Thread: Slimfast causing strokes & Heart Attacks???

Please can someone put my mind at rest.....I've just started on a self imposed Slimfast diet of a shake for breakfast, one for lunch and an evening meal of 600 calories.

I mentioned this to a friend today, who said I should be careful as Slimfast causes strokes and heart attacks? My first thought was "what a load of cobblers, if there was any proof of that, it would have been withdrawn from sale". Has anyone else heard of anything like this? I don't believe it at all and have never heard of any such thing, so I don't know where she's got her information from. I just wanted to check in case anyone else has heard anything.

Don't want to scaremonger anyone, as I simply dont think there is an ounce of truth in it.

Hi Gerry for every diet there will be a horror story somewhere, dont worry unduly as I am sure plenty of folk will be on here soon giving their opinions...good luck with it...xx

Hmmm this is the first I've heard of it but it's kind of ironic as I made an appointment with my Dr this morning because I started to get pains in my chest and my left leg and arm feel numb all the time. I'll mention Slim Fast to him and see what he says.

Don't worry too much.
I doubt very very much that slimfast CAUSES strokes and heart attacks it is more likely that the people who use it are overweight and therefore have a higher risk of suffering from strokes and heart attacks, -sorry to be so blunt!
Cek x

I'm inclined to agree with you Cek. Slim Fast has been around for years. Surely if there was any problem with it there would have been a mass withdrawl of it from the shelves by now. Personally I think it's a load of cobblers. I'll see if I can get it out of her where she heard this, or if it's just her own views, which I think it must be. I'll tell her I've checked all over the net (which I have) and can't find any supporting evidence anywhere.

Well I got back from the Dr and he's not worried about my heart but he's getting me tested for MS because of the tingling

HI everyone, I'm a male 28 years old and my GF suffered a stroke about 2 weeks ago and about a week or more before the stroke she started taking slim fast. she is 41 not fat just a little chubby but still very young to have a stroke. like most here I would say to myself "slim fast" could not be linked to such a case cause they been around for along time. BUT! i have been doing some research and slim fast does contain a chemical called Aspartame which for along time has been know to cause alot of problems to health, but slim fast says that they're product contains such a small amount that its not hazardous to a humans health. but chemicals react differently in everyone's body, according to articles i been reading companies that use aspartame can not be touched if you will.... because lack of evidence of clinical studies of the effects of aspartame (artificial sweetener) I'm no expert in anything medical but i decided to take the slim fast that she didn't drink, for 2 days now i been taking it about 2 per day and i do notice a bit of a headache or little bit of pressure in my head as if my bp goes up or something. now my gf did and does have high bp and high cholesterol which if slim fast does what i think it does then for people that have High bp etc this would definitely be a possibility to cause a stroke. because their are 2 different kinds of strokes ischemic and hemorrhagic. Hemorrhagic stroke is when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, and an Ischemic stroke like the one my gf suffered is when there is a blockage of blood to a certain part of the brain and so that part of the brain doesn't receive oxygen and starts to die. If this is true slim fast should state on the can and advertisement how certain people should consult a doctor before taking this diet drink. any input would be helpful thank you

i have high bp but im not unduly worried as im high at risk of stroke anyway due to family history and as slimfast is helping me lose weight i have lost more weight following this than any other diet im willing to take the risk as i know losing a lot of weight will make me healthier in the long run

100% behind you kazzy spoke to my doctor and he was so pleased with my weightloss he said i would have been more at risk with my weight than anything else. need to quit smoking though he told me to carry on with the ultra slim / slimfast for as long as i need to or feel i need to

I'm sorry to hear about your GF but i'm with Kazzy! I have had high BP since having my daughter but it has gone done since i've been losing weight. The fact that your GF had high BP and cholesterol is a more likely cause for a stroke than slimfast! here is no doubt that losing weight will make me healthier and slimfast is the way i'm choosing to do that right now.

i am sure if some one walked in to the doctors over weight then the doc would be happy for them to go on almost any diet to get their bmi and bloods down to the correct level.
there are dangers in everything these days. even the risk of blood clots from the controceptive pill but we still take the risk and take it.
tampons can cause toxic shock syndrome but we still use them.
when you are over weight we are improving our health by dieting in more ways than one.
life is a risk so we need to live it and enjoy it the best we can and if we are not hapy then should do whatever it takes to try and feel happy again