FDA Warns of Homeopathic HCG Diet Pill Side Effects

Federal drug regulators are warning consumers that HGC hormone weight loss drugs are dangerous, and the agency will be cracking down on the widespread marketing of the illegal diet pills. 

On Tuesday, the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new crack down on weight-loss pills that use human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormones and label themselves homeopathic.

Warning letters have been sent to multiple companies producing the drugs, warning them that they were selling unapproved medications and making unsupported claims about the weight loss benefits and safety of the pills.

The FDA warns that the companies claim that HCG diet pills can be taken with a low calorie diet to increase weight loss, but there is no substantial evidence that HCG increases weight loss beyond that consumers might experience from switching to a low calorie diet.

The FDA warns that the side effects of a very low calorie diet can include gallstone formation, electrolyte imbalance and heart arrhythmias.

The warning letters give the companies 15 days to tell the FDA how they intend to address the cited violations. Failure to respond could lead to criminal charges, legal action and seizure of their products and injunctions against them doing business.

Companies that received the letters include Nutri Fusion Systems, Inc., Natural Medical Supply, LLC (doing business as HCG Complete Diet), HCG Platinum, LLC, Theoriginalhcgdrops.com, HCG Diet Direct, LLC, Hcg-miracleweightloss.com and HCG Drops, LLC.

HCG is a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women. According to the marketing of HCG-based diet pills and drops, consumers have to take them while on a 500-calorie per day diet.

“These HCG products marketed over-the-counter are unproven to help with weight loss and are potentially dangerous even if taken as directed,” said Ilisa Bernstein, acting director of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s Office of Compliance. “And a very low calorie diet should only be used under proper medical supervision.”

Regulators warn consumers who have purchased homeopathic HCG weight loss products to stop using them, throw them out and stop following their diet instructions.