Hydroxycut is the top-selling weight-loss supplement today in the United States. It has recently been reformulated, after the FDA issued a warning last year that linked the old formula to liver toxicity and even death. The new formula is dramatically different, but still, concerns about its safety and effectiveness remain. Other People Are Reading Facts About Hydroxycut Is Hydroxycut Bad for Your Liver? What is Hydroxycut? Manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences, Inc., Hydroxycut is one of the most popular fat loss supplements in the U.S. It is currently known on the market as Thermogenic Hydroxycut Advanced, and comes in a rapid release caplet form.

• Manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences, Inc., Hydroxycut is one of the most popular fat loss supplements in the U.S. It is currently known on the market as Thermogenic Hydroxycut Advanced, and comes in a rapid release caplet form.


• Prior to mid-2009, Hydroxycut included ingredients such as Garcinia cambogia, Gymnema sylvestre, and chromium polynicotinate, as well as caffeine and green tea. In May of that year, the FDA issued a warning to consumers about the product, claiming it had been linked to liver toxicity and even at least one death. Iovate Health Sciences subsequently recalled the product and reformulated it.


• The new Hydroxycut formula, sold as Thermogenic Hydroxycut Advanced, is dramatically different from its predecessor. Now, the pills contain antioxidants and vitamins, mostly, with only one active ingredient: "caffeine anhydrous," as manufacturers label it--or, just caffeine.


• Caffeine may provide a quick energy increase and feelings of alertness, and it may give you an extra boost before performing physical activity. It does not, however, increase metabolism or rate of weight loss on its own. Even Hydroxycut manufacturers themselves, on the product page for Hydroxycut Advanced, state that caffeine "is not a weight-control product." You can derive the same effects from drinking coffee.


• With most of the old stimulant ingredients gone from the formula, Hydroxycut's effectiveness has further decreased, but so has the risk of side effects. With the main active ingredient being caffeine, treat this as you would treat any other food or drink containing caffeine. If you are sensitive to foods and beverages such as coffee, Hydroxycut may be a bad choice for you. Otherwise, you should feel few ill effects unless you take more than is recommended.