FDA is investigating 29 cases of hepatitis in Hawaii, possibly connected with the product

Oct 10, 2013 19:36 GMT  ·  By
The FDA is investigating the possibility that this weight loss supplement causes liver failure
   The FDA is investigating the possibility that this weight loss supplement causes liver failure

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control have issued a new safety warning about a popular weight loss product that claims to burn fat and help build muscle mass, OxyElite Pro.

As the ABC News video report can confirm, the product, which does not need FDA approval to be sold, is believed to be linked to liver failure after 29 cases of hepatitis were uncovered in the Hawaii.

Of these 29 people, 24 had taken the dietary supplement in the months before they started experiencing health problems. Furthermore, 2 of them required a liver transplant, and 1 died last Friday.

She was a mother of seven and had bought the supplement in a bid to lose the pregnancy weight faster. According to reports, she had taken the drug for several weeks.

The maker of the weight loss supplement, USPlabs LLC from Dallas, has issued a statement to say that the product contains ingredients whose safety has been tested and which are commonly used in this type of drug.

It believes OxyElite Pro did not cause the string of hepatitis cases, and can’t offer a possible cause for them.

According to the New Health Guide, even though the dietary supplement doesn’t require FDA approval, it should only be taken with extreme caution because its ingredients cause a series of side-effects that might damage the immune system.

It contains caffeine and geranium, both meant to increase alertness and boost energy levels and, at the same time, suppress appetite. They work by helping you feel more energetic even though you consume less calories, but that can translate into a constant state of stress.

An FDA investigation is now underway to determine is any of these ingredients could have caused these serious health problems recorded in Hawaii. Meanwhile, another safety warning says a counterfeit version of the drug is also on sale, so be careful about that too.