Genuine Health's Abs+ Fat Burner Review: Does Abs+ Work?

Abs+ is the fat burner from Genuine Health that claims to "provide a significant decrease to both your waistline measurements and your weight in 90 days or less – safely and naturally."

Abs+ also is one of a few natural fat burners that can claim to have a clinical trial validating that it actually does do something (Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants, Volume 12, Number 3, 1 February 2007, pp. 69-78(10)).

When I look at the ingredients profile, it's not that surprising. Abs+ is a simple product containing a mere two ingredients -- conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and green tea, standardized for ECGC, or epigallocatechin-gallate. If there are two natural ingredients that show any real promise for weight loss, it is these two.

Let's start with CLA. CLA is a non-essential fatty acid found primarily in meat and dairy products. CLA is found in the highest concentrations in the meat of animals that chew their cud -- cows and sheep are good examples of such animals.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to get the beneficial effects of CLA directly from meat and cheese. Why? This fatty acid is available naturally in very low concentrations. In other words, you'd need to consume a huge amount of high-fat foods to obtain a reasonable amount of this supplement. By doing this, of course, you'd negate any positive benefits. That's why it's necessary to supplement with CLA.

There is some decent data indicating that CLA, taken in doses from .7 to 4.5 grams daily, can decrease body fat mass in obese and overweight people (the optimal dose seems to be about 3.2 grams daily -- see Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 May;85(5):1203-11). There is also some evidence that indicates higher doses of CLA can increase lean body mass. This contributes to an elevated metabolism, which is a good thing for weight loss! (J Nutr. 2007 May;137(5):1188-93.)

The Abs+ formula, to its credit, contains plenty of CLA. A regular dose (2 capsules 3 times daily) contains just under 3.5 grams of CLA, while a maintenance dose (1 capsule 3 times daily) contains about 1.7 grams -- more than enough to be effective, according to the study.

As I indicated earlier, the other ingredient in Abs+ is green tea, standardized for something called EGCG, or epigallocatechin-gallate. I've been a big fan of green tea for a while. Not only does it taste great, it's a powerful anti-oxidant too!

And of course, there's some real evidence green tea is good for weight loss (see Mol Nutr Food Res. 2006 Feb;50(2):176-87, Am J Clin Nutr; 81:122-129, Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. 2000 Feb;24(2):252-8, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5).

Studies show green tea's weight loss benefits are a result of several mechanisms. These include an increased metabolism, a positive effect on blood sugar and insulin regulation, and possibly the inhibiting of the enzyme amylase, which is required for the processing of carbohydrates. It also has been shown to lower LDL levels (that's the "bad" cholesterol) as well as triglyceride levels.

In a nutshell, green tea is a great, all-round health supplement that certainly appears to exhibit some real benefits for weight loss.

Bottom line of the Abs+ formula?

The combination of green tea (standardized for epigallocatechin-gallate) and CLA is a good one. The clinical study performed on this product (Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants, Volume 12, Number 3, 1 February 2007 , pp. 69-78(10)) certainly adds credibility to its claims.

And while I caution that no fat burner will provide miraculous results without the implementation of a sensible diet and exercise program, the Abs+ product is better than most, and probably worth experimenting with.

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