Hydroxycitric Acid Update

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

Common symptoms of liver complications include:

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
• brown urine
• light colored stools
• unusual tiredness
• stomach pain
• itching
• loss of appetite
• weakness
• vomiting

In light of the recent FDA warning concerning the possible dangers of Hydroxycut-branded diet pills, many believe that the associated health risks are likely due to the inclusion of the commonly used ingredient Hydroxycitric Acid, or HCA. And while 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.” you can never be too cautious.

So, while further study and research is needed to confirm the link between HCA and the liver problems, until proven otherwise any products that contain HCA are no longer recommended on this website.

Herbalean PM Ingredients

Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate is supposed to increase the production of the growth hormone. However, there has only been one study to substantiate this claim; more research is needed.

Hoodia Gordonii is overhyped and overused. There is NO scientific evidence to show that hoodia gordonii actually contributes to weight loss.

Chamomile Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) comes from the fruit Garcinia Cambogia. HCA has been proven to contribute to weight loss.

Ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG) 5-HTP is an amino acid which mood enhancing effects.

Gymnema helps control blood sugar levels. Valerian promotes restful sleep.

Theanine is an amino acid which is supposed to reduce stress responses. There are no studies directly linking Theanine consumption with weight loss.

Pyruvate can increase metabolic rate. However, subjects in the studies proving this took 36 grams of Pyruvate daily. Herbalean PM does not disclose how much Pyruvate is contained in the formula, but odds are you would have to take dozens of Herbalean PM diet pills per day to equal the amount of Pyruvate in the study. (DO NOT TAKE MORE HERBALEAN PM PILLS THAN RECOMMENDED!)

Passionflower, or maypop promotes restful sleep.

Banaba has been proven to lower blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, Herbalean PM fails to list how much Banaba is included in their formula.

Hydrolyzed collagen protein (HCP) is basically gelatin. You might as well eat jello; it would have the same effect.

Magnolia bark

Herbalean PM Claims

The Herbalean PM website claims Herbalean PM does the following: “* Promotes loss of fat and inches * Supports weight loss * Promotes lean muscle development * Supports overall fitness * Supports increased energy and stamina * Promotes better sleep * Helps shorten workout recovery time * Enhances body’s ability to rejuvenate and repair itself” (website).

This Herbalean PM review finds that while Herbalean PM may serve as a sleeping aid, there is NO proof that it will cause weight loss. Herbalean PM does contain some proven ingredients, but since the amounts of these ingredients are not listed, there is no way of knowing how effective Herbalean PM will be at causing weight loss. Herbalean PM Dosage The Herbalean PM website gives the following dosgae directions for Herbalean PM diet pills: “Start with two capsule in the evening before bedtime and drink 8oz of water. Do not exceed 2 capsules daily. Remember to drink 8 – 10 glasses of water each day”.

Herbalean PM Cost

One bottle of Herbalean PM diet pills costs $34.95. If you take the recommended dosage of 2 capsules per day, one bottle will last one month. This is not expensive as diet pills go, but since Herbalean PM fails to disclose how much of each ingredient is included in the formula, this Herbalean PM review finds Herbalean PM is too expensive.

Herbalean PM Guarantee

According to their website, Herbalean PM has a 30-day 100% money back guarantee. Unlike many other diet pill companies, Herbalean PM will give refunds for open bottles. We like that they will take back open bottles, but we would like to see more than a 30-day guarantee.

Herbalean PM Conclusion

This Herbalean PM review finds Herbalean PM is a mediocre product. There is no evidence that Herbalean PM will help you “Lose weight while you sleep” (website). Look for a diet pill with proven ingredients in proven amounts.

• BioSlim Ultra Vita/Min Plus
• BioSlim Ultra SlimTone Formula
• BioSlim Accelerator

We’ll work through these products as they relate to weight loss.

BioSlim’s Ultra Vita/Min Plus

This is basically a bit of pyruvate, some Green Tea (see my Green Tea review) and some Chromium (see my Chromium review).   Green Tea is an effective thermogenic, but things are still up in the air with chromium.  Some of the studies about chromium support it, others don’t support it at all.  I’m not opposed to chromium being present in a diet pill, but don’t like see it as the only primary active ingredient (such as seen in Thermocerin, Lipocerin, or Phenocerin).

BioSlim’s other ingredients such as CoQ10, and Vitamins B6 and C can be found in virtually every multivitamin (at a much cheaper price).

Pyruvate, another one of its popular ingredients, is said to promote the activity of cells, thus increasing your metabolic rate.  One study looked at the effects of obese women over a three week period.  The women were divided into two groups.  Each group adhered to a 1000-calorie liquid diet.  One group supplemented with 36g of pyruvate, while the other took a placebo.  At the end of the study, the group that had taken pyruvate lost 13 lb. while the placebo group lost only 9.5 lb. — a difference of 3.5 lb or 37%.

So Pyruvate’s great, right?  Well, did you catch the dosage?  The  pyruvate group took 36 grams of pyruvate.  That would mean you would be taking anywhere from 36-72 capsules of BioSlim’s stuff just to get the pyruvate dosage.

Ginseng can be bought cheap at any health food store, and the same goes for the rest of the herbs — they’re mainly just eye candy.  BioSlim will use words like “optimized”, “maximized”, and titles like “Accelerator” but the fact of the matter is that BioSlim isn’t offering anything new.  Their three ingredient combination is redundant in many ingredients and the pricing is overly expensive for the ingredients you’re getting.

BioSlim’s Supplement Facts

They don’t put them anywhere on the site.  At the end of the day you have no idea how much of any of these ingredients (even though we only care about the good ones) is in a BioSlim pill.  This makes evaluation of BioSlim’s products especially tough.

BioSlim’s Marketing Approach

BioSlim has done a great job of really trying to build a community around their products.  They also really push the “doctor” aspect of their program.  They state in the BioSlim about us page that BioSlim “began as a health program in a medical office in 1990.”  I don’t know exactly what that program looked like verses what BioSlim is now, but I can be fairly certain that things have changed significantly — especially considering the fact that many of these ingredients weren’t even readily available in 1990.

BioSlim offers a whole slew of information in their “Doctor’s Corner” discrediting the Atkins diet (as well they shoud) and letting you know that a doctor is behind all of this.  I can’t stand when diet pill companies throw doctors’ endorsements at you.  To me, as soon as a doctor endorses a diet pill that doctor has lost all credibility.  Why?  Because the doctor is always paid to do those types of diet pill endorsements and objectivity goes out the window.

BioSlim’s Complete Kit

What they really try and push is the BioSlim 2000 Complete Kit, which comes with their three BioSlim products mentioned above along with some videos and books.  This is a plain vanilla upsell.  They knew they could throw some books and videos into the mix and instantly charge twice as much for their product with very little attached variable cost to bring down their margin.  I’m certain there’s a lot of great information in the BioSlim books and videos, but the information will simply attempt to reenforce into your mind that you need to order their products again…and again…and again.

You can find plenty of helpful weight loss articles on the internet for free without forking over $90 for another sales pitch.

BioSlim Review Conclusion

Overall, BioSlim is simply a subpar diet pill, split into three pills with only slight variations, and packaged with a bundle of books so the company can boost revenue.  There isn’t anything that makes BioSlim even remotely stand out from the crowd.