Phenocal™ Rapid Weight Loss Fat Burner Review:

The Phenocal™ "rapid weight loss" diet pill promises a whole myriad of the usual benefits, including...

• Increased energy levels
• Elevated metabolism
• Suppressed appetite
• Maximized diet and exercise results

... and so on. But, despite all the talk of a proprietary blend of revolutionary ingredients, Phenocal™ isn't really anything particularly special or new. And it ain't cheap either, especially when compared to some of the better products on the market today. A single bottle retails for $54... wow!

So what's in Phenocal™ that justifies such a premium cost? That's a good question, so let's check it out!...

1) Hoodia: One of the most controversial appetite suppressants on the market and, despite the hype, there is very little real evidence it's good for anything (you can read the full review of hoodia here!).

The Phenocal™ sales copy states that it's a fact that hoodia has been "clinically proven to reduce hunger and promote a feeling of fullness." I wonder what clinical data they're referring to; there's no published, peer-reviewed data in existence to my knowledge.

On top of that, the better hoodia products contain between 400-750mg of active ingredient per serving -- Phenocal™ contains a mere 250mg.

2) Green tea extract: One of the few "bright lights" in the natural weight loss supplement world, green tea does appear to have bona fide benefits for dieters (click here for the full review).

Unfortunately, most studies showing weight loss benefits were conducted with much higher doses of critical catechins and EGCG than included in this formula.

Additionally, there does exist some new and contradictory clinical data on green tea which shows it has relatively little effect on weight loss (see Clin Nutr. 2008 May 9).

3) 5 HTP (5-hydroxyptophan): The Phenocal™ sales site uses this clinical reference (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1992 Nov;56(5):863-7) as basis for the inclusion of 5-HTP in their product as an appetite suppressant. It's important to note that this study used 900 mg of 5-HTP to achieve these results; a full day's dose of Phenocal™ contains only 200 mg -- less than a fourth of the amount used in the study.

4) Garcinia Cambogia PE: Standardized for HCA, or hydroxycitric acid. Usually included in fat burners for its carb blocking ability, clinical studies have ruled out HCA as a credible weight loss supplement.

5) Chromium: Helpful for its role in insulin function, evidence validating chromium's effectiveness for weight loss is quite contradictory.

6) Evodiamine: A Chinese fruit that some claim burns fat by increasing the body's production of heat, as well as reducing the body's ability to store fat.

The claims are supposedly "scientifically" proven. The problem is, they haven't been scientifically proven in humans. There have been some promising "in vitro" studies and some done on rodents, but the jury is still out on whether this product has positive weight loss effect for humans (see Planta Med. 2001 Oct;67(7):628-33).

7) Glucomannan: An unabsorbable polysaccharide derived from the konjac root (in other words, it's a fiber source).

Several clinical studies validate glucomannan's ability to lower LDL cholesterol and blood lipid levels -- as well as blood sugar levels (see J Am Coll Nutr. 2003 Feb;22(1):36-42, Diabetes Care. 2000 Jan;23(1):9-14., Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2005 Jun;15(3):174-80)

There also appears to be some preliminary evidence that 1 gram of glucomannan, taken with 8 oz. of water one hour prior to meals, has a significant influence on weight loss -- one study showed almost 6 pounds of fat lost in two months -- with no changes in eating habits. (See Int J Obes. 1984;8(4):289-93, Diabetes Care. 1999 Jun;22(6):913-9, Minerva Med. 1992 Mar;83(3):135-9).

A full day's dose of Phenocal™ contains 800 mg. The study that showed the greatest results had individuals supplementing with 1,000 mg before each meal.

Additionally, Glucomannan may bind with and hinder the absorption of certain nutrients. It has to be considered, therefore, if the presence of glucomannan in significant amounts may actually hinder the effectiveness of the rest of any formula it is included in.

8) Yerba Mate: Usually included in fat burners for its caffeine and polyphenols content as well as its diuretic characteristics. One recent animal study (Arch Biochem Biophys. 2008 Feb 26) did show positive results for weight, but animal-based studies are a start... and only that.

9) Bioperine® Black Pepper extract: Bioperine® increases the bioavailability of certain ingredients, making them more accessible to the body. A worthwhile addition to any product.

10) Coleus Forskohlii: While the effects of coleus forskohlii and a corresponding positive effect on weight loss have been established in one study (Journal of Obesity Research August 2005, "Body Composition and Hormonal Adaptations Associated With Forskolin Consumption In Overweight and Obese Men"), the results were not overwhelming.

Another study was less positive (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2(2):54-62, 2005). It concluded...

"Results suggest that CF (coleus forskohlii) does not appear to promote weight loss but may help mitigate weight gain in overweight females with apparently no clinically significant side effects."

11) Cocoa extract (standardized for phenylalanine, tyramine, 10% theobromine): Retailers have been including cocoa-based xanthines (xanthines are chemicals similar to caffeine) in fat burners for ages, although there's relatively little evidence they are useful for weight loss.

12) 7-Keto DHEA: A metabolite of DHEA, a steroid hormone produced naturally by the bodies of both men and women. The good thing about 7-Keto is that it displays no apparent side effects (i.e. no conversion to testosterone or estrogen, and no effect on the sex hormones).

What's promising about this ingredient is its positive effect on thyroid hormone levels in obese people -- again, without any adverse effects of any kind (see Journal of Exercise Physiology, Volume 2, Number 4, October 1999, J Nutr Biochem. 2007 Sep;18(9):629-34. Epub 2007 Apr 5, Current Therapeutics, (7):435-442 2000).

The dosage for these studies was 100 mg, given twice a day. Kudos for Phenocal™ here, a full day's dose contains 200 mg of 7-Keto.

13) L-Tyrosine: Because l-tyrosine is also a precursor to the thyroid hormone thyroxine (also known as T4) supplementation may have a positive effect on thyroid hormone levels which may contribute to an increased metabolic rate.

Many supplement retailers use the fact that tyrosine is a T4 precursor to make claims about its fat burning prowess. Unfortunately, clinical data validating l-tyrosine's thyroid-and-metabolism boosting characteristics is in darn short supply.

Phenocal™ also boasts an array of B vitamins. Vitamins can certainly play a useful role in any weight loss program, as they ensure the body has an optimal amount of all the necessary raw materials for optimal functionality. As far as dramatic weight loss effects go, forget it.

In the end, the main problem withPhenocal™ is the same one shared by any product that contains such a large number of ingredients; there simply isn't a strong enough dosage of the helpful ones to elicit any response. In my opinion, the makers of Phenocal™ would be best served by eliminating the ingredients for which little or no clinical evidence exists, and focusing on the ones that do.

Phenocal™ does comes with a publication, "Secrets to Long-Term Weight Loss." (I'm not sure if it's an actual book or a PDF file ebook -- the web site does not say). What value this offers to the bundle I can't say; if it's a decent publication you will probably lose weight by adopting decent eating and exercise habits... without the pills. Even so...

As it stands now, Phenocal™ is an expensive product of indeterminable effectiveness.

Want to learn more about fat burners? Industry professional Will Brink reviews dozens of top weight loss products in his superb "Fat Loss Revealed" Click here to read my review! Click here to visit the Fat Loss Revealed web site!

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