Buying Weight Loss Pills Online: What Does the Research Say?

I've noticed whenever I am visiting a website that shows advertisments for various companies and organisations, there is always at least one ad promoting the latest weight loss "miracle pill." These ads promise great results, but what does the research actually say? This hub discusses the latest research available on some popular weight loss supplements.

I have started off reviewing three different weight loss pills available on the market. I intend to add more to this hub over time. Message me if there is a particular drug you would like me to review.

What is it? Apidexin is a popular weight loss pill readily available online. It contains "8 Patent-Pending ingredients" (Apidexin, 2008).

What does the research say? Several studies have been conducted looking at the weight loss benefits of the individual ingredients found in Apidexin.

Abidov et. al, (2010) wrote an article discussing the effects Xanthigen (TM) had on the weight loss of a specific group of obese women. Xanthigen consists of pomegranate seed oil, as well as fucoxanthin, an ingredient found in Apidexin. They found that "Xanthigen promoted weight loss [and] reduced body and liver fat content" (Abidov et. al, 2010, pg 72). They concluded that this product "may be considered a promising food supplement in the management of obesity" (pg 72).

Raspberry ketone is a compound found in raspberries. It is also an ingredient in Apidexin. Morimoto et. al (2005) found that this compound "prevents and improves obesity and fatty liver" (pg 194). It is important to note the participants in this study were not humans, but mice.

Several studies have researched the positive effect of Coleus forskholii, another ingredient found in Apidexin, on problems related to cardiovascular health and hypertension (see Lindner et. al, 1978, and Dubey et. al, 1981). I found it difficult to find current studies that have been conducted on this plant, hence there is no up-to-date information available, to my knowledge.

Conclusion: There is some evidence to support the use of Apidexin to manage weight loss.

What is it? Some of the latest, and most popular, weight loss pills are made from a Brazilian berry called Açaí (Euterpe oleracea). This berry is known for its high anthocyanin content and antioxidant capacities (Sabbe et. al, 2009). The companies selling this product claim that due to these good qualities, diet supplements made with the Açaí berry can help people lose up to five kilograms within two weeks.

What does the research say? When researching this berry, I found that little research has been carried out investigating its supposed benefits. The studies that have been carried out were mostly not even done with human participants. Rather, these studies used either animal participants, or in vitro methods (Dog, T.L., 2009).

Another problem with the current research articles on the berry is that the studies do not agree on the amount of antioxidants present. Some studies claim the Açaí Berry is high in antioxidants, whilst others claim there are only moderate levels (Seeram, N.P., 2008 in Marcason, W., 2009). This leads to confusion over the nutritional qualities of the berry.

Conclusion: There is not enough research supporting the suggested weight loss benefits achieved when taking diet pills made from the Açaí Berry. Until there is more research available, try other supplements instead.

What is it? This product is another popular weight loss pill.

What does the research say? Lipofuze TM contains raspberry ketones and fucoxanthins, ingredients proven to help people lose weight (see section titled Apidexin).

It is interesting to note that one of the ingredients in this product is green tea. The benefits of green tea are summarised by Eller (2008) who read many academic journal articles in order to do so. He explains that in one study, "a group of men who consumed 690 milligrams of green tea extract per day lost more weight in three months than a control group (an average of 5.3 pounds versus. 2.9 pounds). Previous studies have shown that green tea causes weight loss in women, too."

Conclusion: This product contains ingredients found in Apidexin which, as mentioned previously, appear to aid weight loss. It also contains other ingredients, including green tea, which can help people lose weight as explained in various journal articles. This could be a good supplement to take.

Abidov, M., Ramazanov, Z., Seifulla, R., & Grachev, S. (2010). The effects of Xanthigen TM in the weight management of obese premenopausal women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and normal liver fat. Diabetes,Obesity and Metabolism 12(1) 72-21. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from Wiley InterScience.

Apidexin, (2008). Apidexin. Retrieved January, 2010, from http://www.apidexin.com/

Dog, T.L. (2009). Smart talk on supplements and botanicals. Alternative and Complementary Therapies 15(4) 166-168. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/act.2009.15407

Eller, D., (2008). 6 herbs for weight loss. Natural Health 38(7). Retrieved January 22, 2010, from Academic Search Premier.

Marcason, W. (2009). What is the Açaí Berry and are there health benefits? Journal of the American Dietetic Association 109 (11) 1968. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from ScienceDirect.

Morimoto, C., Satoh, Y., Hara, M., Inoue, S., Tsujita, T., & Okuda, H., (2005). Anti-obese action of raspberry ketone. Life Sciences 18(5) A875 - A876. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from ScienceDirect.

Sabbe, S., Verbeke, W., Deliza, R., Matta, V.M., and Van Damme, P. (2009). Consumer liking of fruit juices with different Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) concentrations. Journal of Food Science 74(5) S171-S176). Retrieved January 22, 2010, from Wiley InterScience.