The 23 reports of adverse effects include liver damage, elevated liver enzymes (which indicates potential liver damage) and liver damage requiring a transplant. A 19-year-old man died after using Hydroxycut. "The death occurred in 2007," Katz says, "and was reported to the agency at the end of March 2009."

How dangerous is Hydroxycut?

In 2009 , the FDA recalled Hydroxycut products under a health fraud charge. At that time, the FDA had received more than 20 reports of serious health problems linked to Hydroxycut. These health problems included liver disease, seizures, heart disease, muscle problems, and death.

What was taken out of Hydroxycut?

In 2004, the FDA banned the use of ephedra in nutritional supplements and the composition of Hydroxycut was altered, with removal of ephedra. The products were often labelled as “ephedra-free”.