FDA Expands Warning to Consumers About Tainted Weight Loss Pills

List increases from 28 to 69 products; Agency seeking recalls

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding its nationwide alert to consumers about tainted weight loss pills that contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients. On December 22, 2008, FDA warned consumers not to purchase or consume 28 different products marketed for weight loss. Since that time, FDA analysis has identified 41 more tainted weight loss products that may put consumers’ health at risk.

The tainted weight loss products are:

Fatloss Slimming	2 Day Diet	3x Slimming Power
Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet	5x Imelda Perfect Slimming	3 Day Diet
7 Day Herbal Slim	8 Factor Diet	7 Diet Day/Night Formula
999 Fitness Essence	Extrim Plus	GMP
Imelda Perfect Slim	Lida DaiDaihua	Miaozi Slim Capsules
Perfect Slim	Perfect Slim 5x	Phyto Shape
ProSlim Plus	Royal Slimming Formula	Slim 3 in 1
Slim Express 360	Slimtech	Somotrim
Superslim	TripleSlim	Zhen de Shou
Venom Hyperdrive 3.0	Starcaps	Slim Waistline
Slim Waist Formula	Slim Up	Sliminate
Slim Fast	2x Powerful Slimming	Slim Express 4 in 1
Reduce Weihgt	Super Fat Burner	Super Slimming
Sana Plus	Trim 2 Plus	Powerful Slim
Waist Strength Formula	Slimming Formula	Perfect Slim Up
Slim Burn	Slim 3 in 1 Slim Formula	Slim 3 in 1 M18 Royal Diet
Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Waist Formula	Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Formula	Natural Model
2 Day Diet Slim Advance	Miaozi MeiMiaoQianZiJiaoNang	Meizitang
Meili	JM Fat Reducer	Imelda Fat Reducer
7 Days Diet	Extrim Plus 24 Hour Reburn	Fasting Diet
Cosmo Slim	Body Slimming	Body Shaping
Body Creator	BioEmagrecin	3 Days Fit
21 Double Slim	Eight Factor Diet	7 Diet

An FDA analysis found that the undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products include sibutramine (a controlled substance), rimonabant (a drug not approved for marketing in the United States), phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication), phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer causing agent) and bumetanide (a diuretic). Some of the amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredients far exceeded the FDA-recommended levels, putting consumers' health at risk.

These weight loss products, some of which are marketed as “dietary supplements,” are promoted and sold on various Web sites and in some retail stores. Some of the products claim to be “natural” or to contain only “herbal” ingredients, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the product labels or in promotional advertisements. These products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers.

The FDA advises consumers who have used any of these products to stop taking them and consult their healthcare professional immediately. The FDA encourages consumers to seek guidance from a healthcare professional before purchasing weight loss products.

“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,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. “Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that could cause serious health consequences. Therefore FDA is taking this action to protect the health of the American public.”

The FDA has inspected a number of companies associated with the sale of these illegal products, and is currently seeking product recalls. Based on the FDA’s inspections and the companies’ inadequate responses to recall requests, the FDA may take additional enforcement steps, such as issuing warning letters or initiating seizures, injunctions, or criminal charges.

The health risks posed by these products can be serious; for example, sibutramine, which was found in many of the products, can cause high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heart beat), palpitations, heart attack or stroke. This drug can also interact with other medications that patients may be taking and increase their risk of adverse drug events. The safety of sibutramine has also not been established in pregnant and lactating women, or in children younger than 16 years of age.

Rimonabant, another ingredient found in these products, was evaluated, but not approved by the FDA for marketing in the United States. The drug, which is approved in Europe, has been associated with increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and has been linked to five deaths and 720 adverse reactions in Europe over the last two years.

Basics to Protein Powder Supplementing

You may have heard a lot about protein powder, but you may not know exactly what it is or the benefits that it has on your body. Protein powder is one of the best sources of healthy, lean protein that you can find and it can help in your weight loss efforts. A lot of athletes use it to help bulk up for competitions or events and some use it as a substitute for eating a lot of higher fat and higher calorie foods. Using protein particles is a way to help guarantee an adequate amount of protein to take in.

Protein concentrate is a way of making sure that your body has the raw resources that it needs to be able to function properly and build lean muscle. Most protein powder is virtually tasteless and flavorless and several people like to blend it with other foods or beverages in order to be able to ingest it. Protein powder can be easily mixed with milk or soy milk to make powerful protein shakes and can come in different flavors to help you enjoy the taste better and still be able to get all of the benefits of protein powder.

You may have not been aware that protein powder comes in different kinds and forms and they are all not alike. It is up to you to decide which one is best for your body, which one tastes the best and which one is the easiest for your body to digest. Protein powder is one of the most popular supplements for weight trainers and body builders. A lot of athletes and body builders choose whey protein powder as their favorite source for protein. Whey protein powder is generally one of the easiest to digest of the supplements and is agreeable with most people who try it. Other types of protein powder are casein, soy, salmon, help, egg white and also a cranberry protein powder.

If you are looking for a protein powder that includes a couple different kinds of proteins in it, there are some available that combine different sources such as whey and casein and are very popular because of the way the body digests the protein that is in them and for the taste and texture. If you are prone to having food allergies to certain food like lactose or aspartame, there are soy protein powders and egg white protein powder that are much easier to digest and will not be likely to upset your stomach as ones that have cow milk or lactose as an ingredient.

You may need to try different kinds of protein powder until you find the one that is best suited for you. You may want to try mixing the protein powder with different beverages or making a smoothie with it if you have problems handling the taste. They are available in most health food stores and a lot of grocery stores that carry sport nutrition products. They can range in price greatly, and depending on your individual needs for the protein powder, some may be more affordable than other.

It also depends on what reason you are taking the protein powder and how much you are consuming every day. If you are taking a protein powder supplement because you are only trying to increase your protein intake without having to consume a lot of protein food, you may want to buy a smaller container of protein powder to ensure that it stays fresh. If you are doing weight training, or preparing for a competition or body building you may want to buy the protein powder in bulk to help you save some money. Most stores carry a variety of sizes and brands of protein powder, and it is advisable to try a small container of one kind first to make sure that it works for you and that you are able to properly digest it. If you are looking for one of the most widely used and available sources of protein powder, whey protein powder is usually available almost everywhere where nutritional supplements are sold, and you are likely to find the most variety with whey protein. It is one of the best sources of protein and comes in different brands and is one of the best ways to directly deliver powerful protein right to the source and help you to build lean muscles without giving you the high fat intake or high calories and cholesterol that you can get from eating other kinds of protein rich foods.

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