Triax is one of the latest dietary supplements to draw the ire of the Food and Drug Administration. In November 1999, the FDA declared that Triax was not a supplement at all but an unapproved drug with potentially serious side effects. Although the manufacturer of Triax agreed to halt production of the supplement, it may still be available in health food stores and over the Internet. If this were true, Triax Metabolic Accelerator would quickly burn off unwanted pounds, and probably a few wanted ones as well. But triac is really a hormone mimic, and nobody knows what natural purpose, if any, the compound serves in the body.
Experts are similarly uncertain about how triac works when taken in supplement form.
While some studies suggest that triac supplements may enhance the effect of thyroid hormones, there's no guarantee that the compound can dramatically cut your weight. According to the FDA, anything that stimulates the thyroid also has the potential to cause insomnia, nervousness, intense sweating, and, in the long term, depression, osteoporosis, and irregular heartbeat. The FDA warns that Triax may cause heart attacks and strokes as well. Although Triax doesn't seem to have a very powerful effect on the thyroid, it can apparently stimulate the gland just enough to trigger some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. The FDA reports that several people taking Triax had to seek medical attention for symptoms of abnormal thyroid function, including severe diarrhea, fatigue, lethargy, and, yes, extreme weight loss.