What is it?
Hydroxycut is a weight loss brand that’s available in different forms, with common ingredients such as green coffee bean. They often use this ingredient to show that within 60 days, people lost 10.95 pounds versus a placebo.
The intended benefits of this brand are increased fat loss, energy, and enhanced metabolism. For their caffeine brands, they advise to start with just 1 capsule a day, then eventually building up to 2 capsules twice a day. Their Hydroxycut blend is a proprietary formula featuring fruit, green coffee, and saffron. In this review you’ll learn about the surprising company history, what customers have to say about it, and whether or not it’s a good weight loss supplement. The top 10 diet pills are featured in this comprehensive list.
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Hydroxycut Ingredients and Side Effects
Robusta Coffee Extract (45% (Chlorogenic Acid)
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Papaya
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Blackberry
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Saffron Extract
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Caffeine Anhydrous
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Maqui
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Amla Extract
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Microcrystalline Cellulose
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Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate
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Pre-gelatinized Starch
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Stearic Acid
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Titanium Dioxide
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Polyethylene Glycol
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Talc
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Croscarmellose Sodium
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Magnesium Stearate
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Silicon Dioxide
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Robusta Coffee Extract (45% Chlorogenic Acid): Unroasted Robusta coffee, which is a species of coffee bean known for its higher bitterness and acidity.
It’s intended to help improve metabolism and control blood sugar. It can potentially cause side effects that include:
- Insomnia, nausea, and agitation.
- Anxiety, rapid heart rate, and difficulty concentrating.
- Restlessness, ringing in the ears, and headaches.
A study is provided by the manufacturers to show how effective this ingredient is versus a placebo.
The study was funded by a company who sells this extract, so there’s a potential for bias. In this study they took 50 volunteers and made them follow a low calorie diet.
Other unbiased studies have shown this ingredient to be ineffective for weight loss. Examine.com adds:
“seems weakly to moderately effective (on fat loss)”
It’s possible the only reason for fat loss is due to the caffeine.
Saffron Extract: Plant extract that’s used in cooking, as well as a way to improve mood and reduce sickness. Though there isn’t sufficient studies about its use. Web MD adds:
“There isn’t enough information to know how saffron might work”
“Taking large amounts of saffron by mough is POSSIBLY UNSAFE”
Possible side effects include:
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes.
- Poisoning.
- Vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and numbness.
- Death.
When taken at large amounts there have been cases of people dying from this.
Caffeine Anhydrous: Dehydrated form of caffeine that stimulates the central nervous system, it increaseses energy and metabolism.
A full serving of Hydroxycut Pro Clinical, their flagship brand, has 400 mg per daily serving. This is the maximum allowed limit for caffeine, and due to this, the company mentions:
“Do not take within 5 hours of bedtime”
“Consume 8 to 10 glasses of water per day”
This is to avoid both insomnia and dehydration. They also advise to not take any other stimulants, since it would likely raise the risk for serious side effects. Though on its own, it can potentially cause:
- Anxiety, agitation, and pain in the chest.
- Rapid heart rate, tremors, and jitters.
- Cardiovascular damage, insomnia, and restlessness.
- Dehydration, headaches, and mood swings.
Caffeine also has limitations, as Examine.com adds:
“Habitual caffeine use leads to tolerance. This means the effects of caffeine will be diminished… where the only benefit a user experiences is caffeine’s anti-sleep effect”
Therefore, caffeine must be only taken for short periods before it loses its potential weight loss effects.
Certain people are much more sensitive to caffeine, and that’s why it’s advised to slowly introduce this brand, and to not take more than just 1 pill to start with.
Maqui: A berry found in parts of Latin America, it’s used to help with weight loss. However, Web MD adds:
“There isn’t enough information to know if maqui is safe”
The possible side effects are also not known.
Amla Extract: This fruit has been used to lower bad cholesterol, and to provide antioxidant support. Though Examine.com adds:
“there is not enough evidence to recommend Amla for any particular purpose”
There have also been cases of people experiencing liver damage.
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Hydroxycut Quality of Ingredients
Ingredients like amla, maqui, and saffron have not been thoroughly studied and it’s unknown if they would affect weight loss.
Then there’s the added caffeine and green coffee bean which are the key active ingredients. Caffeine can be replaced with coffee or tea for cheaper and green coffee bean hasn’t shown any valuable weight loss effects. Studies have shown it to be either ineffective, or weak in its possible weight loss effects.
For the kinds of ingredients used, the lack of clinical studies for some ingredients, and the unknown side effects of certain additives, this mixture is a poor choice for weight loss. There are far too many unanswered questions to determine what the formula might do.
The Price and Quality of Hydroxycut
Sales are not offered via the manfaucturer, but they do suggest multiple online and in store 3rd party retailers.
Amazon.com sells one 150 capsule bottle for $28.56. At the maximum dosage of 4 capsules a day, this lasts for a total of 37.5 days. This makes the daily cost for supplementation 76 cents.
Though inexpensive, many of the ingredinets in this are either innefective for weight loss, not yet proven, or can be replaced.
There’s a high amount of caffeine in this which isn’t a long lasting source for weight loss. It may also provide side effects. Stimulant free options for long lasting weight loss are available if you click here.
Caffeine at 400 mg is roughly 4 cups of coffee. That’s why special considerations must be put in place to help protect against side effects. Still, the key active ingredients in caffeine and green coffee bean extract aren’t enough to suggest both reliable and safe effects. These two ingredients can also be replaced for much cheaper.
Business of Hydroxycut
The owners of this brand are Iovate Health Sciences Inc. They can be reached via the following:
Phone Number: (888) 334-4448
Address: 381 North Service Road West
Oakville, ON, L6M 0H4 Canada
Email: [email protected]
The company has been in trouble with both the FDA and FTC.
The FTC fined them $5.5 million dollars for making false advertising claims about their supplements. This included stating that their brands had positive health benefits, and because of this, they were required to refund customers who bought supplements from them.
The FDA also sent them a warning letter due to:
“liver toxicity associated with the use of multiple versions of the dietary supplement Hydroxycut”
“Agency has concluded that the ingestion of the dietary supplement Hydroxycut presents a severe potentially life-threatening hazard to some users”
This forced the company to schedule a mandatory recall on all Hydroxycut on the market. There were 23 reports of severe health problems due to this supplement, and one person died from it.
After this, in 2024 and 2024 there were still incidents of heart problems and ulcers associated the use of Hydroxycut.
They currently have 6 complaints on their Better Business Bureau website. This is due to issues with service, the products, and a lack of communication from the company.
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Customer Opinions of Hydroxycut
Here are select reviews from online customers:
“I really don’t have any effect using this product”
“Made me feel super sick and dizzy”
“It’s mostly a glorified caffeine pill”
“I had severe nausea, abdominal pain and felt like my stomach was on fire”
Amazon.com currently features 535 complaints. It’s often mentioned from customers that they experienced side effects, as well as a lack of weight loss.
Common side effects experienced by users include nausea, stomach pain, anxiety, rapid heart rate, restlessness, anxiousness, agitation, and some experienced difficulty breathing.
Many also said this is basically just a caffeine pill, and that it had no noticeable weight loss effects.
Conclusion - Does Hydroxycut Work?
The key features to notice about this brand are the company history, and the kinds of ingredients used. Many customers have failed to see any weight loss benefits, and people describe it as a caffeine pill. This is likely because the only ingredeints in this that might have a weight loss effect are caffeine and green coffee extract. There’s not enough in this to suggest it would help benefit people. The company has also had to recall Hydroxycut due to serious health concerns. There’s also a lot of caffeine added to this, with a full serving providing the maximum recommended dosage strength for caffeine.
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User Feedback
(Page 20 of 41, 802 total comments)John in Atlanta
+I am 32, 230 lbs. and 5'11". I have about 25% body fat. I am going to take Hydroxycut for 6 weeks. I work out 5x a week. I lift weights for 30 mins., and i do cardio for 20 mins. Today is my first day taking it, and i feel like i'm jacked up on speed, which is not bad. I will come back in 6 weeks with my weight and body fat % and post. I want to lose 40 lbs. Wish me luck.
posted Nov 12th, 2008 2:15 pmleilani
+i love hydroxycut! i lose about 1-2 pounds everyday since i started using it. i now weigh 108 ppounds at 5'1 and im really happy with the results :D
posted Nov 12th, 2008 4:45 amVictoria
+it was alright. it worked for me for a while, but then i think i developed an allergy or something to it because whenever i take it, i get so itchy. but yeah, good energy boost for exercising and speeds up your metabolism. good stuff :)
posted Nov 10th, 2008 10:33 pmheathermarie
+Taking product for 5 days now, down only 1 pound, but feel very much in control of my diet. Very energized to get outside and walk, or crazy clean my house. I have a 4 year old and a 3 week old, so high energy is key. Looking for more of a weightloss, but eager to keep up with it.
posted Nov 10th, 2008 10:41 amBecca
+Just bought a bottle today!! Will start tomorrow.. I'll be working out 5x a week.. current weight is 155. I'll keep u updated!!!
posted Nov 9th, 2008 10:04 pmThomas
+took hydroxicut hardcore for a month lost 20lbs with just walking a mile a day awsome product
posted Nov 9th, 2008 11:26 amAmanda
+Remember: Muscle weighs more than fat! If you are tightening up your body (Sarah, Oct. 24) that added muscle is keeping that "weight" on--but I bet you look leaner and better. Go girl!
posted Nov 7th, 2008 2:33 pmbrittney
+i am still working on it jus had my daughter and need to get back in those old jeans still working on it but getting there
posted Nov 5th, 2008 11:30 pmJessica
+I tried this product 5 days ago and already down 3lbs. It definitely suppressed my appetite and gives me a lot of energy. I did have some slight side effects (dizziness) but it only lasted a few hours on day 2.
posted Nov 5th, 2008 10:50 amThis is not a miracle pill, you must follow the directions and pair this with diet and exercise. Read the information closely and you will see why this product alone wont give you the impressive weight loss results that others see. It gives you energy to work out, suppresses your appetite to make dieting easier, and it burns about 130 calories a day to give that added boost to your diet and exercise plan. I already recommended this product to my friend and I would recommend it for people who need that little extra kick to their diet and exercise plan. I definitely would not recommend it for long term use though, just enough to get you over that weight loss hump.
Anthony
+Ive been taking it for about 3 weeks....and what a huge difference...im going to keep going....i have lost between 10-15 pounds.. i love this stuff....however, sleep is not part of my schedule anymore!
posted Nov 5th, 2008 3:24 amBahiyyah
+Hydroxycut is the only thing that has worked for me and i saw results so fast. I exercise(jog for @least 30min everyday) and this product helps me to stay in control of my eating(I eat 5 small meals a day). The only problem that i have had is not being able to sleep so i make sure that i dont take it close to bed time. But i has been worth every penny to me.
posted Nov 3rd, 2008 1:20 amTIM L. HUMPHREY
+29 pound 12 week from june to end aug.
posted Nov 2nd, 2008 8:09 pm2 day in Nov. and still 210 pound.
pinky
+it works..but i wanted to ask you guys if you think it will bring side effects later on? Like in ur kidneys or something...
posted Nov 2nd, 2008 3:34 ami took hydroxicut for energy and it helped me alot.. stoppedfor 2 weeks started again. Im thinking of purchasing another bottle but not sure if it w bring me side effects later on... like any type or cancer or stuff, have u heard anyth???
Jonathan Rodriguez
+Hey guys I just bought this item. I've seen people with my own eyes before back in 2003 how a guy I knew was taking hydroxycut and believe it or not he started to loose weight he had the ugliest beer belly then i noiced after 2 weeks the guy just started to look thinner and thinner and I asked him he sid he was taking hydroxycut. Well I saw it wih my own eye back then I did not needed it because I was in the military service so i was fit. But since I ot out in 2005 I went from 198 pounds to 261 pounds....YEAH!!!!!! big wake up call I will keep you posted on how this think works.....I'm not one of those who thinks "TAKE THE PILL AND WEIGHT COMES OFF" No i know i gotta excercise and since I was in the service I pretty much have an idea of what I need to do. SO I'll write back a post in 2 week. I started today saturday 1st I'll write a post back on the 15th to c how much weight i dropped. Remember pain is weakness leaving the body
posted Nov 1st, 2008 9:06 amTrishanna
+I started it 4 days ago and have lost 4 pounds. I'm doing Tae Bo, pilates and Yoga. I heard its good to mix it up. Don't sit still while watching TV-you can do light exercises! At work I take the stairs instead of the elevator. I drink only water. I need knee surgery and can't do all the exercises in Tae Bo, but I think I'm doing pretty well=)
posted Oct 30th, 2008 7:20 pmRachel
+I love it. Within the first week I was already down a 4 pounds. It does keep me awake at night though. I would reccommend taking that last dose more than 5 hours before bedtime.
posted Oct 29th, 2008 2:43 pmJanay
+I have beed using Hydroxi for 3 weeks and i have almost 8-10 lbs.
posted Oct 27th, 2008 2:44 pmAngelica
+Well I just started 10/27/08 and I am 5'1 and weight 148 and am hopeing to lose 25pounds so I will keep you posted.. am also watching my calories and exercising 3times aweek on the treadmill for 30mins with layers of cloths so I can sweat more...
posted Oct 27th, 2008 12:51 pmcassandra
+This really works. OMG i lost 20 pounds its so fantastic.....I LOVE IT ......everyone should try it it REALLY works
posted Oct 24th, 2008 1:52 pmSarah
+I have almost finished my first bottle and so far I have not lost any weight. I have lost 3 inches this week though and my percentage body fat has decreased. My clothes are getting big for me (I'm getting small for them). The only exercise I do is pushups, sit ups, and some really light pilates. I hardly work out. It curbs my appetite so I don't eat so much and when I do eat it makes me feel too full. I have not seen the weight loss results but I have seen a tighter body. I am afraid to keep taking it though because I had angina when I forgot to take it for two days and then took 2 pills. I think it is because I also had a soda that day. Maybe I'll get lucky and see a smaller number on the scale tomorrow.
posted Oct 24th, 2008 1:18 am