Health Canada is recalling a weight-loss product called Complete
7-Day Cleanse because it contains ingredients that, when combined, pose a
serious health risk.
Complete 7-Day Cleanse is a detox product in the form of tablets from the
diet-pill company Hydroxicut. It's available at numerous Canadian retail
outlets and many online stores.
According to its label, it contains over 30 active ingredients, including
diuretics and laxatives.
When combined, these ingredients can cause dehydration or an electrolyte
imbalance.
Electrolytes are natural salts such as potassium and sodium that regulate
important body functions.
Dehydration may cause dizziness or an altered mental state, while an
electrolyte imbalance can cause muscle weakness, cramps, an abnormal
heartbeat or shortness of breath.
Complete 7-Day Cleanse is an unauthorized product in Canada, meaning Health
Canada hasn't deemed it safe.
Any authorized health product in Canada will have an eight-digit Drug
Identification Number, Homeopathic Medicine Number or Natural Product Number
on the label.
In May 2009, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration urged consumers not to use
anything made by Hydroxicut, after receiving 23 reports of serious liver
injuries associated with its products, including one death.
Iovate Health Sciences International in Oakville, Ont., distributes Complete
7-Day Cleanse in Canada. The company initiated the nationwide recall
at the request of Health Canada.
