Speed V2 is a diet pill that “gives an amazing thermogenic boost in and out of the gym” (website). This Speed V2 review details the ingredients in Speed V2 and reveals the truth about Speed V2–there is no proof that Speed V2 diet pills work and the manufacturer doesn’t stand behind this product to offer customers a guarantee.

Speed V2 Ingredients

Speed Complex 721 mg
Phenylethylamine is a mood enhancing ingredient. It does not cause weight loss.
Theobromine is used as a diuretic; it does not contribute to weight loss.
Evodia Fruit has been shown to cause weight loss in mice, but no human research has been done.
Quercetin
Cissus Quadrangularis has been shown to contribute to weight loss when combined with other ingredients, but it has not been studied on its own.
Bitter Orange (standardized for Synephrine) Synephrine is a clinically proven diet pill ingredient. However, when looking at Synephrine, the important thing to note is the concentration–the higher the better. Since Speed 2 fails to list the concentration of Synephrine it contains, there is no way for this Speed V2 Review to determine if the Bitter Orange/Synephrine in Speed V2 diet pills is enough to contribute to weight loss.
Geranium Oil Extract
Piperine allows the body to absorb more nutrients. However, there is no research to prove that Piperine actually contributes to weight loss (although there is no research showing the opposite, either.
B12 is important to a healthy lifestyle, but it does not cause weight loss.
You will notice Speed V2 diet pills contain only ONE proven diet pill ingredient (Bitter Orange/Synephrine), and there is no way of knowing the concentration included in Speed V2.

Speed V2 Price

You can find Speed V2 diet pills online for as little as $26.99 for 90 capsules. If you take the recommended 3 capsules per day, one bottle will last about a month. Although this is about average for a diet pill, there is no proof that Speed V2 actually works, so any amount is too much to pay for Speed V2.

Speed V2 Guarantee

There is NO manufacturer’s guarantee for Speed V2. The Speed V2 website says the following:

“This site and the materials and products on this site are provided “as is” and without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.” Why would anyone want to buy a product that the manufacturer doesn’t have enough faith to back up? Don’t bother with Speed V2; it’s not worth your time or money.

Speed V2 Affiliate Program

Speed V2 has an “Affiliate Program”. That is a fancy way of saying it is multi-level marketing (a pyramid scheme). In other words, if you get other people to sign up to buy Speed V2 you get commission. Any company that has to use these practices should be questioned. There is no reason to believe Speed V2 will cause weight loss, so why would you con people into buying it?

Speed V2 Conclusion

This Speed V2 review finds there is no reason to even think about buying Speed V2. There is no reason to believe it will actually cause weight loss, so don’t waste your money on it.

• “BURNS FAT
• CARB ABSORPTION
• SUPPRESSES APPETITE
• INHIBIT FAT/CARBS
• INCREASE ENERGY” (website).

This Thermoloid review will challenge the claims of Thermoloid and reveal the distasteful marketing practices of Thermoloid to show you what you can really expect from this product.

Thermoloid Ingredients

Chromium (180 mg) has shown differing results in clinical trials. Until more conclusive research is done, we cannot recommend chromium as a diet pill ingredient.

Proprietary Thermogenic Blend (990 mg)

Green tea has been shown to contribute to weight loss. However, Thermoloid fails to disclose how much green tea it contains so there is no way of knowing if the green tea in Thermoloid diet pills will be effective.

Caffeine anhydrous is no different from regular caffeine. It does contribute to weight loss when included in the correct amount. Since Thermoloid includes caffeine anhydrous in a proprietary blend, this Thermoloid review cannot determine if there is enough caffeine anhydrous to contribute to weight loss.

Yerba mate has been shown to contribute to weight loss only when combined with both Damiana and Guarana. Thermoloid does contain Guarana, but it does not contain Damiana.

Guarana has been shown to contribute to weight loss only when combined with both Damiana and Yerba Mate. Thermoloid does contain Yerba Mate, but it does not contain Damiana.

Theobromine is used as a diuretic; it does not cause weight loss.

Citrus Aurantium contains Synephrine, a clinically proven diet pill ingredient. The important aspect of Synephrine is the concentration–the higher the concentration the more effective the Synephrine is at contributing to weight loss. Unfortunately, Thermoloid fails to list the concentration of the Synephrine it contains.

White willow is an anti-inflammatory; there is no evidence that it contributes to weight loss.

L-Carnitine supposedly breaks down fats; however, there is no evidence to prove this.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) helps the body produce energy. Your body produces plenty of ALA on its own; you do not need to supplement with it.

Gugglesterones supposedly increase thyroid function. However, studies have shown conflicting results.

Bioperine helps the body absorb nutrients; it does not directly cause weight loss.

Fat/Carb Blocking and Appetite Suppressant Blend 432 mg

Chitosan has been proven to contribute to weight loss, but it has to be taken in doses of 3 grams per day. Thus, this Thermoloid review finds it is impossible for Thermoloid to contain enough Chitosan to be effective.

Hoodia gordonii does nothing for weight loss.

CLA contributes to weight loss. However, Thermoloid does not say how much CLA it contains.

Cha de bugre is supposed to be a miracle cure for everything from curing herpes to healing wounds. Research has NOT shown cha de bugre contributes to weight loss.

Evodia has been shown to cause weight loss in mice. More human research is needed.

You will notice Thermoloid diet pills do contain several proven ingredients. However, since Thermoloid does not say how much of each ingredient is included, this Thermoloid review cannot recommend Thermoloid.

Thermoloid Price

Thermoloid diet pills cost $29.95 for 60 capsules. If you take the recommended 6-10 capsules per day, one bottle will last 6-10 days. This is EXTREMELY expensive for a diet pill. There is no evidence that Thermoloid will actually cause weight loss.

Thermoloid Guarantee

The Thermoloid website says nothing about a guarantee, which means there probably isn’t one. If you buy Thermoloid from another website, there might be a guarantee through that specific website. If you choose to buy Thermoloid, be sure you know what the return policy is; you will probably need it.

Thermoloid’s Racy Marketing

Thermoloid is made by Goliath Labs. They use nearly pornographic images to try to sell Thermoloid. If they had any confidence in Thermoloid, they wouldn’t have to use such demeaning marketing tactics. If you choose to buy or even research Thermoloid diet pills, make sure your children aren’t in the room.

Thermoloid Conclusion

Thermoloid diet pills contain some impressive proven ingredients. Unfortunately, they hide how much of each ingredient is included. If these ingredients were included in appropriate amounts, Thermoloid would be a great diet pill. However, since there is no way of knowing how much of each ingredient is included, this Thermoloid review cannot recommend Thermoloid.

This 8-FX review will breakdown each of the ingredients contained 8-FX and explain the cost and guarantee (or lack thereof) associated with 8-FX to help you determine if this is the product for you.

8-FX Ingredients

Chromium (200 mcg) has been shown to cause weight loss in some clinical trials, but others have found that it does not.

Proprietary Blend for Focus, Energy and Mood Activators 585.5 mg

Neuravena Wild Green Oat Extract

Caffeine (50 mg per serving) does contribute to weight loss, but you are unlikely to see much of an effect from 50 mg.

DMAE is supposed to positively affect mood, but studies have shown some dangerous effects. More research is needed on DMAE.

Proprietary Blend for Lipid Metabolism Activators 395.8 mg

Coleus Forskolii does contribute to weight loss, but 8-FX does not say how much coleus forskolii it contains.

Raspberry Ketones have been shown to cause weight loss in mice when included as 1% of the total diet. To get 1% of your total diet as raspberry ketones you would most likely have to take dozens of 8-FX diet pills. DO NOT TAKE MORE 8-FX DIET PILLS THAN RECOMMENDED! More human research needs to be done on raspberry ketones.

Evodia Extract has proven to cause weight loss in mice, but more human research is needed to determine its effect on human weight loss.

Advantra Z contains synephrine, which has been shown to contribute to weight loss. The important thing with synephrine is the concentration (the higher the better). Unfortunately, 8-FX fails to disclose the concentration of synephrine it contains.

Green Tea is a clinically proven diet pill. To be effective, green tea has to be taken in doses of 300 mg or more per day. It is extremely unlikely that 8-FX contains enough green tea to cause weight loss.

Cnidium Extract is supposed to help circulation, but it does not contribute to weight loss.

7-Methyoxy-8-Isopentenoxycoumarin

Yohimbe mobilizes fatty acid, causing weight loss. 8-FX hides the amount of yohimbe it contains, making it impossible for this 8-FX review to determine if there is enough yohimbe to cause weight loss.

Japanese Knotweed Extract

8-FX Cost

The cost of 8-FX is $47.89 for 80 capsules. If you take the recommended 4 capsules per day, one bottle will last 20 days. This is expensive for a diet pill. Although 8-FX does contain several clinically proven ingredients, they are included in proprietary blends (which usually means there is very little of each ingredient included).

8-FX Guarantee

Medical Research Institute (MRI) is the manufacturer of 8-FX diet pills. The MRI website has details of 8-FX, but it says nothing about a product guarantee. They have a customer service phone number listed on the website, but when we called to ask about a guarantee, the only options given by the automated system were to enter an extension or hang up. Thus, we cannot say whether 8-FX has a guarantee or not. It does seem strange that contacting the company is so difficult.

8-FX Conclusion

This 8-FX review finds that while 8-FX does contain several clinically proven diet pills, it fails to mention how much of each ingredient is included. This is necessary to be able to compare products against each other and against the clinical trials. We recommend finding a diet pill that lists the amounts of all their ingredients and includes the proper amounts of proven ingredients.

Phenterfein Ingredients

The Phenterfein website claims “We MAXED out how much of each ingredient we could legally and safely put into each serving.” The following is a list of ingredients found in Phenterfein diet pills.

Thiamin 5 mg
Pantothenic Acid 5 mg
Niacin 5 mg
Vitamin B-6 250 mcg
Vitamin B-12 20 mcg
Glucuronolactone 182.5 mg
L-Tyrosine 150 mg
Rhodiola Rosea 100 mg
L-Taurine 100 mg
Citrus Aurantium 10% extract 50 mg
Caffeine 100 mg
Octopamine hcl 50 mg
Evodia Extract 45 mg
Salvia Sclarea Extract 20 mg
Yohimbine 8% Extract 12.5 mg
Vinpocetine 3 mg

Thiamin, Pantothenic acid, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, and Vitamin B-12 all have healthy benefits, but none of them has been shown to contribute to weight loss.

L-Tyrosine is a clinically proven ingredient which contributes to weight loss. However, studies show that tyrosine is only effective at a dose of 500-1500 mg per day. This Phenterfein review finds there is not enough tyrosine in Phenterfein to be effective.

Citrus Aurantium contains Synephrine, which has been clinically proven to contribute to weight loss. With Synephrine, you want to look at the concentration–the higher the concentration the better. Unfortunately, Phenterfein fails to list the concentration of the Synephrine; thus, it is impossible to know if it will be effective.

Caffeine is another clinically proven ingredient. Studies have shown it is only effective in doses of 300 mg per day. Thus, again, there is not enough caffeine in Phenterfein to be effective.

Octopamine is very popular right now because it is supposed to mobilize the release of fat in fat cells. However, the fat is absorbed by other cells. There is no clinical research to show Octopamine contributes to weight loss.

Evodia causes weight loss in mice. No human research has been done.

Yohimbine contributes to weight loss by mobilizing fatty acid.

Vinpocetine is used to treat age-related memory problems. It does not contribute to weight loss.

Phenterfein Cost

You can get a bottle of 120 capsules of Phenterfein for $79.99 (which is supposedly a 50% savings). If you take the recommended 6 capsules per day, one bottle will last 20 days. This is EXTREMELY expensive for a diet pill, especially one that does not include enough of the proven ingredients to be effective. The Phenterfein website claims, “We have limited supplies of Phenterfein. This will be our last week of selling Phenterfein for 50% off.” I doubt this is true. You will probably find this same claim on the website next month.

Phenterfein Customer Service and Guarantee

The Phenterfein website is one of the most interesting diet pill websites I have seen yet (and that is saying A LOT)! They have typical outrageous claims and unbelievable testimonials. What makes the site so different is that there is NO contact information for the company. There is no phone number, email address, or company mailing address. So, of course, there is no guarantee for Phenterfein diet pills. That should be enough of a red flag by itself to keep anyone from buying Phenterfein.

Phenterfein Conclusion

This Phenterfein review finds that Phenterfein is all about appearance. They include several clinically proven ingredients, but they do not include enough of any ingredient to be effective. There is no guarantee and not even a way to contact the company. Don’t waste your time on Phenterfein. Check out our recommended diet pills to find one that might work for you.

This Hydroxycut Hardcore review will reveal the truth behind the claims.

*Update: Hydroxycut Recall

On May 1, 2009 the FDA issued a warning to consumers to stop taking Hydroxycut-branded products. Over more than 7 years they have received 23 reports of health related issues with those taking Hydroxycut-branded products. The main health concern appears to be serious liver-related problems. Iovate Health Sciences Inc., the makers of Hydroxcut, have voluntarily recalled all of the products under question in the FDA’s report. In light of this new report, Hydroxycut-branded products are no longer recommended on this site.

Considering the millions of people who have taken Hydroxycut products, 23 accounts of health complications is a relatively low number. Nevertheless, you should never place yourself in any unnecessary risk. Symptoms of liver problems include: jaundice (yellowing of the skin), brown urine, light colored stools, unusual tiredness, stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, weakness, and vomiting. You can see the full FDA report here.

The products that are currently being recalled by Iovate include:

• Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
• Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
• Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
• Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
• Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
• Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
• Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
• Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
• Hydroxycut 24
• Hydroxycut Carb Control
• Hydroxycut Natural

You can also see Hydroxycut’s informational page about the recall for more information.

Also, according to the FDA, “The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products. The products contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts.” Some believe, however, that the health problems stem from the ingredient Hydroxycitric Acid, also known as HCA. Further study and research is needed to confirm this theory, but until proven otherwise any products that contain HCA are no longer recommended on this website.

Hydroxycut Hardcore’s Ingredients:

• Proxyclene Fat Loss Blend 742mg
  • Green tea extract, (as Camellia sinensis) (leaf) Standardized for 90% polyphenols, [75% catechins (45% epigallocatechin gallate, 10% epicatechin gallate, 8% epigallocatechin, 4% epicatechin, 3% gallocatechin gallate)] Note: a lot of times they’ll include all of this information to look more impressive.  It’s green tea folks!
  • Caffeine anhydrous Supplying 280mg caffeine (this is high caffeine content)
  • White willow extract (as Salix alba) (bark)
  • Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco extract (bark)
• Norepidrol Intensity Focus Blend 171mg
  • Deanol acetamidobenzoate hydrogentartrate
  • Xanthinol nicotinate
  • Evodia rutaecarpa extract (as Tetradium ruticarpum) (fruit)
  • Inula racemosa extract (root)
  • Standardized for 2% alantolactone
  • Codonopsis pilosula extract (root)
• Lasidrate Delivery Blend 55mg
  • Troxerutin (as Sophpra japonica)
  • Inositol hexaphosphate
  • Cnidium monnieri extract (seed)
  • Black pepper extract (as Piper nigruml.) (fruit)
  • Yohimacore Yohimbine Blend 4.5mg
  • Methyl 17 alpha-hydroxy-yohiman-16alpha-carboxylate hydrochloride

Hydroxycut Hardcore Other Ingredients:

Sesame oil, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Black Shade, silica, gelatin, shellac, isopropyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, dehydrated alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium hydroxide, povidone, titanium dioxide, FD&C Yellow No. 5.

What’s Our Take on that Exhaustive List of Hydroxycut Hardcore’s Ingredients?

We like green tea as a diet pill ingredient. It has been proven to contribute to weight loss.

Caffeine has been proven to increase metabolic function, which can lead to weight loss.

White willow bark is an anti-inflammatory/pain reliever similar to aspirin. It may enhance the thermogenic effect and increase the body’s ability to utilize fatty acids while preserving lean muscle tissue. Further research is needed to substantiate these claims.

Piper nigruml (black pepper) is a “thermonutrient” because it “enhances the body’s natural thermogenic activity.” I don’t know if the ability to absorb more nutrients will directly translate into lost weight
Yohimbine has been shown to increase fatty acid mobilization.

What does the research say about Hydroxycut Hardcore?

The Hydroxycut website leads you to believe that Hydroxycut Hardcore diet pills have been thoroughly researched. This is very misleading. Like many other diet pills, Hydroxycut Hardcore has not had any research done on it. There has been research done on individual ingredients, but none at all on this combination of ingredients. Clinical studies have found that several ingredients in Hydroxycut Hardcore do contribute to weight loss. However, Hydroxycut Hardcore has “blends” of ingredients rather than disclosing how much of each ingredient is included. This makes it impossible for consumers to compare Hydroxycut Hardcore diet pills with the clinical findings. It is also impossible for this Hydroxycut Hardcore review to determine just how effective this product is.

What are the side effects of Hydroxycut Hardcore?

Side effects of Hydroxycut Hardcore include increased heart rate, jitters, diarrhea, nausea, and changes in stool color.

How much does Hydroxycut Hardcore cost?

One bottle of Hydroxycut Hardcore diet pills contains 120 capsules and costs $59.99. If you take the maximum recommended dose of 6 capsules per day, one bottle will last 20 days. That is $3 per day, which is very expensive, especially since there is no way of knowing how effective this product is.

Hydroxycut Hardcore conclusion

This Hydroxycut Hardcore review has found that Hydroxycut Hardcore is really no different from many other diet pills. They make big claims which they try to back up with clinical findings, but they fail to disclose the ingredient amounts included. Spend your hard earned cash somewhere else. We recommend using a product that can legitimately back up its claims.

***Update: Please see the Hydroxycut review update at the top of the page for recent information about Hydroxycut.

Cytolean’s Ingredient Profile

Cytolean contains some effective ingredients:

• Green Tea Extract (though it’s only 60% EGCG). Green Tea is an effective ingredient for diet pills, increasing your metabolic rate. I reviewed green tea extensively previously.
• Phenylalanine is an effective appetite suppressant (see the phenylalanine review)
• Caffeine has been proven effective time and again as an effective thermogenic.
• L-Tyrosine has been shown to increase focus during stressful periods. I reviewed tyrosine as well.

Cytolean also contains some ingredients that are mainly just eye candy when it comes to weight loss:

• Phenylethylamine, which I’ve reviewed, doesn’t have enough research to justify the claims.
• Gingko Biloba is there to aid in “improving your personality” according to the sales copy…but aren’t we trying to lose weight? Ginkgo Biloba is best known for supporting memory function.

With an ingredient lineup like this (even including the eye candy), you’d think I’d jump on the bandwagon recommending Cytolean. Well, I can’t. The Cytolean “proprietary blend” comes to a total of 667 mg…hardly enough to pack all of these ingredients in there with any sort of punch. Remember, for a diet pill to be effective it must do two things: have the ingredients, and have them at at least the minimum amount. Cytolean fails with the latter.

Cytolean’s Science

In their less-than-impressive website, they link to Cytolean Science and this is typical garbage behavior from some companies. They throw together that document with margins thin and line-spacing even thinner, using a font that crams letters together. The result is to throw a document at you that appears science-y but doesn’t actually deliver any real clinical results. Most casual shoppers will see the Cytolean science document and 1) be impressed that there’s “science” behind the pill while also being 2) intimidated by its presentation. This accomplishes Cytolean’s desires of looking like there’s research behind Cytolean while not actually having to present any research.

And if Cytolean did have research behind them, you can bet they would have known that the effective dosages of the ingredients they included are actually much higher than what they’re giving their customers.

The “Feel Good” Cytolean Gotcha!

Cytolean is in a great position with their marketing because they’re really trying to push Cytolean as a pill that does help you burn fat, but also helps you “feel good” (that’s why the phenylethylamine is in there, the “love drug” from chocolate). A lot of the other ingredients in there are supposed to support the absorption of phenylethylamine into the blood stream. The gotcha! comes because “feeling good” is hardly measurable and if it’s not measurable, it’s also not manageable. A diet pill can make the claim “Lose 7 pounds in 2 weeks” and that’s measurable. But how can a customer measure how good they’re feeling compared to how they were feeling before? And please define “good”, “very good”, “great” etc.

Cytolean’s basically making a claim that can’t be verified (until they decide to have some double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized, peer-reviewed studies done to support their claim. And even then, how will the study evaluate if a person is feeling good? I suppose they’ll be able to monitor brain activity and go from there.

Until then Cytolean gets a pass.

Cytolean Review Conclusion

Strong ingredients but there aren’t enough in there to make something happen in all likelihood. The “feel good” effect isn’t measurable, which makes it very hard to verify. Overall, Criticalorie is going to pass on Cytolean until some research is done to determine its effectiveness. At the moment, given the aggregate size of their proprietary blend, it’s fairly safe to assume that its effects would be mediocre at best.