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If you're looking for a diet plan that's heavy in calories and light in reality, take a look at Dr. Oz, who touted a green beans extract that promised results it couldn't deliver. The study behind saving money coffee bean extract's purported slimming Sport Burner benefits, one endorsed by Oprah's health czar himself, has since been retracted by its authors. The retraction occurs the heels of Applied Food Sciences Inc. (the company that produced the green coffee bean extract) reaching a $3.5 million settlement using the Federal Trade Commission last month.

The green coffee bean extract study turned out to be a dud because the authors couldn't verify the results of the research. Joe Vinson and Bryan Burnham, the co-authors from the "randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a green beans extract in overweight subjects" study, retracted it in the "Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy" journal.

The initial study analyzed the result of green coffee bean extract, which is designed to contain "high concentrations of chlorogenic acids that are known to have health benefits and to influence glucose and fat metabolism." The research found "significant reductions" in body weight, body mass index, excess fat percentage, or even a decrease in heartbeat, all without having to improve your diet. Green beans extract initially had appeared like the new bonified miracle weight-loss "magic bullet," however the luster started to fade after the FTC began investigating the claims.

The green beans study was touted around the 2012 season premiere of "The Dr. Oz Show" and purchasers of green coffee bean extract products skyrocketed. Any endorsement by Mehmet Oz has done wonders for these products, although he never endorses a specific brand, that has been dubbed the "Dr. Oz effect." Green beans extract, red palm oil and garcinia cambogia extract are only a few examples of previously unknown supplements gaining huge mainstream traction after being featured on his show.

Obviously, all that attention can result in more scrutiny, particularly with the FTC, which regulates business unfair or deceptive business practices. The FTC has weighed in on POM Wonderful's health benefit claims in its advertising and claims produced by Skechers because of its Shape-ups sneakers.

The FTC Weighs In

The FTC filed claims against Applied Food Sciences for touting the health benefits of Green Coffee Antioxidant, which is sold through the company with other retailers. In a blog post discussing the settlement, the FTC explains the numerous flaws from the study, from Slim Xtreme Gold altering data to AFS spending money on the medical trial in Bangalore, India. Vinson and Burnham weren't even active in the initial study; these were hired to shine the study and resubmit it to journals.

"A take a look at just what Applied Food Sciences trusted reveals a laundry list of errors so serious regarding render the study worth very little greater than the paper it was printed on," reads the FTC article.