The powers of green coffee extract as a weight loss supplement endorsed by Dr. Oz was fake based on data presented by researchers behind the study.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, a surgeon and a TV star in his program, The Dr.Oz Show, got the nation abuzz when he promoted in his TV show the probable benefits of green coffee extract as a diet pill. But researchers who were paid to study the claim admitted that the data does not verify it at all.
The two researchers, Joe Vinson and Bryan Burnham "retracted the paper" when they could not assure the validity of the data.
Dr.Oz promoting the pill in May 2012 helped its manufacturer sell half a million bottles of then believed to be "miracle" diet pills. But Dr.Oz received criticisms and conducted his own trial of the supplement through his show. He had 100 women from the audience participate in this trial, half used the green coffee extract supplement while the other half used placebo. After two weeks, the women were reported to have lost an average of two pounds taking the "miracle" pills greater that the average of one pound lost with using placebo.
The medical community along with the members of the Congress and Senate were not convinced by Dr.Oz's claims.
He was invited to testify at a Senate hearing on deceptive advertising for the mentioned diet pill. Oz defended himself that it was his right to suggest ways on how people will be successful in their desires to lose weight. "My show is about hope. We've engaged millions in programs - including programs we did with the CDC - to get folks to realize there are different ways they can rethink their future," he stressed.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, chair of the Senate Consumer Protection panel cleared that she's got "no problem with celebrity endorsements" of any product but scientific claims must be supported by ample and verified scientific facts.
On a recent survey by the Federal Trade Commission, weight loss fraud topped the list with consumers spending an estimated $2.4 billion, reported CBS News.
