Health Canada says it has received 17 "adverse reaction" reports related to Hydroxycut, an Ontario-made diet supplement linked to serious liver damage and at least one death in the U.S.

While the federal agency didn't officially authorize the pills for sale in Canada, the product was still available as a non-authorized product, Health Canada told CTV News.

Still, in a statement released on Friday, the agency said that none of the 17 reports in this country were related to liver injuries.

"These adverse reactions relate to the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological systems," the agency said.

Health Canada said: "Authorized health products will bear either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN), or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label."

For more information, call Health Canada at (613) 957-2991, or toll free at 1-866-225-0709.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. said Iovate Health Sciences Inc., of Oakville, Ont., has agreed to recall 14 Hydroxycut products. They are:

  • Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
  • Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
  • Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
  • Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
  • Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
  • Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
  • Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
  • Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
  • Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
  • Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
  • Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
  • Hydroxycut 24
  • Hydroxycut Carb Control
  • Hydroxycut Natural

Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products are not affected by the recall.

"The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist," said Dr. Linda Katz, interim chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Available in grocery stores and pharmacies, Hydroxycut is advertised as made from natural ingredients. At least nine million bottles were sold in the U.S. last year, the FDA said.

The FDA said it has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant.

As well, the 2007 death of a 19-year-old teen has now been linked to the supplement.

Other health problems reported include seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.

The liver injuries did not appear to be due to overdose. The FDA says the cases were reported by patients at the doses recommended on the Hydroxycut bottle.

"Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products," the FDA warned.

Those symptoms include yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (called jaundice), and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-coloured stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.

The FDA has no authority to review diet supplements before they're marketed; instead, it relies on voluntary reports to detect such problems, and many cases are never reported.

Dr. Katz said it had been difficult for the agency to get a handle on the Hydroxycut problem because reports of liver damage have been sporadic.

Hydroxycut posted a statement to their website Friday saying the recall was voluntary.

"While this is a small number of reports relative to the many millions of people who have used Hydroxycut products over the years, out of an abundance of caution and because consumer safety is our top priority, we are voluntarily recalling these Hydroxycut-branded products," the statement says.

Hydroxycut added that the company has analyzed each ingredient and is reviewing their safety.

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff of Ottawa's Bariatric Medical Institute said there is a reporting gap with so-called "natural" products compared to prescription drugs.

"With natural products, there really isn't the same reporting obligations," he told CTV Newsnet Friday. "So people are buying these products (and) if they have side effects or they develop problems, they may not even tell their physician."

On the other hand, prescription drugs have a reporting mechanism which makes them easier to recall, he said.

"These products don't cause rapid weight loss," he said of "natural" diet supplements. "There is no magic weight loss in a bottle ... if there were, we would all be taking it (and) we would all be skinny."