When I heard the first radio advertisement for Th-121 as an anti-aging supplement that promised weight loss with no side effects, I admit I was interested. The product sounded wonderful! Take only two pills a day, with no anxiety or jittery side-effects, and drop that last twenty (or thirty) pounds. Maybe this Th-121 was finally the secret to weight loss that the whole world was waiting for!

Th-121 is a weight loss supplement that is a registered trademark of Chamonix, a company that manufactures anti-aging skin care and weight loss products. The Chamonix website is called Better Skin Today.

Better known for their skin care products, Chamonix claims to offer several key advantages over other skin care brands:

• Chamonix does not use mineral oil, petroleum by-products, pharmaceutical preservatives, coloring agents or other harmful ingredients, and they never test on animals.
• Chamonix uses only pure, natural ingredients, including a variety of potent antioxidants.
• The Chamonix anti-aging skin care products are developed by a pharmacist, and are clinically proven to work.

Like the Chamonix anti-aging skin care products, which are formulated on the basis that antioxidants are the key to preventing premature aging, the Chamonix line of anti-aging weight control products (like Th-121) are formulated on this same premise.

Th-121 Supplement Facts-

Th-121 is priced at $59.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules. A two capsule serving of Th-121 consists of:

The Th-121 Proprietary Blend: R-Alpha Lipoic Acid, Green Tea Extract, Theobromine, Guarana Seed Extract (33% caffeine) 377 mg, Hyaluronic Acid 25 mg, Pomegranate Seed and Skin Extract 120 mg, Acai Fruit Extract 250 mg, Blueberry Fruit Extract 200 mg, and Vitamin C 100 mg.

The dosage per the Better Skin Today website is 2 pills after breakfast and one to two pills before 4 pm, not to exceed 4 pills per day. It’s possible that before 4:00 pm is the recommended time, because one might otherwise experience insomnia due to the caffeine in the supplements. Yet, Chamonix does claim that Th-121 has “no side effects" and that the caffeine content is equivalent only to that of a small cup of coffee.

Chamonix’s Claims

According to Chamonix, Th-121 is a “clinically proven” fat-burning anti-aging supplement, and that their combination of powerful antioxidants and other natural ingredients will improve energy metabolism and accelerate the fat burning process for long-term weight control. Th-121 is designed to produce three results: suppress appetite, increase sugar metabolism, and maximize fat and fatty acid metabolism.

Chamonix also claims that Th-121 “offers the healthiest way to lose weight– with all the added benefits of antioxidant protection.” The antioxidants like acai berry, pomegranate extracts and vitamin C have been associated with lowering cholesterol and imparting anti-aging benefits.

Chamonix weight loss products contain “no stimulants or excessive caffeine, (but caffeine none-the-less.) According to Th-121.com, “All ingredients are classified by the FDA as dietary supplements and “Safe for Human Consumption.”

A doctor’s endorsement on the Chamonix site indicates that he was “privileged enough to see the clinical research on the skin care product – Jeunesse, “ However, there is no doctor endorsement of Th-121, nor reference to clinical research regarding the weight loss supplement on the Chamonix website.

Appearing below 4 short website testimonials in favor of Th-121 is the following disclaimer - “Results of any weight loss supplement will depend on your lifestyle, age, diet, and exercise habits.”

I seem to have heard that somewhere before…….

Dr. DeSilva – TH-121 A Superb Anti-Oxidant Formula

On a different website, Dr DeSilva, who is co-chair of the Department of Complimentary Medicine at Raritan Bay Medical Center and JFK Medical Center in NJ, endorses Th-121. Dr. DeSilva's website has a Q and A regarding Th-121 and his answers appear to be very similar to those found on the other websites that are selling the product. He briefly refers to a test group in which members lost up to four pounds in the first week, but no additional details were found. Naturally, he is selling the product on his website. Click on products and scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will find Th-121, and with one click you are brought to Dr. DeSilva’s e-store.

Th-121 Celebrity Endorsement – Jim Braude

Jim Braude is a (self-proclaimed) celebrity who endorses Th-121. Braude is a Boston radio and television personality and the co-host of a talk show on 96.9 FM Talk with Margery Eagan. In his radio endorsement for Th-121, he claims to have achieved an 18 pound weight loss while taking the product, and he experienced no jitters, anxiety, mood swings or side effects of any kind. (He clearly lost weight, but a reduced calorie diet and exercise were also factors that attributed to his weight loss.) As of October 7, 2009, no other information on Braude’s experience using Th-121 was found on the web.

The Th-121 site makes these same claims regarding “no side-effects” and adds that Th-121 does not work by stimulating the heart and nervous system. Th-121 works on the cellular level by fueling cells to burn more sugar, so excess sugar is not stored as fat. It also blocks hunger signals in the brain, which provides appetite control.

The Thin Report - Incorrect

According to The Thin Report, a diet pill review website, Th-121 is produced by CalComp Nutrition, the company behind various ‘As Seen on TV’ health products. However, CalComp provides their customers with nutritional supplement products that they are officially authorized to sell. CalComp Nutrition only sells Th-121, they don’t produce it. Th-121 is a registered trademark of Chamonix, as previously stated. Also, the Thin Report review on Th-121, claims the product has gotten high-quality, independent reviews, mainly as a skin product. There were no “high-quality” independent reviews other than the four weight loss testimonials on the Th-121.com website. The Thin Report was correct in indicating that the product has not been part of any clinical studies. There was no reference to clinical studies on any website. Note- The Thin Report reviews diet pills and links to other websites where consumers can purchase the weight loss supplements.

MedNewsCentral.com - Th-121 Side Effects

According to MedNewsCentral, Th-121 is not the world’s first anti-aging and weight loss supplement and it is not the first product attempt, nor is it a unique formulation that you should rush out to buy.

A review of Th-121 on mednewscentral.com indicates that the all-natural anti-oxidants may suppress the appetite but the quantities of alpha lipoic acid and green tea contained in the formulation may not be enough to have any real effectiveness. On the flip side, the theobromine and green tea are ingredients that have stimulant properties.These ingredients “seem to increase the risk of hypertension and adverse cardiovascular effects (stroke, heart attack, and sometimes death). It can lead to anxiety, jitteriness and insomnia.

According to MedNewsCentral, there is no reliable scientific evidence that acai berry does anything for anti-aging or boosting energy and acai has yet to be included in any clinical trials.

Note- Following the MedNewsCentral Q and A regarding Th-121, there is an article - Top Weight Loss Supplements Reviewed: Will They Work For You? which is followed by a list of what they believe are the top 20 Weight Loss Products. The weight loss supplemens are linked to various other websites for consumers to purchase.

Diets in Review.com Recommends Avoiding Th-121

Dietsinreview.com was one of the sites that had a long list of cons for Th-121.

1. Contains caffeine.
2. Website makes exaggerated health claims.
3. Not a long-term solution to weight loss.
4. No proof that the product is effective in helping you lose weight .
5. May cause jitteriness, shakiness or heart palpitations.

Despite the claims that there are “no side effects” made on the various websites, caffeine, theobromine and green tea are ingredients with stimulant properties.

Dietsinreview concluded that because Th-121 contains a few trendy supplement ingredients, and has a less than comprehensive website, the recommendation is to “consider avoiding using this product or at the very least to talk to your doctor before purchasing it.”

Dietsinreview.com has the following mission statement in their About Me section:

“To provide constructive information and education by health professionals that the public can use to implement healthy changes, support weight loss efforts and inspire to live a healthier life.”

While every other diet review site had a similar disclaimer:

"The content of this site is for informational purposes only and is not to be perceived as providing medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on this site should complement, not replace, the advice and relationship of your health care provider. You should seek the professional advice of your medical doctor prior to beginning a new diet or weight loss program."

I will now reveal the true secret to healthy weight loss – a reduced calorie diet and exercise.

I seem to have heard that somewhere before……