Hydroxycut

Hydroxycut is a nutritional supplement marketed by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., designed to help consumers lose weight. It is sold at conventional retailers, such as GNC and Wal-Mart, online retailers such as Hydroxycut and Evitamins, and through direct television marketing.

Currently sold in the United States without ephedra, it advertises under a marketing slogan of a product that increases metabolism and reduces hunger cravings. Like many nutraceuticals, its efficacy is questionable [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE2D6143BF930A15755C0A9659C8B63&sec=health&pagewanted=print " Studies of Dietary Supplements Come Under Growing Scrutiny" - New York Times - June 23, 2003] ] .

Hydroxycut promotes itself as being created and endorsed by doctors. Television advertisements for Hydroxycut feature Jon Marshall, DO, a 2005 graduate of Midwestern University's osteopathic medical school, still in residency. Hydroxycut is also endorsed by Marvin Heuer, MD, FAAFP, Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Florida.

Hydroxycut was formulated by Marvin Heuer, MD, FAAFP. Heuer is the Chief Scientific Officer of Iovate Health Sciences (Note Iovate Health Sciences is the company that markets Hydroxycut). According to published studies, key ingredients in the Hydroxycut formula may help people lose up to 4.5 times the weight than they would with just diet and exercise alone. This is supported by two 8-week studies in which all groups followed a diet and exercise plan, subjects using the key ingredients in Hydroxycut lost, on average, significantly more weight than subjects who were using a placebo (14.99 vs. 3.06 lbs. and 12.54 vs. 3.53 lbs.). [ [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1462-8902.2004.00328.x "Preuss HG, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, Rao CVS, Dey DK and Satyanarayana S. 2004. Effects of a natural extract of (–)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 6: 171–180"] ] [ [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TB1-4BH9DYS-5&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=0f123560a060425feb300e36711a2a1a "Preuss HG, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, Rao CVS, Satyanarayana S and Dey DK. 2004. Efficacy of a novel, natural extract of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX, niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract in weight management in human volunteers: A pilot study. Nutrition Research. 24: 45-58"] ] Its primary ingredients have been clinically studied and include garcinia cambogia, gymnema sylvestre, chromium polynicotinate, caffeine, green tea.

Controversy

On March 27, 2003, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon filed a lawsuit in St. Louis against Hydroxycut's manufacturer MuscleTech Research and Development, Inc stating that claims Hydroxycut was "clinically proven" to be a "fat-burner" were false, specifically: [ [http://ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2003/032703.htm Attorney General's News Release - "Nixon sues maker of Hydroxycut for misrepresenting safety concerns of ephedra, weight loss effectiveness" - March 27, 2003] ]

Nixon also alleged that the "before" and "after" photographs were misleading, and that one woman's "before" photo was deceptive because she was recently pregnant. [ [http://ago.mo.gov/lawsuits/2003/032703hydroxycut.pdf "NIXON vs. MUSCLETECH" - IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS STATE OF MISSOURI] ]

MuscleTech paid $100,000 to settle the case while denying any wrongdoing. [ [http://ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2004/050404.htm Attorney General's News Release - "Distributor of diet supplement that contained ephedra pays Missouri $100,000 under agreement with Attorney General Nixon" - May 4, 2004] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.hydroxycut.com/ Official Site of Hydroxycut]
* [http://www.hydroxycutuk.com/ UK website for Hydroxycut]