So you’ve decided to try Superman pills for your health needs. Congrats!
Even though the FDA has not banned them, or officially approved them, these pills are usually associated with a scam. But, is that really the case?
Let’s take a quick look at the history of these pills and how they came to be.
The Birth Of Superman Pills
Before we begin, it’s important to note that the FDA has never approved or banned any type of “Superman” diet pill. What they have done is put health claims on labels but have not approved any type of weight loss supplement.
In fact, the only thing the FDA has approved are the active ingredients in Superman pills – sildenafil (which is the generic name for Viagra) and tadalafil (which is the generic name for Cialis). So while this may be a boldface lie, it’s not exactly false information.
In June 2012, the FDA sent a warning letter to Ultimate Nutrition Corp, the maker of the popular “Superman” diet pill, scolding them for making false claims about the product. According to the FDA:
- The pill did not provide any significant advantages to individuals participating in the clinical trials
- The claims that the product would help improve male fertility or would help reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood were unsubstantiated
- The website claim that the “Superman” pill was “developed in accordance with FDA standards” was also misleading
- The company was ordered to “cease making these claims or face legal action”.
In July 2012, Ultimate Nutrition responded by changing the name of their product from “Superman” to “Metroxidope” and deleting the product from their website. Several months later, they changed the name of their product back to “Superman” and resumed selling it.
The Rise Of The “Superman” Scam
If you’re new to the world of diet pills, you may be wondering why the “Superman” diet pill is so widely known for being a scam. After all, the guy on the package looks perfectly healthy…
The first clue that you’re dealing with a scam product is the name itself. Other popular diet pills, like “Red Lightning,” “Rockefeller Deep-Tissue Massages” and “Lemon Life,” similarly don’t sound like they could do much harm. Even “Glowing Health” and “Fat Burning Champagne” seem like they could potentially be healthy supplements. But in all actuality, none of these names are trademarks of reputable companies. The name “Superman” has become synonymous with “scam pill.”
To add insult to injury, some companies use celebrities to hype up their products. Take “Superman” pills for example. On their website, the company claims that the American tennis star, Pete Sampras, is “internationally recognized as the greatest tennis player of all time.” It continues:
- His career in tennis spanned nearly 30 years, during which time he won 22 Grand Slam championships
- During his career, Sampras set several world records, had 19 of his 34 career Grand Slam titles, and won 11 consecutive Australian Open matches to become the first man to hold the #1 ranking for an extended period of time (276 weeks)
- Sampras’ career-ending injury occurred at the 2003 US Open. Since then, he has not played at a major tournament and is now considered ‘retired’
If you click through to their website, you’ll see a big-name celebrity endorsement there too. The list of famous faces endorsing “Superman” goes on and on, and quite frankly, the longer the list, the more you know it’s a scam. The more notable names you see on the list, the more you should question what you’re actually getting.
Warnings About The “Superman” Scam
Even if you do decide to try the “Superman” pill for yourself, it’s important to do your research first. On the company’s website, they claim that “[t]he makers of the ‘Superman’ pill have gone above and beyond what the FDA has asked for in order to ensure that all claims made about this product are true.”
If you look at the FDA warning letter from 2012, however, you’ll see that they’re not exactly being overzealous here. In fact, the FDA asked for a warning letter because the company was making unsubstantiated health claims about the product. The letter also pointed out that the company’s website claim that the product is “FDA approved,” when in fact this was not the case.
Even after all these years, “Superman” pills are still being marketed as a weight loss drug. The problem is, there is no evidence to back this up. As you may have guessed, trying to lose weight with these pills won’t bring about the results that the company promises. In fact, at least one study has shown that taking “Superman” pills did not result in any significant weight loss, and may even have caused some individuals to gain weight. (1, 2)
What’s more is that these pills could potentially cause some very serious side effects. According to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, “[s]ubstantially higher sildenafil exposures, as compared with recommended doses, have been associated with serious adverse drug reactions, including hepatic injury and death.” (3)
In short, while “Superman” pills may not be exactly what they are cracked up to be, there is never any need to risk your health in order to try them. If you must have the munchies, then simply reach for a handful of nuts instead of popping a diet pill.
For more information on diet pills and their potentially serious side effects, you can check out our Diet Pill FAQ.