Another weight loss 'supplement' adulterated with prescription drug

Another day, another adulterated weight-loss dietary supplement. This time it's Lose Quickly, a supposedly natural and safe prodcut that contains, according to its label, hawthorn, broadleaf holly leaf, and ginseng. But that label should also list the prescription drug Belviq (lorcaserin), according to a recent study in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. Researchers found that the product actually contained 6.6 milligrams of lorcaserin per pill, compared to 10 mg. in a standard Belviq pill.

"There's so much wrong with this product that I don't even know where to start," says Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports chief medical adviser. First, he says, people should be wary of all dietary supplements, in part because, as with Lose Quickly, it's hard to know whether what's on the label is really in the bottle, and vice versa. In fact, Lose Quickly is just the most recent in a series of supposed weight loss supplements tainted with prescription drugs. The Food and Drug Administration has even established a database of tainted dietary supplements, mostly those promoted for weight loss and sexual enhancement.

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Second, Belviq—the drug found in Lose Quickly—should be avoided anyway, since it's not very effective and poses risks, according to a Consumer Reports analysis. "The makers of this product managed to contaminate a bad supplement with a bad prescription drug," Lipman said. "That's not only an illegal deception but also a mindless one."

Other supposedly natural supplements have also been found to contain prescription drugs, including the now-banned weight-loss drug sibutramine (which can pose a threat to your heart) and the laxative phenolphthalein (which can increase the risk of certain cancers).

—Chris Hendel