Lipovox Hardcore Detox Ingredients

Lipovox Hardcore Detox doesn’t just have a long name, it also has a long list of ingredients. They’ve broken them down into a few different sections:

Patented Ingredient Blend (655mg)
Tonalin Cla
Super CitriMax
Pinnothin
Advantra-Z
NeOpuntia
Phase-2
7-Keto DHEA
Forslean
FucoPure

SuperFood Blend (400mg)
Acai
Cayenne
Wheatgrass
Garlic
Lactbacillus Acidophilus
Soybean Extract
LinumLife Flaxseed Lignans
Alfalfa
Buckwheat

Instant Detox Blend (710mg)
Dandelion Root
Uva Ursi
Buchu
Celery Seed
Psyllium Husk
Lemon Balm
Couchgrass
Milk Thistle
Parsley
Ginger

Antioxidant Blend (400mg)
Green Tea (50% caffeine)
Caffeine Anhydrous
DMAE
Alpha Lipoic Acid

The short of it is that you’re getting a lot of high quality weight loss ingredients here. They’ve basically taken the SuperFood ingredient profile of the original Lipovox and added a ton of other effective ingredients. Many of them have been proven in clinical studies to aid in weight loss. I would like to see them disclose how much of each individual ingredient is included.

You can click on the ingredients above to read the full reviews of the ingredients.

With so many ingredients packed in, it’s no wonder they had to go from 60 capsules to 180!

***Note***

Because of the recent concern and newly found evidence that the ingredient Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) may be linked to certain health concerns dealing with the liver, we are no longer recommending Lipovox Hardcore Detox. Lipovox Hardcore Detox contains Super CitriMax, whose active component is HCA. The FDA, in a recent warning about Hydroxycut-branded products, said: “The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products.”

While FDA hasn’t specifically identified HCA as the culprit, some believe that it may responsible for the health problems. One can never be too cautious. As such, all products containing HCA are no longer recommended on this website.

For more information on the FDA’s warning against Hydroxycut and possible dangers to the liver due to HCA, see the Hydroxycut Review.

Great Money Back Guarantee

One the things that really impressed me with Lipovox Hardcore Detox is their money back guarantee. In the diet pill industry, a good guarantee is anything from 60 to 90 days. Lipovox HardCore Detox offers a Lifetime guarantee on all unopened bottles AND on one empty bottle. This kind of guarantee is rarely seen in this industry.

Not a Big Fan of the Marketing

The same as the original Lipovox website, Lipovox Hardcore Detox still has the magazine covers posted near the top of the site. This is a common tactic used to add perceived credibility. It implies that the product was either feature in or endorsed by the magazine or celebrity. For example, the SuperFoods were definitely covered in both the Oprah magazine and TV show, but in no way did they endorse the Lipovox Hardcore Detox product.

Price

The Lipovox Hardcore Detox website has the product listed at $49.99 (only $20 more than the original Lipovox). If the product is effective, this is a decent price for a diet pill.

Conclusion

Lipovox Hardcore Detox is definitely a step up from the original Lipovox formula. The inclusion of so many proven ingredients should add quite a bit to its effectiveness. Since the appearance of possible health issues associated with HCA, however, I’m not able to recommend the diet pill. The price is good and the guarantee is stellar. If it weren’t for the HCA, I’d give Lipovox a green light.

This Liporexall review will dig a little deeper to see if Liporexall is as impressive as it’s first impression leads us to believe.

Liporexall Ingredients

ChromeMate – ChromeMate, a patented form of chromium, is designed to regulate levels of sugar in the blood. Many believe this leads to weight loss.

Super Citrimax – Super Citrimax is a proven weight loss ingredient due to it’s inclusion of HCA. HCA has been shown to inhibit fat production and suppress appetite.

*Note: 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 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.

Pinnothin – Pinnothin is meant to cause appetite suppression.

NeOpuntia – A complex of fibers that binds with fat in order to make them unabsorbable, NeOpuntia a good diet pill ingredient with quite a bit of research backing it up.

Phase-2 – A starch neutralizer, Phase-2 is designed to block the starch. Phase-2 is a great addition to other quality ingredients.

7-KETO – While more research is certainly desirable, 7-KETO has shown to be an effective weight loss ingredient. It helps to break down DHEA, which aids in weight loss.

ForsLean – Research shows that forskohlin, the main ingredient in ForsLean, helps to promote lean muscle mass.

Infinergy DiCaffeine Malate – Infinergy contains caffeine, which has been shown to increase metabolic function, leading to weight loss. Caffeine is one of the few diet pill ingredients that is actually fully backed by loads of research.

Tonalin – Another quality ingredient, Tonalin is a patented form of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). CLA a lot of research backing up it’s claims to help retain muscle while lowering body fat.

Bioperine – Bioperine is a patented ingredient designed to help in the absorption of nutrients. While it won’t cause weight loss by itself, it’s a welcomed addition to other effective ingredients.

All in all the ingredients in Liporexall looks to be quite effective. The inclusion of Super Citrimax (which contains HCA), however, causes me to not recommend the product in light of the recent news with Hydroxycut.

Liporexall’s Marketing

I like that the Liporexall website contains a good deal of information about each ingredient in the product and has a very clear focus on the ingredients throughout the site. Too many diet pills barely mention the ingredients and do little more than spit a sales pitch at you. Knowing the ingredients, you can do your own research to see if it will be effective.

I’m not quite so sure about the lofty claims Liporexall (900% increase in weight loss, build 700% more lean muscle, etc.), but I’ll let you be the judge.

A Lifetime Guarantee

While there was little information about the requirements/process of the money back guarantee, they do have a lifetime guarantee. This is an amazing guarantee in this industry (anything over 60 days is pretty good).

How Much does Liporexall Cost?

One bottle of Liporexall will cost $49.99 and should last you 30 days. They do offer discounts for larger orders.

Liporexall Conclusion

Liporexall contains some solid ingredients. While I wish we knew how much of each was included, the ingredient profile is likely to be very effective. The prices is average, and the guarantee is great. If it didn’t have HCA thrown in the mix, I would recommend Liporexall.

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.

Slim 10 Ingredients

Slim 10 contains a proprietary blend of the following ingredients:

Advantra Z® is made of Synephrine. In clinical studies, Synephrine has been proven to contribute to weight loss.
Super Citrimax® contains HCA from the South Asian fruit Garnicia cambogia. It is a proven appetite suppressant and inhibits fat production.
Tonalin® is made of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It is proven to preserve lean muscle and reduce body fat.
Phase 2® is made from white kidney beans. Clinical studies have shown Phase 2 blocks calories from starch, leading to weight loss.
7-Keto® is a metabolite of DHEA. It has been shown to contribute to weight loss.
NeOpuntia® is from the Opuntia ficus indica cactus. The fibers bind with the fat so it is not absorbed.
ForsLean® is made of Forskohlin, which promotes lean body mass, which helps you lose weight.
Slimaluma® is made of Caralluma Fimbriata Extract, an ancient Indian cactus which allegedly works as an appetite suppressant. More research is needed on Caralluma Fimbriata.
ChromeMate® is simply Chromium. Chromium deficiencies are extremely rare. Studies have found conflicting results about Chromium’s efficiency in promoting weight loss.
CarniPure® contains Carnitine. Carnitine is supposed to help breakdown fats. More research is needed on Carnitine.

Slim 10 also contains 500 mg of Real South African Hoodia.

While many of the ingredients in Slim 10 have been proven to successfully promote weight loss,
since they are included in a “proprietary blend”, there is no way to know how much of each ingredient
is actually included. Thus, it is impossible for this Slim 10 review to determine how effective
Slim 10 diet pills actually are. Companies usually use proprietary blends to disguise how little of
each ingredient they have included in their formula.

Slim 10 Could Cause Liver Failure

Several reputable sources (including Time Magazine and the BBC) are reporting that several women have experienced liver failure from taking Slim 10.
This is very concerning to us.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,333902,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2036480.stm

Slim 10 Cost

Slim 10 costs $75 for one month supply. This is very expensive considering there is no way to prove if this product works. We do like that Slim 10 gives an autoship option. We generally do not like autoship, but at least there is an option not to use autoship. However, their shipping rate is $20 per order, which is very high for a diet pill.

Slim 10 Guarantee

Slim 10 offers a “100% refund” for returns made within 90 days of purchase. You will have to pay shipping charges to return the product as well as a $7.95 restocking fee.

Slim 10 Marketing

Slim 10 does a good job promoting each individual ingredient in their product. They list legitimate clinical studies done on the ingredients. However, they do not disclose how much of each ingredient is included in Slim 10, so it is impossible to know whether the ingredients will be effective.

Slim 10 Conclusion

This Slim 10 review finds that Slim 10 diet pills include some great ingredients. Unfortunately, they fail to list how much of each ingredient is included, making it impossible to know how effective Slim 10 will be. We are very concerned about the possibility of liver failure from using Slim 10. We encourage you to look for a product that contains proven ingredients such as those in Slim 10, but be sure they are included in effective amounts.

I was actually contacted by the owner of Blackstone Health Sciences quite a while back and he had the gall (confidence?) to send me their formulation before they even went to market. He wanted my feedback.

That may not sound so crazy, except for the fact that it’s never happened. Normally, diet pill companies only contact me to ask me to take my review down (or at least soften it) — which I won’t do. And here BHS contacts me because they’re certain I’ll like what they’ve come up with.

The short of it is that I do. A lot.

***Thermodrenix Review Update***

Because of the recent concern and newly found evidence that the ingredient Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) may be linked to certain health concerns dealing with the liver, we are no longer recommending Thermodrenix as a diet pill. PatenTrim contains Super CitriMax, whose active component is HCA. The FDA, in a recent warning about Hydroxycut-branded products, said: “The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products.”

While FDA hasn’t specifically identified HCA as the culprit, some believe that it may be responsible for the health problems. One can never be too cautious. As such, all products containing HCA are no longer recommended on this website.

For more information on the FDA’s warning against Hydroxycut and possible dangers to the liver due to HCA, see the Hydroxycut Review.

Thermodrenix Ingredients

Super CitriMax (1,400 mg) – Super CitriMax’s active component is Hydroxycitric Acid, or HCA. Super CitriMax is actually a standardized level of HCA (which comes from the South Asian fruit Gardinia Cambogia). The nice thing about Super Citrimax is that it has a stimulating effect a la caffeine or green tea, without causing jitters. A few studies supporting Super Citrimax’s efficacy:

• Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(1):25-9. Especially effective when combined with Gymnema sylvestre — you’ll see why that’s important in a moment.
  
• Diabetes Obes Metab. 2004 May;6(3):171-80. The study was published again here, adding more legitimacy to the study.

Green Tea 50% EGCG (1,000 mg) – Green tea is probably our favorite diet pill ingredient. It effectively ingreases the metabolism’s burn rate (which means you’ll be burning more calories and losing weight), has a whole slew of other healthy benefits, and is backed by more research than any other diet pill ingredient available today.

Also, please notice that 600 mg of Thermodrenix’s green tea is decaffeinated. The other 400 mg of green tea is caffeinated. Thermodrenix is specifically geared toward people that can handle a fairly high dose of caffeine.

Probably most notable, Thermodrenix includes 1,000 mg of green tea at 50% EGCG (think of EGCG as its potency). To give you a comparison, most other diet pills we’ve reviewed have anywhere from 50 mg to 150 mg. The minimum dosage required (based on piles of research) for effectiveness is north of 300 mg. Thermodrenix has effectively tripled that. I could go on, but the point’s probably been made.

ForsLean – 10% Forskohlin (250 mg) – ForsLean is a patented (see the patent here) ingredient that’s been clinically proven to aid in fat lipolysis (burning fat) and retaining muscle mass. While you may not initially think this is such a big deal, it is a big deal! When you’re dieting and calories are being burned left and right, it’s important that you don’t lose muscle mass. Not only for health reasons, but also because you’ll look better as a result.

Also, muscle mass requires more calories to maintain. So a more muscular individual will, all else equal, have a higher caloric burn rate, resulting in lower bodyfat.

Some literature supporting Forskohlin as it relates to burning fat cells:

• Horm. metabol. Res. 19 (1987), pp. 358-360
• J. Pharmacology and Experim. Therapeutics 238 (1986), pp. 659-664
• J. Pharmacology and Experim. Therapeutics 244 (1988), pp. 852-858.

Gymnema Sylvestre – 25% gymnemic acids (200 mg) – Gymnema is used to help control blood sugar levels. Anciently, people in India would chew a few leaves of Gymnema and it would suppress the taste of sugar (which some use to fight sugar cravings).

Studies conducted in India as early as 1930 showed that the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre cause hypoglycemia in experimental animals. This state of hypoglycemia is explained on the assumption that the drug indirectly stimulates insulin secretion of the pancreas, since it has no direct effect on carbohydrate metabolism. ((Source: http://www.gymnema.com/))

We regret we don’t have citations for those studies done in the 1930s. However, one study from 2005 validated the insulin secretion caused by Gymnema sylvestre: H Asare-Anane, GC Huang, SA Amiel, PM Jones & SJ Persaud (2005) Poster Presentations – Stimulation of insulin secretion by an aqueous extract of Gymnema sylvestre: role of intracellular calcium. Endocrine Abstracts, Volume 10 DP1.

BioPerine (5 mg) – Don’t balk at the seemingly low amount of BioPerine in Thermodrenix. More isn’t needed. I’ll include a section of our own review regarding BioPerine. The gist of it is that it aids in absorbing nutrients — a critical component that most diet pills don’t look at.

Asian cultures anciently have used long and black pepper for medicinal/health purposes, but obviously actual research is much more welcome. To that end, this was of particular interest from the Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India ((Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2007;47(8):735-48.)):

Many physiological effects of black pepper, its extracts, or its major active principle, piperine, have been reported in recent decades. Dietary piperine, by favorably stimulating the digestive enzymes of pancreas, enhances the digestive capacity and significantly reduces the gastrointestinal food transit time. Piperine has been demonstrated in in vitro studies to protect against oxidative damage by inhibiting or quenching free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Black pepper or piperine treatment has also been evidenced to lower lipid peroxidation in vivo and beneficially influence cellular thiol status, antioxidant molecules and antioxidant enzymes in a number of experimental situations of oxidative stress. The most far-reaching attribute of piperine has been its inhibitory influence on enzymatic drug biotransforming reactions in the liver. It strongly inhibits hepatic and intestinal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and UDP-glucuronyl transferase. Piperine has been documented to enhance the bioavailability of a number of therapeutic drugs as well as phytochemicals by this very property. Piperine’s bioavailability enhancing property is also partly attributed to increased absorption as a result of its effect on the ultrastructure of intestinal brush border.

Where is the Thermodrenix Proprietary Blend?

That’s right. That’s one of the things that has me so excited about Thermodrenix. They fully disclose exactly how much of each ingredient is included. Very, very few diet pill companies do this. The main reason behind it is because they don’t include enough of those ingredients to cause any weight loss at all (though companies will say it’s because they don’t want to be copied, that’s a copout excuse).

Blackstone Health Science’s Marketing Approach

This section isn’t directly related to the product but we look at it when reviewing companies to spot anything shady, underhanded, or consumer unfriendly.

No Testimonials and Before & After Photos

We’ve reviewed dozens and dozens of diet pills and not once have we found a site that doesn’t include testimonials in some fashion. BHS doesn’t include them. Their reasoning is that most testimonials are fake (we couldn’t agree more, remember Nuphedrine and Ephedrine P57 using the same Before & After pictures?) and they want customers focused on the ingredients of the diet pill, not on anecdotal (possibly fabricated) stories.

They don’t include any Before & After photos for the same reason. What a breath of fresh air.

Focus on the Ingredients

No AutoShip Program

They don’t do autoship. We like that. We find autoship (at least the deceptive, trick-the-consumer kind we find where companies offer a free 7-day trial and you’re automatically enrolled) to be less-than-consumer friendly 90% of the time.

Thermodrenix Pricing

Thermodrenix is definitely not the least expensive diet pill product you’ll run across. You get significant discounts as you buy more at a time, so that’s good. At $69, Thermodrenix is not the cheapest pill we recommend, but as in all walks of life it seems that you get what you pay for.

A word should be said here about pricing for diet pills. You’ll find some costing as little as $25. The key though isn’t what it costs nearly as much as what you’re getting. With most every diet pill, you’re not getting enough ingredients to make even one iota of difference.

Now – be careful and don’t be duped by some pill that’s purposely SUPER expensive (Zantrex-3, those devious people from Basic Research, comes immediately to mind), where their whole focus is to make you think, because of the price point, that you really are getting something that’s top quality when you’re not.

In either case, look at the ingredients and then decide if the price fits your situation.

Lifetime Moneyback Guarantee

You can’t beat it. We like to see anything more than 60 days, so a lifetime guarantee obviously fits the bill, and then some.  You are able to return one used bottle and all other unopened bottles.  Best in the industry.

Thermodrenix Review Conclusion

We’re recommending Thermodrenix completely. We love the formulation. We love the fact that every ingredient is clincially backed and they haven’t included a single fad ingredient (such as Hoodia, that piece of garbage). We love the fact that they’ve fully disclosed how much of each ingredient — they haven’t hidden behind a proprietary blend. We’re fans of their marketing and lifetime moneyback guarantee. We’re giving a very enthusiastic thumbs up. Give Thermodrenix a try and let us know how it works out for you. We’re anxious to know.

***Update: Please see the Thermodrenix Review Update at the top of the page for recent information about Thermodrenix.

***PatenTrim Review Update***

Because of the recent concern and newly found evidence that the ingredient Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) may be linked to certain health concerns dealing with the liver, we are no longer recommending PatenTrim as a diet pill. PatenTrim contains Super CitriMax, whose active component is HCA. The FDA, in a recent warning about Hydroxycut-branded products, said: “The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products.”

While FDA hasn’t specifically identified HCA as the culprit, some believe that it may responsible for the health problems. One can never be too cautious. As such, all products containing HCA are no longer recommended on this website.

For more information on the FDA’s warning against Hydroxycut and possible dangers to the liver due to HCA, see the Hydroxycut Review.

PatenTrim’s Ingredients

ChromeMate (200 mcg) – Chromium Picolinate, as it stands on its own has conflicting research as to its efficacy in regulating blood sugar levels.  However, ChromeMate has been clinically shown to be absorbed 18 times more than the standard chromium picolinate.  The result: weight loss through blood sugar regulation.  ChromeMate is expensive because it is a patented ingredient.  As such, you’ll find competitor diet pills including (if any) perhaps 20-50 mcg.  PatenTrim impresses us with their inclusion of the clinically correct amount: 200 mcg.

Super CitriMax (1,400 mg) – Super CitriMax’s active component is Hydroxycitric Acid, or HCA. Super CitriMax is actually a standardized level of HCA (which comes from the South Asian fruit Gardinia Cambogia). The nice thing about Super Citrimax is that it has a stimulating effect a la caffeine or green tea, without causing jitters. A few studies supporting Super Citrimax’s efficacy:

• Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(1):25-9. Especially effective when combined with Gymnema sylvestre — you’ll see why that’s important in a moment.
  
• Diabetes Obes Metab. 2004 May;6(3):171-80. The study was published again here, adding more legitimacy to the study.

Green Tea Decaffeinated 50% EGCG (1,000 mg) – Green tea is probably our favorite diet pill ingredient. It effectively ingreases the metabolism’s burn rate (which means you’ll be burning more calories and losing weight), has a whole slew of other healthy benefits, and is backed by more research than any other diet pill ingredient available today.

Also, please notice that PatenTrim’s green tea is decaffeinated. PatenTrim is specifically geared toward people that don’t do too great with higher doses of caffeine.

Probably most notable, PatenTrim includes 1,000 mg of green tea at 50% EGCG (think of EGCG as its potency). To give you a comparison, most other diet pills we’ve reviewed have anywhere from 50 mg to 150 mg. The minimum dosage required (based on piles of research) for effectiveness is north of 300 mg. PatenTrim has effectively tripled that. I could go on, but the points probably been made.

ForsLean – 10% Forskohlin (250 mg) – ForsLean is a patented (see the patent here) ingredient that’s been clinically proven to aid in fat lipolysis (burning fat) and retaining muscle mass. While you may not initially think this is such a big deal, it is a big deal! When you’re dieting and calories are being burned left and right, it’s important that you don’t lose muscle mass. Not only for health reasons, but also because you’ll look better as a result.

Also, muscle mass requires more calories to maintain. So a more muscular individual will, all else equal, have a higher caloric burn rate, resulting in lower bodyfat.

Some literature supporting Forskohlin as it relates to burning fat cells:

• Horm. metabol. Res. 19 (1987), pp. 358-360
• J. Pharmacology and Experim. Therapeutics 238 (1986), pp. 659-664
• J. Pharmacology and Experim. Therapeutics 244 (1988), pp. 852-858.

Gymnema Sylvestre – 25% gymnemic acids (200 mg) – Gymnema is used to help control blood sugar levels. Anciently, people in India would chew a few leaves of Gymnema and it would suppress the taste of sugar (which some use to fight sugar cravings).

Studies conducted in India as early as 1930 showed that the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre cause hypoglycemia in experimental animals. This state of hypoglycemia is explained on the assumption that the drug indirectly stimulates insulin secretion of the pancreas, since it has no direct effect on carbohydrate metabolism. ((Source: http://www.gymnema.com/))

We regret we don’t have citations for those studies done in the 1930s. However, one study from 2005 validated the insulin secretion caused by Gymnema sylvestre: H Asare-Anane, GC Huang, SA Amiel, PM Jones & SJ Persaud (2005) Poster Presentations – Stimulation of insulin secretion by an aqueous extract of Gymnema sylvestre: role of intracellular calcium. Endocrine Abstracts, Volume 10 DP1.

BioPerine (5 mg) – Don’t balk at the seemingly low amount of BioPerine in PatenTrim. More isn’t needed. I’ll include a section of our own review regarding BioPerine. The gist of it is that it aids in absorbing nutrients — a critical component that most diet pills don’t look at.

Asian cultures anciently have used long and black pepper for medicinal/health purposes, but obviously actual research is much more welcome. To that end, this was of particular interest from the Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India ((Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2007;47(8):735-48.)):

Many physiological effects of black pepper, its extracts, or its major active principle, piperine, have been reported in recent decades. Dietary piperine, by favorably stimulating the digestive enzymes of pancreas, enhances the digestive capacity and significantly reduces the gastrointestinal food transit time. Piperine has been demonstrated in in vitro studies to protect against oxidative damage by inhibiting or quenching free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Black pepper or piperine treatment has also been evidenced to lower lipid peroxidation in vivo and beneficially influence cellular thiol status, antioxidant molecules and antioxidant enzymes in a number of experimental situations of oxidative stress. The most far-reaching attribute of piperine has been its inhibitory influence on enzymatic drug biotransforming reactions in the liver. It strongly inhibits hepatic and intestinal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and UDP-glucuronyl transferase. Piperine has been documented to enhance the bioavailability of a number of therapeutic drugs as well as phytochemicals by this very property. Piperine’s bioavailability enhancing property is also partly attributed to increased absorption as a result of its effect on the ultrastructure of intestinal brush border.

PatenTrim’s Proprietary Blend?

PatenTrim doesn’t hide behind the guise of a “proprietary blend”.  They disclose every ingredient at every amount.  We find this very, very refreshing.  Fenphedra and Thermodrenix are the others that disclose.  We recommend them as appropriate.

PatenTrim’s Marketing

We like the fact that their site isn’t full of hype.  It doesn’t try and get you emotionally charged to make an irrational decision on some sub-par diet pill product.  They’re making an effort to educate their visitors on the ingredients instead of filling their heads full of (probably fake) testimonials and (doctored) before & after photos.

No AutoShip Program

They don’t have one, and we like that.

PatenTrim Pricing

We noticed that PatenTrim recently lowered their priced from $69 per bottle to $59 per bottle.  Obviously the lower price point makes this great diet pill an even better value. We also don’t if this is a temporary or permanent price change. You will find other diet pills at a cheaper price but I suggest you pay a little extra and get ingredients that actually work. You do get discounts as you buy more bottles at a time.

A word should be said here about pricing for diet pills. You’ll find some costing as little as $25. The key though isn’t what it costs nearly as much as what you’re getting. With most every diet pill, you’re not getting enough ingredients to make even one iota of difference.

Now – be careful and don’t be duped by some pill that’s purposely SUPER expensive (Zantrex-3, those devious people from Basic Research, comes immediately to mind), where their whole focus is to make you think, because of the price point, that you really are getting something that’s top quality when you’re not.

In either case, look at the ingredients and then decide if the price fits your situation.

Lifetime Moneyback Guarantee

You can’t beat it. We like to see anything more than 60 days, so a lifetime guarantee obviously fits the bill, and then some.  You are able to return one used bottle plus all unopened bottles.  This is the best in the industry.

PatenTrim Review Conclusion

We’re recommending PatenTrim completely. We love the formulation. We love the fact that every ingredient is clincially backed and they haven’t included a single fad ingredient (such as Hoodia, that piece of garbage). We love the fact that they’ve fully disclosed how much of each ingredient — they haven’t hidden behind a proprietary blend. We’re fans of their marketing and lifetime moneyback guarantee. We’re giving a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

***Update: Please see the PatenTrim Review Update at the top of the page for recent information about PatenTrim.

Try PatenTrim out, see if you like it as much as I do and then let me know your results.

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.

We will examine each of these three Metabolife varieties.

Metabolife Ultra

The Metabolife website claims,

“Metabolife Ultra® is a breakthrough appetite suppressant that is specially formulated for sustained energy, helping to keep you motivated and on track towards achieving your weight loss goals.”

In reality, this supplement contains the same ingredients as numerous other weight loss supplements; there is no “breakthrough” technology or ingredient in Metabolife Ultra. With the “proprietary blend”, the amount of individual ingredients is not disclosed. While SuperCitriMax can be effective in weight loss, we cannot be sure if it will be effective in Metabolife Ultra because we do not know exactly how much is included.

The following is the ingredient list for Metabolife Ultra

• Calcium (as hydroxycitrate) 140mg 14%
• Chromium (as chromium picolinate) 133mcg 110%
• Sodium 30 mg 1%
• Potassium 200mg 5%

Proprietary Blend 1736mg

• SuperCitriMax� Garcinia extract (fruit) (standardized for hydroxycitric acid)
• Caffeine
• Co-enzyme Q10

Each caplet contains 75mg caffeine (this is a weak amount, but we’ll get there).

Metabolife Green Tea

The Metabolife website states,

“Metabolife® Green Tea helps boost the body’s metabolism, making it easier to burn unwanted calories.”

This could be true. Green tea has been proven to promote weight loss. However, with the “proprietary blend”, the amount of green tea contained in Metabolife Green Tea is not disclosed, so we cannot be sure it will be effective.

The following is the ingredient list for Metabolife Green Tea:

• Calcium (as hydroxycitrate & dicalcium phosphate) 40mg 4%
• Copper (as sodium copper chlorophyllin) 300mcg 15%
• Chromium (as chromium picolinate) 133mcg 110%
• Sodium 20mg <1%
• Potassium 30mg <1%

Proprietary Blend 1032mg

• SuperCitriMax� Garcinia extract (fruit) (standardized for hydroxycitric acid)
• Green tea extract (leaf) (standardized for EGCG and total catechins)
• Guarana extract (seed) (standardized for caffeine)
• Yerba mate extract (leaf) (standardized for caffeine)

Metabolife Caffeine Free

The Metabolife website explains,

“Metabolife® Caffeine Free is a stimulant-free alternative for individuals seeking the weight-loss benefits of Metabolife Ultra® without additional energy enhancement.”

The following is the ingredient list for Metabolife Caffeine Free:

Thiamin (as thiamin mononitrate) 1.5mg 100%
Riboflavin 1.7mg 100%
Niacin (as niacinamide) 20mg 100%
Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine hydrochloride) 5mg 250%
Pantothenic acid (as d-calcium pantothenate) 10mg 100%
Calcium (as hydroxycitrate) 140mg 14%
Chromium (as chromium picolinate) 133mcg 110%
Sodium 300mg 1%
Potassium 200mg 5%
SuperCitriMax® Garcinia extract (fruit) (standardized for hydroxycitric acid)

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
† Daily Value not established

Are the ingredients in the Metabolife supplements effective in promoting weight loss?

What does the research say?

In studies, Chromium Picolinate has shown conflicting findings. Some studies claim Chromium Picolinate reduces insulin resistance, promoting weight loss. Other studies have found this to be untrue. We remain neutral on chromium, with a slightly positively lean (how’s that for subjective?).

Garcinia Cambogia’s primary active compound is Hydroxycitric acid (HCA). Studies have shown taking HCA can promote weight loss. Study participants took 1.2 grams of HCA per day.

The amount of SuperCitriMax (Garnicia Cambogia) contained in Metabolife Ultra and Metabolife Green Tea is not disclosed; therefore, we cannot be sure it will be effective in promoting weight loss. The amount of SuperCitriMax in Metabolife Caffeine Free is more than the amount used in the studies. However, we prefer
SuperCitriMax when it is combined with other proven ingredients.

Green Tea is one of the few diet pill ingredients we stand by — backed by serious amounts of research over many, many years. Read our Green Tea review to see how we drew our conclusions.

Caffeine has been shown to be an energy booster. Knowing your caffeine tolerance is definitely important when evaluating different dietary supplements. The effects of caffeine vary from person to person based on any number of factors (body size, tolerance, etc.).

Studies have shown that Guarana can lead to fat cell reduction (when combined with conjugated linoleic acid). However, Metabolife Green Tea does not contain linoleic acid.

How much does Metabolife cost?

All three varieties come in bottles of 45 caplets; the bottles cost $24.99. The suggested dosage is 2 caplets 3 times per day. Thus, it will cost you $3.33 per day. This is very expensive, especially for a product that does not prove its effectiveness.

Metabolife Possible Side Effects

The side effects of Metabolife include increased heart rate, jitters, and anxiety.

Metabolife Review Conclusion

The three varieties of Metabolife might work, but without disclosing the amounts of individual ingredients, we cannot compare them with the clinical studies. These products are very expensive. Look for a supplement that discloses all ingredient amounts, includes clinically proven amounts of ingredients, and doesn’t try to rake you over on the pricing.