Weight loss product contains great health risks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers Monday to avoid more than two dozen products marketed for weight loss.
The products are sold in some retail stores and on the Internet and some claim to contain only “natural” or “herbal” ingredients. But, FDA tests found that the some of the products contained undeclared ingredients including sibutramine, rimonabant, phenytoin and phenolphthalein.
The FDA notes that sibutramine can cause high blood pressure, seizures, fast heart rate, palpitations, heart attack, or stroke. It can also interact with other drugs, and its safety hasn’t been established in pregnant and lactating women, or in children younger than 16.
According to the FDA reports, 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 their maximum recommended dosages.
The FDA has advised consumers, who have used any of these products should stop taking them immediately and consult their health-care professional.
