Bee Pollen Products Marketed for Weight Loss Are a Dangerous Scam: FDA

The U.S. Food Drug and Administration has warned against the use of bee pollen weight loss products as they can cause real harm.

According to the FDA, bee pollen products that are marketed for weight loss are a dangerous scam.

Recently, the federal regulators warned consumers to immediately stop consuming a particular weight loss product called Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen. According to the FDA, this weight loss and body reshaping product contains undeclared ingredients like Sibutramine and Phenolpthalein that are harmful.

They can be dangerous to those with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and bipolar disorders.

"Bee pollen is the pollen that bees collect from flowers; it is the food that nourishes bee larvae. But it's not a miracle ingredient," says Gary Coody, R.Ph., FDA's national health fraud coordinator. 

Like Zi Xiu Tang there are several such bee pollen products that are marketed for weight loss and are known to carry undeclared sibutramine and/or phenolphthalein.  Some of the other potentially hazardous brands are Ultimate Formula, Fat Zero, Bella Vu Amp'd Up, Insane Amp'd Up, Slim Trim U, Infinity, Perfect Body Solution, Asset Extreme, Asset Extreme Plus, Asset Bold and Asset Bee Pollen.

The agency received more than 50 adverse event reports from consumers and health care professionals. These reports were associated with the use of tainted bee pollen weight loss products.  There were reports of at least one death,

"In addition, many bee pollen weight loss products are marketed as dietary supplements with claims to treat or prevent a variety of diseases and signs or symptoms of disease, including obesity, allergies, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. By law, dietary supplements may not claim to treat or prevent a disease. When people buy these tainted bee pollen weight loss products, they are unknowingly taking one or more hidden drugs that have been banned from the market," Coody warns.

The products cause serious cardiac issues, chest pain, heart palpitations, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, seizures, suicidal thoughts, diarrhea, anxiety and insomnia.