HERBALIFE SIDE EFFECTS-2012

UPDATE ON LIVER DAMAGE FROM HERBALIFE, BLACK COHOSH and KAVA

Healthspanlife Posted on March 17, 2012 | 4 Comments

neil.burman@gmail.com
16 March 2012
it is comforting to note that there have been no new reports the past year of toxicity from these products.
In fact  some lab work seems to favour black cohosh for cancer prevention;

Anticancer Res. 2012 Jan;32(1):21-30.   Chemopreventive potential of black cohosh on breast cancer in Sprague-Dawley rats. Einbond LS, Soffritti M, Degli Esposti D, Tibaldi E, Lauriola M, Bua L, He K, Genovese G, Su T, Huggins L, Wang X, Roller M, Wu HA.  Columbia University, HHSC-1518, 701 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. lseinbond@gmail.com     This study examines the chemopreventive potential and action of the herb black cohosh on Sprague-Dawley rats. CONCLUSION:Our results suggest that black cohosh may have chemopreventive potential for mammary cancer.

while Herbalife has published objective rebuttals of toxicity from Herbalife other than in isolated countries where irregular ingredients were used in local manufacture:

World J Hepatol. 2011 Oct 27;3(10):275-7. Revisiting acute liver injury associated with herbalife products.  Appelhans K, Smith C, Bejar E, Henig YS  Herbalife International of America Inc., Torrance, CA 90502, United States.   In the November 27, 2010 issue of the World Journal of Hepatology (WJH), three case reports were published which involved patients who had consumed various dietary supplements and conventional foods generally marketed as weight loss products. The reference to Herbalife products as contaminated and generally comparable to all dietary supplements or weight loss products is not scientifically supported. The authors provided an insufficient amount of information regarding patient histories, concomitant medications and other compounds, dechallenge results, and product specifications and usage. This information is necessary to fully assess the association of Herbalife products in the WJH case reports. Therefore, the article does not objectively support a causal relationship between the reported cases of liver injury and Herbalife products or ingredients.

Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2012 Mar;21(3):333-4. doi: 10.1002/pds.3203. Misconceptions regarding the association between Herbalife products and liver-related case reports in Spain.

Appelhans K, Frankos V, Shao A.  Source  Product Compliance and Safety, Herbalife International of America, Inc, Torrance, CA, USA.

2 Feb 2011
Since June 2010 there have been no new cases of toxicity from Black Cohosh, herbalife or kava reported on Pubmed.
   BLACK COHOSH: BEGGING THE QUESTION OF INDICATION- NEED.
 The new literature analysis Suspected black cohosh hepatotoxicity: no evidence by meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials for isopropanolic black cohosh extract  by Naser et al from Yale , and Germany(the main producer of black cohosh BC products)- begs the question.
As this colunm has previously reviewd about BC,  women have died from or needed liver transplants after taking it.. Hence most Authorities have Black Box warning requirements Recurrences of liver reaction have been reported on rechallenge. These scattered cases can be argued away on metanalysis, but they cannot be ignored. One death or acute liver failure is unacceptable when BC is never an essential drug without other safe options. 
Another study also published now (Wang ea from the FDA Centre for Drug Evaluation ) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20920542 contradicts the German metanalysis with more basic toxicological data: “Computational analysis of positively predicted constituents showed … specifically, protocatechuic acid from black cohosh… predicted positive for liver toxicity endpoints also confirmed with literature findings”
Black cohosh is not physiological hormone replacement, BC is recommended by its proponents solely for menopause symptoms (it has no other benefits) for up to 6 months.
So why risk, use black cohosh at all?
Appropriate balanced hormone replacement – preferably human hormones, not xenohormones ie hormones not found in the healthy women, and not by swallowing it- is indicated permanently in all women .
As previouslly pointed out in this column, the International Menopause Society has summed it up in putting approriate HRT as the main agent(s) for menopause symptoms as well as  for its permanent multisuystem benefits;  and the human hormone gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA as the only alternative that is both safe and cleearly proven better than placebo for improving both hot flashes and sleep, anxiety. Used appropriately and with sensible monitoring and dose titration, all such hormone balance has no longterm risks.
MDICOLEGAL LIABILITY: under the new Conumae Protection Act CPA in South Africa, the pendulum has gone ridiculously too far. irrespective of the onus on manufacturers and promoters of any product, the onus is on the end-prescriber, end-dispenser to warn consumers of potential risks,  and any consumer claim for consequent damages is legally against only the final and retail supplier.
So no supplier of black cohosh is protected against consequent liability unless he gets a signed waiver from the purchaser after the recorded warning about its potential toxicity.

16 June 2010
there are no new adverse toxicity reports on Hebalife, black cohosh or kava  so far in 2010 .
Both Herbalife,  and black cohosh products, remain marketed and in demand  in South SAfrica.
There are  no new serious adverse reports or concerns published  on Pubmed or Google about Herbalife products in 2009.
On Pubmed there were 2 new cases of liver and coagulation problems associated with black cohosh in mid2009, from a Germanic and an Italian institute; and 14 hepatitis cases associated with kava ingestion confirmed  from around the world .
4 Jan 2009
This review  is not about benefit of black cohosh (independent trials show none for menopause symptoms) or Herbalife (trials support that Herbalife is indeed a weight loss aid), or kava (it is a confirmed anxiolytic analgesic euphoriant); but about toxicity potential however rare – considering that none of these  products can make any claim to being a necessity.
Contamination aside, there are no new  relevant reports  on Herbalife the past two months on Pubmed,
but indeed  4 new reports on black cohosh; and one on kava.
Lessons for black cohosh and Herbalife may be learnt from kava. Kava-kava was hastily banned  eg  in Europe and South Africa early this decade owing to reputed association with hepatotoxic deaths. But on careful study these toxicity claims appear to be uncertain.
The claimed benefits of kava are analgesic, euphoriant and relaxant, without addiction potential. The four trials of Kava (between 1991 and 2003, in Italy and Germany) confirmed that kava has anxiolytic benefits in the menopause syndrome.) . The hepatotoxicity (not reported from the source – Polynesia - unless taken by alcoholics) was reported largely from western countries, where commercially sold  kava extract was apparently differently extracted, and from the aerial leftovers of the kava; whereas in Polynesia it is extracted only from the root. A recent website from the NIH shows it is not banned there, but expresses much caution.
A careful analysis of kava hepatotoxicity by Teschke ea in Germany last month again finds little evidence of toxicity if kava is taken from a reputable manufacturer  at prescribed dose and for short duration  – as applies equally to alcohol, and most drugs.
Herbalife

An objective  NICUS  Nutritional Institute of University of Stellenbosch Report critical of  Herbalife is quoted verbatim in the Summer 2008  Newsletter of the Association of Dieticians of SA. NICUS- a world authority in Nutrition – confirms it stands by this report. It could thus be taken as a directive (to condemn Herbalife)- to dieticians for whose professional advice some patients wrongly substitute diet supplements;  where these modalities- careful  professional diet advice and counselling, and supplements-  are actually complementary..
But there does not appear to be any  more  evidence to condemn Herbalife than there was a year ago. As far as Pubmed and Google reveals,  the reports  [to date end of 2008 on Pubmed) of adverse effects  were from 4 discrete European regions [ Iceland; Switzerland; Spain & Israel) , apparently wth locally formulated Herbalife, not the USA main factory product, leading to assumption of a local production fault. There appear to have been 2 cases of liver failure in some 33 affected patients, in one of whom liver transplant became necessary but the patient died.. .
One cannot condemn all  babyfood because some is deliberately adulterated with melamine by ruthless Chinese sham factories. Commercial babyfood is arguably a necessity for many.
We await an updated rebuttal from Herbalife in the new year- but there does not seem to be anything for them to add to their rebuttal of last year..There has been no published evidence to justify update on Herbalife during 2008.
The accusation (by one patient, and a  convicted fraudster, Minkow) of a claimed lead-contaminated  Herbalife batch  in California   has, strangely, generated no updates for months now- but on the wiki herbalife update , it says "In August 2008, Minkow retracted all accusations against Herbalife and removed any mention of the company from his Web site.[30]” – there is no report of whether Herbalife bought his silence or not , which is a pity- see also. ;   but see also heavy flak against Minkow , suggesting that his whole campaign was a successful bear scam  to profit from Herbalife shares.
The  current  Wiki Herbalife  review also quotes a new trial validating benefit for weightloss. Caveat Emptor.
It may be asked why a Nutritional authority like NICUS:  warns  against Herbalife but not against the potentially fatal black cohosh. New independent analyses are both for and against them:
ie
Black Cohosh:
Analyses of case reports from Univ Florida (Palacio 2009) and Italy (Borrelli 2008)  recommend caution about black cohosh for humans in view of adverse case reports; while a German analysis (Teschke 2008) exonerates black cohosh in every single case till then.
A trial from USA (Davis 2008) found that “black cohosh significantly increased the incidence of lung metastases in tumor-bearing mice compared with mice fed the isoflavone-free control diet”.
Clearly the valid divergence of opinion comes down to complex statistics of probability.
Black cohosh has been associated with severe liver failure and  transplantation in a number of women on a number of continents, for which reason the local Health Products Association, like all responsible authorities , finally agreed and issued recommendations that Black Cohosh label must be black-boxed- there is no justification for it’s sale as a useful product, unlike the role than can be argued for food substitute powders.
So why should anyone use black cohosh for menopause symptoms (when it’s benefit seems to be largely placebo, with grave doubt about safety) , when there are proven safe symptom relievers eg GABA (no adverse reports); or lowdose balanced appropriate parenteral human sex hormones (no adverse reports, and have numerous longterm multisystem benefits- which neither black cohosh nor GABA can claim..).
This review  is not about benefit, but safety. Regulators remain silent about drastically curtailing sale of the most lethal substances in widespread unregulated (and unnecessary)  use- paracetamol, other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, statins for uncomplicated  mild-to-moderate lipidemia, alcohol, tobacco and sugar, and pollution of everything by industrial adulteration with synthetic (often estrogenic) endocrine disruptors and virtually all fast foods with cornstarch and/or sugar.
The hysterical approval of diethylstilbestrol  DES by the FDA by 1950, and for a massive  1950 maternity trial  against all evidence (even though it’s toxicity was recognized by 1953,  it’s sale anywhaere was finally banned only 20 years later) continues to torment the original myriads of  guineapig women, their children and now grandchildren. These scandals are dictated by individual opportunist, corporate and governmental greed, and indifference to medical evidence and prevention.
The analogy for black cohosh, kava  and Herbalife  is perhaps:
#the ~20year delays before the FDA would licence the lifesaving lithium salt, and metformin, in USA;
#the ~5year hysteria over HRT after the Women’s Health Initiative – when the over-estimated risks of inapproriate use of  OHT in elderly women were stupidly and harmfully (for thousands of women) extrapolated to young women and other  HRT preparations;
and
#the melamine- baby milk formula catastrophe – the problem for the latter was exclusively some contaminated  babyfood batches made in China especially for the lucrative export market. .
The jury can thus be considered as still out on both black cohosh, kava  and Herbalife,  until manufacturers of commercial  products (not traditional preparations of  eg kava and black cohosh taken by residents who grow these)  can produce evidence, confirm  that the risk was limited  to specific batches of the commercial product  and adherence to accepted recommendations, and not due to other possible risk factors.

( Black Cohosh: Side effects in wikipedia )

Studies on human subjects who were administered two commercially available black cohosh preparations did not detect estrogenic effects on the breast.^[15]
No studies exist on long-term safety of black cohosh use in humans.^[20] In a transgenic mouse model of cancer, black cohosh did not increase incidence of primary breast cancer, but increased metastasis of pre-existing breast cancer to the lungs.^[21]
Liver damage has been reported in a few individuals using black cohosh,^[2] but many women have taken the herb without reporting adverse health effects,^[22] and a meta-analysis of several well-controlled clinical trials found no evidence that black cohosh preparations have any adverse effect on liver function.^[23] Despite a lack of conclusive evidence for a link between black cohosh and liver damage, Australia has added a warning to the label of all black cohosh-containing products, stating that it may cause harm to the liver in some individuals and should not be used without medical supervision.^[24] Other studies conclude that liver damage from use of black cohosh is unlikely,^[25] and that the main concern over its safe use is lack of proper authentication of plant materials and adulteration of commercial preparations with other plant species.^[26]
Reported direct side-effects also include dizziness, headaches, and seizures; diarrhea; nausea and vomiting; sweating; constipation; low blood pressure and slow heartbeats; and weight problems.^[27]
Because the vast majority of black cohosh materials are harvested from plants growing in the wild,^[2] a recurring concern regarding the safety of black cohosh-containing dietary supplements is mis-identification of plants causing unintentional mixing-in (adulteration) of potentially harmful materials from other plant sources.^[2]

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Herbal hepatotoxicity: a tabular compilation of reported cases.

Epub 2012 Aug 28.Teschke R, Wolff A, Frenzel C, Schulze J, Eickhoff A.

Source

Department of Internal Medicine II, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Klinikum Hanau, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Medical Faculty of the Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Herbal hepatotoxicity is a field that has rapidly grown over the last few years along with increased use of herbal products worldwide.

AIMS:

To summarize the various facets of this disease, we undertook a literature search for herbs, herbal drugs and herbal supplements with reported cases of herbal hepatotoxicity.

METHODS:

A selective literature search was performed to identify published case reports, spontaneous case reports, case series and review articles regarding herbal hepatotoxicity.

RESULTS:

A total of 185 publications were identified and the results compiled. They show 60 different herbs, herbal drugs and herbal supplements with reported potential hepatotoxicity, additional information including synonyms of individual herbs, botanical names and cross references are provided. If known, details are presented for specific ingredients and chemicals in herbal products, and for references with authors that can be matched to each herbal product and to its effect on the liver. Based on stringent causality assessment methods and/or positive re-exposure tests, causality was highly probable or probable for Ayurvedic herbs, Chaparral, Chinese herbal mixture, Germander, Greater Celandine, green tea, few Herbalife products, Jin Bu Huan, Kava, Ma Huang, Mistletoe, Senna, Syo Saiko To and Venencapsan(®) . In many other publications, however, causality was not properly evaluated by a liver-specific and for hepatotoxicity-validated causality assessment method such as the scale of CIOMS (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences).

CONCLUSIONS:

This compilation presents details of herbal hepatotoxicity, assisting thereby clinical assessment of involved physicians in the future

==============================

A rare cause of drug-induced hepatitis in an immunocompromised patient and the role of glutathione.

2012 Aug 27;4(8):248-51. Senadhi V, Arora D, Arora M, Marsh F.

Source

Viplove Senadhi, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Brater Scholar, Indiana Institute for Personalized Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States.

Abstract

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on numerous herbal drugs, including many popular products at General Nutrition Centers (GNC), regarding unstudied hepatotoxicity. There have been recent reports of GNC products such as hydroxycut and herbalife, causing drug-induced hepatitis. Herbal medications are over-the-counter products and are not investigated thoroughly by the FDA. Given that the most common outpatient laboratory abnormality is elevated liver transaminases, a sign of hepatocellular toxicity; it is not surprising that some of these products end up causing hepatic dysfunction, especially when taken in large volume. There are numerous herbal supplements that are hepatotoxic, however, these medications have a much more significant effect in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients, which is secondary to depleted glutathione. We present a rare case of drug induced hepatitis secondary to herbal medications used to treat HIV and elucidate the role of glutathione depletion in immunocompromised patients.

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What Are the Dangers of Herbalife?

Herbalife Side Effects
By Ezmeralda Lee, eHow Contributor last updated October 03, 2012
Herbalife is a line of herbal supplements and weight loss products. According to the Herbalife website, they have a formula to treat anything from anemia to weight loss. There are approximately 16 different products in all, with their weight loss formulas being the most popular. Like with any other weight loss product, Herbalife products have potential side effects you should be aware of.
Other People Are Reading

Negative Effects of Herbalife
Herbalife Problems
Types

Because Herbalife contains a variety of ingredients, there is a potential for a variety of side effects depending on the product being used. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all known side effects be listed on the label of each product, along with instructions regarding what to do should you experience any of these side effects. There is also the potential of interactions with prescription drugs, so it is important to contact your physician or pharmacist before starting this or any other type of weight loss program.

Ephedra

Herbalife, like many other diet products on the market, at one time contained the stimulant ephedra (also called ma huang). This drug was found to cause primary pulmonary hypertension, and in 2004 the FDA outlawed the sale of ephedra. Herbalife then removed the ingredient from their products. According to the FDA, side effects from the use of ephedra may not show up for several years after it was initially taken, so physicians have been warned to check for ephedra use in patients who have primary pulmonary hypertension.


Many Herbalife products contain caffeine as a stimulant and metabolism booster. Caffeine can cause high blood pressure, nervousness and headaches, especially when taken in excessive amounts. An average cup of coffee contains about 85 mg of caffeine per cup, and most of Herbalife's products that contain caffeine have an average of about 75 mg of caffeine per serving. Those who are allergic to caffeine need to check the product labels carefully for this ingredient.

Soy and Shellfish

Soy and shellfish are two ingredients in Herbalife that could pose a threat for potential allergic reaction. Again, because of the vast variety of Herbalife products available, consumers who plan to take any of these products should check the label carefully for these ingredients.
Other Possible Problems

Diarrhea and constipation have been reported by some individuals who used Herbalife supplements, especially in the first few weeks of use. In a report published by the "Journal of Hepatology" in 2007, there has been an association between the use of Herbalife products and sudden extremely acute hepatitis

 

HERBALIFE Another Fantasy Weight Loss Con!

mikebuss | 02/08/2012 | 18 Comments

Everyone wants the quick fix, to get rid of the weight gained over the years of an unhealthy lifestyle and with companies like Herbalife offering the holy grail and the body you have been dreaming of, people just get suckered in…
Ive already wrote about other diets such as lighterlife and Cambridge Diet, and with such a s choice of quick fix promised weight loss diets, its hard for people to say no.  The problem is people dont put weight on over night, so to lose it properly, you cant just stop eating and crash diet and expect the weight to stay off.
I wont lie to you, stop eating drink these protein shakes, cut your caloiries in an excessive mannor and you will lose weight, but heres the catch – You will also lose the effectiveness of your metabolism!!! And with this your long term way to burn calories effectively.
Even when returning to a normal healthy eating plan, your metabolism will be so destroyed by the Herbalife style Diets that you will just put weight back on and begin the cycle of the yo yo dieting syndrome.

The Horrifying Fact Behind the likes of Herbalife:
Many, if not most Herbalife Distributors are not qualified Dietitions or Nutritionist! They have no nutrtional educational background or even fitness professional qualifications, Scary!
You wouldnt ask an office administrator to change your boiler, you wouldnt ask a school diner lady to treat a cancer sufferer, so why would you ask a diner lady or an office worker for Health, Fitness or Nutritional Advice???
Personally Ive been a Fitness Professional for over 22yrs, and I dont believe I know everything about nutrition, so how can an office worker who has jumped on the band wagon of pyramid selling with the promise of fortunes from their upline mentor give you advice on nutrition? What do they know about macro-nutrients?
Giving wrong advice can at best lead to gaining more weight than you were at the start of the diet once you come off it, at worse people have died by being given the wrong nutritional advice.
Herbalife are now even tapping into the Fitness Game, office workers, dinner ladies, unemployed, unqualified people taking fitness sessions in parks across the UK, my own home town Swindon Ive seen unqualified people giing this sort of advice and take people with obesity problems, unfit people and train them with no knowledge of how the human body works, no understanding or qualifications to show knowledge of anatomy and physiology and train people on mass, these people will have no insurance that will cover any injury from training and advice.
You should always ask the person offering you nutritional and fitness advice what their qualifications are, and if they say they are qualified Herbalife Distrbutors or Lighterlife Distributors, this is just a smokescreen, they are not formal qualifications, they are not worth the paper they are writen on and they are not recognised by the fitness industry.
My advice is to stay away from these people and look for a fitness professional that knows about nutrition and fitness and has the qualifications to go with it.
Herbalife have set up something called 24Fit Club, there are many of these across the UK, some may have a Personal trainer involved but most of the group leaders have no formal qualifications which means the fitness sessions they provide are not covered by any insurance.
There is no such thing as the QUICK FIX SOLUTION, if you want to lose weight long term, you need to have a sensible eating plan by a fitness/nutritional professional, none of these protein shakes work long term and are empty promises, so dont fall for them – seak professional fitness experts in your area, see a doctor with any concerns about going into a fitness regime.
It may come off slower but believe me it will stay off for good!
Mike Buss | Celebrity Personal Trainer/Nutritionist
==============================================

Health Issues | Hair

mikebuss | 27/10/2012 | 0 Comments

Iron deficiency which actually affects up to 90% of women in the UK at some time in their lives, according to government statistics, causes a drop in serum ferritin levels which can slow down hair growth.

Faddy Diets like the likes of Herbalife and many other low calorie and meal replacement diets, eating disorders, and drastic weight loss in a short period of time can disrupt the natural growth cycle of hair.
It is thought up to 30% of Western women suffer from androgentic alopecia which can be genetic.  If you start to lose your hair in your 20s you should see your GP.

 The Random Toxic Blog

Herbalife side effects to think about

Posted in Business Wire News | Thursday, September 13th, 2012 Trackback

Herbalife is a weight loss system, and like any weight loss program, there may be some side effects. These Herbalife side effects wont affect everybody, but its worth bearing in mind some of the effects you may experience and checking carefully to make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients. Some Herbalife products contain a high concentrate of protein and a few people may suffer an allergic reaction. Another Herbalife side effect may be caused by an allergic reaction to shellfish present in the product.There is a fairly high content of caffeine in some products. A possible side effect of a high dose of caffeine may be headaches, in some cases increased restlessness or nerves , and occasionally, a rise in blood pressure. Bloating, dry mouth and an upset stomach have also been reported by a few users, but it is possible these are side effects of a general detoxing process which comprises part of the Herbalife program. Other dieting programs can have the same results if you don’t watch your food versus liquid intake. Anytime your body goes through a change, including chemical, physical, etc., there is the possibility of side effects. Dehydration is a big side effect that many people do not think about. They figure, if they are drinking a diet shake, and adding nutrients and vitamins then everything should be ok. Only problem is that people don’t take into consideration the amount of water they drink in a day. Our body is made up of over 90% water. We need it to survive, and if you don’t have enough in your diet, your body will begin to shut down.

Yet more reports of liver damage from Herbalife

In 2007 liver doctors sounded the alarm about cases of liver damage in users of Herbalife products. [J Hepatol. 2007 Oct;47(4):521-6. ] [J Hepatol. 2007 Oct;47(4):514-20.] According to researchers at the Universidad de Oviedo in Spain there are still problems with the products. The Spaniards analysed data from the Pharmacovigilance Centres and discovered twenty cases of liver damage among Herbalife users.

In their article the Spanish researchers refer to the cases that were reported in 2009 and to other more recent references that have since cropped up in the literature. These included a case of hepatitis in a 63-year-old Argentinian woman who was using Herbalife [Acta Gastroenterol Latinoam. 2008 Dec;38(4):274-7.] and cases reported by Icelandic researchers in 2010. [Laeknabladid. 2010 Mar;96(3):167-72.]

According to the Spanish researchers 30 cases of liver damage in Herbalife users have been described in the literature. When they looked into the Spanish pharmacological databanks they found another 20, bringing the total now to 50.

The researchers studied the period from 2003 to 2010.

In 15 of the 20 cases the patients were not using any medicine, therefore ruling out possible interaction between Herbalife products and other substances which might cause liver damage.

In nine cases the researchers found measurements that doctors had made of the enzyme ALT during after use of Herbalife products [below left]. ALT is an indicator of liver damage. The higher the ALT level, the worse the state of the liver. Stopping Herbalife products improved the subjects' liver condition.

Two of the patients started to use the Herbalife products again afterwards. In the figure above on the right you can see that their ALT level rose again, and then fell when the patient stopped using the products.

The researchers don't know which Herbalife products cause liver damage. Many of the patients used Rose Ox – a supplement containing extracts of turmeric, rosemary and clove – and the protein shake Formula 1, some patients did not use these products.

As far as the Spaniards are concerned though, the matter is clear. "Our results emphasize the need to establish further regulatory measures", they write.

Herbalife responded several months after the Spanish study results were published. [Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2012 Mar;21(3):333-4.] According to Herbalife the Spanish used the wrong method when claiming that Herbalife products were the cause of liver damage, and the researchers themselves were dubious. "The failure to acknowledge these assessments raises questions about the authors' scientific balance given the serious and unsubstantiated accusations about a company's whole product line", wrote Herbalife.

The first author of the Spanish study, Gloria Manso, is not impressed with the way Herbalife denied the research findings.

"This is perhaps an understandable attitude after the first publications but not when after a considerable period, new cases keep being reported and are added to the list", Manso writes. "Herbalife should, at least, consider the possibility that some of their products can induce hepatotoxicity in certain circumstances and should make an effort to actively collaborate in the identification of the agents responsible."

Source:
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2011 Oct;20(10):1080-7.