FDA says these products can put the DIE in ‘Diet’

It’s getting to be that time of the year, when weight-loss companies start making us worry about what we might look like in a bathing suit this summer. If you decide that you need to slim down, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has this word of advice - be careful about taking pills, powders or potions that might contain prescription drugs and/or undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The FDA recently issued a second round of warnings about weight-loss products. This time the list has grown to 72 products - including Herbal Xenicol, Slimbionic, and Xsvelten - and is warning consumers about products containing fenproporex, fluoxetine, furosemide and cetilistat.

For the current list of products on the FDA’s list, click here

“These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health, because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed maximum recommended dosages,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

“Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain dangerous drugs that could cause serious consequences to their health,” Woodcock said.

The products on the FDA’s list - some of which are marketed as dietary supplements - are promoted and sold on various Web sites, and in some retail stores and beauty salons.

Some of the products claim to be “natural,” or to contain only “herbal” ingredients, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the products’ labels or in promotional advertisements.

Antidepressants, anti-seizure medication, experimental drugs

These products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal, and include the following undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients:

• sibutramine (an appetite suppressant available by prescription only and a controlled substance)

• fenproporex - a controlled substance not approved for marketing in the United States;

• fluoxetine - an antidepressant available by prescription only;

• bumetanide - a potent diuretic available by prescription only;

• furosemide - a potent diuretic available by prescription only;

• rimonabant - a drug not approved for marketing in the United States;

• cetilistat - an experimental obesity drug not approved for marketing in the United States;

• phenytoin - an anti-seizure medication available by prescription only; and

• phenolphthalein - a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent that is not approved for marketing in the United States.

The FDA has inspected several companies associated with the sale of these products and is working on product recalls.

And if the companies are uncooperative, the FDA “may take additional enforcement steps, such as issuing warning letters or initiating seizures, injunctions, or criminal charges.”

The FDA advises consumers who have used any products containing these ingredients to stop taking them and consult their health care professional immediately. (And perhaps check with your doctor in future, before taking any weight loss product.)

Seizures and sudden death

“The health risks posed by these products can be very serious and include high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), palpitations, heart attack, and stroke,” the FDA states in its warning.

“Sibutramine, a controlled substance, was found in many of these products at levels much higher than the maximum daily dosage for Meridia, the only FDA-approved drug product containing sibutramine. These higher levels of sibutramine can increase the incidence and severity of these health risks. Fenproporex, another controlled substance, can cause arrhythmia and possible sudden death.”

If you experience a serious reaction to any of these products, the FDA asks that you or your doctor report this to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program, either online, by regular mail, FAX or phone.

If you mail your information, you can download the postage-paid FDA form 3500, available at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm and mail it to: MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787. Or FAX it to 1-800- FDA-0178.

Or you can call in your report at 1-800- FDA-1088.

For more information provided by the FDA on weight-loss products, click here

Wynonna Judd uses Alli

Wynonna Judd has been struggling with her weight both in and out of the public eye. In 2003, she opened up to Oprah about how her cholesterol levels were putting her at risk for a heart attack, and three years later, she checked into a treatment center for food addiction. Wynonna will be turning 45 in May, and she recently opened up to People magazine about the changes she's making to become more healthy.

Wynonna is planning ahead for meals, cooking more at home, and taking walks with her children. She is also taking Alli over-the-counter diet pills to lose weight, and is even a spokesperson for the diet aid. These pills act as a fat blocker, preventing your body from absorbing a quarter of the fat you consume.

About Hoodia: Truth behind the debate – has much changed since the New York Times article in 2005?

Their report may have been written over 4 years ago, but the New York Times article on the validity of clinical testing in Hoodia Gordonii supplements is as pivotal as it was then, as it is today.

The reason? Go on most Hoodia product websites, and whilst you will read the phrase ‘clinically tested’ within their content; when you then go on to scan their website for proof – can you find it? No. More often than not you cannot.

If anything they are vague.

Take the two Hoodia Products that the New York Times put forward themselves: Pure Hoodia and Hoodaba. Now whilst these products may claim to ‘kill your appetite’ and offer you ‘waves of energy’ with no human studies to back it, physicians were unable to back them.

In truth, back in 2005, the majority of physicians had a hard time supporting Hoodia products. They questioned their safety as appetite suppressants.

But the New York Times did not stop there in their breakdown.

They also questioned Hoodia Gordonii’s active ingredient P57. Known for being processed and broken down by the liver, physicians questioned whether Hoodia supplements contained enough P57 to effectively suppress consumer’s appetites.

Of 10 Hoodia products tested by Unilever (in the UK), 2 contained no P57, 4 contained small amounts of it and the other 4 contained significant amounts. Proof that of all the many supplements currently available on the market, a substantial amount of them in truth do not contain enough.

The present

Looking over their article, the New York Times brought up many valid points over the quality of Hoodia products.

Now whilst arguably – 4 years later – there are even more fake Hoodia products on the market, there now trials, documentation and testing methods to prove which products are the real, and which can offer consumers real weight loss results.

Take Hoodia Company UniqueHoodia. On their website you can find
a CITES Certificate, a certificate of Analysis and an Organics Annex Certificate – all of which can prove that you are receiving pure unaltered Hoodia Gordonii.

But there is more…

4 years on, Hoodia Gordonii has finished undergoing clinical trials and has proven itself to be a real appetite suppressant.

So whilst there are still Hoodia Products on the market that are questionable in their validity, there are such companies such as UniqueHoodia that can prove this article by The New York Times wrong.

Hoodia Gordonii CAN help consumers to effectively lose weight and cut their calorie intake by over 1,000 calories a day. UniqueHoodia being one of them.

FDA Adds More Diet Pills to Its "Unsafe" List

The FDA adds 41 more products to an alert about unsafe diet pills it issued last month, bringing the total to 69.

The pills are advertised as "natural" fat busters and some suggest they are innovative "herbal" remedies from Asia.

But, the FDA says many contain Sibutramine, a powerful appetite suppressant that can cause heart attacks and strokes.

Reported by: Robin Thibault, KARK 4 NEWS

http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/news/?cid=173631

Weight loss and detox

Incorporating a detox diet into your weight loss management plan can offer you more than clearer skin and improved bodily functions. It can also help you to lose weight, boost your immunity, beat headaches and remove cellulite. Every woman's dream.

Saying this it is important that you ensure that your body always receives the right level of nutrients - something that detoxing can affect.

Let us explain:

Whilst detoxing can radically reduce your calorie count by encouraging you to eat low fat foods such as fruit and vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, herbal teas and plenty of water. Which in turn can reduce bloating, cleanse your organs and keep you enriched in protein and vitamins.

Many detox diets, involve a reduction in wheat, dairy, meat, fish, eggs, caffeine, alcohol, salt, sugar and processed food. Now although some of these – if over indulged in – can contribute to weight gain, they do in themselves offer you essential nutrients that can not be over looked for an extended period of time. And if you do choose to cut them out, you could be risking your body to dietary deficiencies and lower immunity.

So where is the balance?

We recommend that if you do choose to incorporate detoxing methods into your diet, then only do it for a limited period of time, and ensure you follow a detox diet that has lesser restrictions in terms of naughty foods.

After all, your body is naturally designed to detoxify itself, so following this course of action for too long can do more harm than good. But, if you can find the right balance, you could soon be on your way to boosting your weight loss, without having to resort to unnatural methods.

So if you are interested in helping your body to lose that sluggish feeling, and increase your energy levels.

Try adding some of these to your diet:

Fruit:
apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapefruit, satsumas, sultanas, raisins, pineapple, mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, nectarines, peaches and melons

Vegetables:
carrots, turnip, onion, swede, sprouts, peppers, sweetcorn, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, tomatoes, cucumber and mushrooms.

Beans and Lentils:
red kidney, haricot, black eye, pinto, red lentils, green lentils and brown lentils

Fresh Fish:
cod, plaice, mackerel, salmon, crab, haddock, tuna, prawns, lemon sole, monk fish

Unsalted Nuts:
brazil nuts, peanuts, cashew, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts

Oats, potatoes (all types), unsalted seeds, tofu, live natural yoghurt, water and herbal teas.

Avoid:

All forms of red meat, chicken, turkey and other meat products such as sausages or burgers.
Milk, cheese, eggs, cream, butter and margarine – the big diary products
Wheat products such as bread, croissants, cereals, cakes, biscuits, pies, pastry or quiche.
Savoury foods such as crisps or salted nuts
Treats (anything high in sugar) - chocolate, sweets and jams
All processed foods, ready meals and takeaways – you don't know what has been used to cook them
Alcohol, caffeine, tea or fizzy drinks

Genuine 100% Hoodia Gordonii

Genuine 100% Hoodia Gordonii

Search for the term ‘Hoodia Gordonii’ on the web and you will find endless websites telling you to try their unique Hoodia extract.

But here is where their first mistake comes in. Genuine 100% Hoodia Gordonii does not come in an extract form. No, not at all.

All an extract actually means is that part – and we mean any part – of the Hoodia Gordonii plant has been used to make this supplement. And we don’t just mean random parts of the plant itself.

It is surprising how many inventive ways companies have come up with in order to make their 400mg look authentic.

Don’t believe us? Take a look at the following list, it is incredible: leaves… flowers… one of the 13 other Hoodia plants… even caffeine. They have done anything and everything to cut down on the costs, and earn themselves more money.

And the person, who ends up losing out in this scenario, is you and only you.

So what can you do to escape the hoodia extract controversy? Learn the basics of what to expect when you are looking to invest in a Hoodia Gordonii product.

Take for example the capsules ingredient list

The only other ingredients you should ever find on the packaging of a Hoodia product is the core of the Hoodia Gordonii plant, gelatine, magnesium stearate and stearic acid.

Now before you jump the gun, and say that these 3 extra ingredients must make it not 100% pure, there is something you need to know. That is not strictly true.

You see the ingredients we have just mentioned above form part of the capsule that contains the powdered form of the Hoodia plant. They are okay.

But if you find any other extra ingredients on the label or spot a quote that says it is an extract of the plant, then stop. All this information is actually telling you is that the capsule only contains 60% of the genuine Hoodia core. The rest are just fillers that will offer nothing beneficial to your weight loss journey.

And according to research conducted by Alkemist Pharmaceuticals, over 80% of the Hoodia Gordonii capsules they tested, were found to be not 100% pure Hoodia Gordonii nor authentic.

And this figure is based on the number of products that were willingly sent to them to be tested. There are in fact hundreds of other Hoodia Gordonii products that have not been tested; that have not been proven to be the genuine article.
Saying this there are products out there that have got the backing, the clinical testing and the CITES certificate to prove that they are the real deal. UniqueHoodia being one of them.

Within one capsule users can find 460mg of pure, unaltered Hoodia Gordonii. No added fillers or ingredients, just the powdered form of the plants core.

And this is 60mg more than the average Hoodia product will offer too.

In one compact package, customers can experience the satisfaction of knowing that they are receiving:

• 100% pure, unaltered Hoodia – not the extract form, but powdered capsules
• A 2,000 calorie reduction every day
• 10,000 times the strength of appetite suppression, compared to glucose

FDA Warning on 38 Diet Pills

The FDA warned consumers not to buy or use more than 25 products marketed for weight loss because they contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may be risky.

Those products, which may be sold online or in stores as "dietary supplements," are:

Undeclared Drug	Product(s) Name
Sibutramine	2 Day Diet 3 Day Diet 3x Slimming Power 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming 7 Diet Day/Night Formula 7 Day Herbal Slim 8 Factor Diet 24 Hours Diet 999 Fitness Essence Extrim Plus Fatloss Slimming GMP Imelda Perfect Slim Lida DaiDaihua Miaozi Slim Capsules Perfect Slim Perfect Slim 5x ProSlim Plus Royal Slimming Formula Slim 3 in 1 Slim Express 360 Slim Tech Somotrim Superslim Triple Slim Venom Hyperdrive 3.0 Zhen de Shou
Rimonabant	Phyto Shape
Phenytoin (trace)	3x Slimming Power Extrim Plus
Phenolphthalein	8 Factor Diet 24 Hours Diet Fatloss Slimming Imelda Perfect Slim Perfect Slim 5x Royal Slimming Formula Superslim Zhen de Shou

resources: http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/weight_loss_products.htm

"These products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal, and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers," states an FDA news release.