and particularly worrying side effects is a fast heart rate.
• Headache.
• Ischemic Colitis.
• Caffeine Overdose.
• Rhabdomyolysis.
• Seizures.
• Restlessness.
• Liver Damage.

Is Hydroxycut Safe? Hydroxycut's maker, Iovate Health Sciences International, says it puts raw ingredients through extensive quality assurance procedures. In 2009, Iovate recalled Hydroxycut after the FDA got reports of liver problems, seizures, and a muscle-damaging condition called rhabdomyolysis.