Hydroxycut hepatotoxicity

Rashid, N Nudrat; Grant, Jason

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03464.x

Topics

Complementary therapies

Digestive system diseases

Poisoning

Pharmaceutical preparations

To the Editor: Over-the-counter herbal supplements to promote weight loss have become increasingly popular. Several of these products contain potentially hepatotoxic substances. We present the first reported Australian case of acute hepatotoxicity associated with the weight-loss product Hydroxycut Hardcore (Iovate Health Sciences, Blasdell, NY, USA). Hydroxycut contains various ingredients, including extracts of the herbs Garcinia cambogia and Camelia sinesis (green tea root), and the chromium salt, chromium polynicotinate. A recent review cites these three ingredients as possible causes of Hydroxycut hepatotoxicity.1

1 Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW.
2 Ryde Hospital, Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence: nuibui007@hotmail.com

1. Dara L, Hewett J, Lim JK. Hydroxycut hepatotoxicity: a case series and review of liver toxicity from herbal weight loss supplements. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14: 6999-7004.
2. Stevens T, Qadri A, Zein NM. Two patients with acute liver injury associated with use of the herbal weight loss supplement Hydroxycut [letter]. Ann Intern Med 2005; 142: 477-478.
3. Jones FJ, Andrews AH. Acute liver injury associated with the herbal supplement Hydroxycut in a soldier deployed to Iraq [letter]. Am J Gastroenterol 2007; 102: 2357-2358.
4. United States Food and Drug Administration. Consumer update. Warning on Hydroxycut products. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm152152.htm (accessed Dec 2009).
5. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Advice to consumers regarding Hydroxycut products. 8 May 2009. http://www.tga.gov.au/alerts/medicines/hydroxycut.htm (accessed Dec 2009).

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