The creator of the popular F-Factor diet responded to people claiming to have experienced serious health problems through the program by sharing more information about the products they say are “100% safe for consumption.”
Tanya Zuckerbrot, 48, a registered dietitian who popularized the high-fiber fiber in a 2006 book, said in an exclusive 3-hour TV interview today that the company decided to pursue a certificate of analysis, as COA, to share Thursday’s line of glass fiber and protein powders and bars, which critics have called for.
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A COA is a document that ensures that test results confirm that a product meets a specific specification. It lists the test results for metals and microbiological contents such as E. coli bacteria or salmonella that can be found in a product.
“The certificate of analysis, it is not an industry practice to share it, because there is competing proprietary information, but because of the recent health concerns of the products, we are issuing this certificate of analysis, because it will show that our products are 100% safe for consumption, “Zuckerbrot told Sheinelle Jones.
Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and companies are not required to list their ingredients.
NBC News has reviewed the COA independently of F-Factor’s chocolate fiber protein with two nutrition consultants, who report that trace metals such as arsenic and lead found in the product are at safe levels. Zuckerbrot was asked why the products on the packaging do not indicate that they contain trace amounts of metals.
“That’s not standard to list trace metals, because they are not ingredients, they are compounds of the two main constituents, which are organic whey protein and the glass fiber,” Zuckerbrot said. “Because our product is natural, that’s why it contains trace metals. Anything that grows in the soil, even organically … may contain trace amounts of metals. It does not mean that they are not safe for consumption. In fact, we have the highest standards of testing to ensure our products are 100% safe for consumption. I’m sorry we did not share this information earlier. “
The entire fiber-optic program has come under fire after social media influencer Emily Gellis Lande, 34, claimed to have received thousands of anonymous messages from people claiming the diet made her sick. She shared many of those claims with her 174,000 Instagram followers.
Lande has dieted like her products have never been tried before, but feels she is giving people a voice claiming that the diet has caused her serious health problems.
“People have shared with me that after doing the F-Factor diet, and more specifically about taking their 20/20 protein powder and their F-Factor protein bars, a range of symptoms including, but not limited to, severe rash, bleeding, extreme gastric ulcer, travel to the hospital, getting colonoscopies, running tests, (and) hair loss, “Lande told TODAY in an interview aired Thursday.
None of the adverse reactions reported by any of the anonymous women have been confirmed, verified, or linked to F-Factor products.
“It’s a known, documented fact that whey, which is the first ingredient, is an allergen for some,” Zuckerbrot said. “If you are allergic to road, the symptoms will include rashes and hips and may swell. In addition, it is also well documented by many health care professionals who ingest glasses, especially in large quantities and quickly, can also result in gastric cancer. need.
“In the F-Factor book, we encourage people to slowly introduce fiber, and there is also a warning on our package that says if you are going to use the products for weight management, read the F-Factor book. “
The creator of F-Factor also commented on the company’s social media team that knew negative comments about the diet.
“We follow the guidelines established by Instagram and Facebook, and we have removed comments that were defamatory in nature, but we take all health complaints seriously,” she said.
Lande says consumers have been particularly concerned about F-Factor’s fiber protein powders, demanding to see the company’s COA or product information.
“At this point, three weeks have passed,” Lande said prior to the company releasing the COA. “They have not released (the COA), (and) they remain claims that there is their own information. It is not intended to be a secret document, and the idea that withholding consumer information from consumers is what they will stand behind. scares me. “
Sami Miller, 24, a former follower of the F-Factor diet, told TODAY that she lost weight by eating the crackers, fruits and vegetables through the program, but said she needed to seek treatment for an eating disorder.
“I originally started the diet to have something sustainable,” Miller said TODAY. “When I went into my eating disorder program, they also said they could not believe what I was consuming one day.”
Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, told TODAY that a high-fiber diet is beneficial when consumed in moderation.
“If you take in too much fiber and you take it too much and your body is not used to it, you can have several different side effects,” Kirkpatrick said. “You can have gastritis, you can get bloated, you can get gas. That’s all really normal.”
