Proactol Fat Burner Review: Does Proactol Work?
 Recently I received an e-mail from a site visitor, inquiring whether or not Proactol™ works, and whether it is, as proclaimed on the marketing web site, "clinically proven." Seems he'd received a few unsolicited bulk e-mails (i.e. "spam") promoting the product, and was interested in purchasing it.
Here's the thing though...
In many countries -- including the U.S. and Canada, it is illegal to send unsolicited bulk e-mail. Therefore any retailers who do so, or who condone affiliates who do so, are in direct violation of the law. A such, they have absolutely zero credibility and even fewer ethics.
So what can you really expect from a fat burner marketed by a company that feels this sort of behavior is acceptable? Do you really want to purchase any product from a company like this?
I was contacted directly by a Proactol™ staff member, insisting it was not their policy to send unsolicited bulk e-mail. The fact that they bothered to contact me at all made it seem likely that this was indeed the case.
However, I did have a series of follow-up e-mails with the staff member (Proactol™ was, not surprisingly, not particularly impressed with my review of their product), and have become increasingly convinced of their commitment to "e-mail compliance." Although Proactol™ is only available direct from the company, they do have partners that promote them -- some of which may be guilty of the spam complaints I received. |
With that said, let's take a look at Proactol™. According to the "advertising literature, it...
'...is an amazing patented fiber complex that is a 100% natural, 100% organic fat binder made from the nutritious cactus "Opuntia ficus-indica".
Opuntia ficus-indica, by the way, is also known as the "prickly pear cactus." But I guess "opuntia ficus-indica" sounds more impressive. The Proactol™ people claim opuntia can block 28% of your dietary fat intake, reducing your caloric intake and thereby allowing you to control your weight. And best of all, they claim to have the clinical data to back it up.
As usual, my first stop in investigating Opuntia ficus-indica was Pubmed.com, where I found plenty of clinical references. There does seem to be an increasing body of evidence to suggest that prickly pear cactus helps reduce blood lipid levels and other Metabolic Syndrome indicators -- especially blood sugar levels (see Adv Ther. 2007 Sep-Oct;24(5):1115-25, Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2002 Oct 31;114(19-20):840-6, Arch Invest Med (Mex). 1989 Oct-Dec;20(4):321-5, Arch Invest Med (Mex). 1989 Apr-Jun;20(2):197-201).
I did not find any published studies validating the 28% blockage of dietary fat intake. These claims are based on a couple of studies...
i) "Evaluation of the effect of patented fibre complex from Opuntia ficus-indica on the absorption of dietary fats in healthy volunteers (2003)", a French performed double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized study. I didn't see this study referenced on PubMed, so I'm assuming it hasn't been published in a respected journal where its methodology and conclusions can be challenged by other professionals.
It is, however, referenced on the Proactol™ web site, where you can see it is an extremely small study, with only 10 individuals participating. While promising, it is well recognized in scientific circles that one small, single human study hardly constitutes "irrefutable proof." What it does, certainly, is demonstrate the need for larger, more intensive studies.
ii) Studies performed by the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute (www.tno.nl/pharma). These studies are two of several featured on the Proactol™ web site. While TNO has an impressive track record mimicking the human digestive system with their "in vitro GI tract model", it is important to note that these are not human studies. They are "in vitro" studies -- studies performed in a laboratory environment designed to mimic the human digestive system. So while there's no doubt these studies add some weight to the "fat binding" claims of Proactol™, they are certainly not equivalent to the same studies performed in humans.
And...
Even if Proactol™ is effective at blocking a portion of your fat intake, it is not necessarily a good thing. First, statistics show that the average North American is eating less fat, not more. It was this apparent contradiction (decreased fat intake along with rising obesity levels) that confounded the "experts" and led the popularity of the "low carb" diet (which by the way, was recently found to outperform low-fat diets by a large margin -- click here for details).
And, if we accept the argument that Proactol is a potent fat binder, we have to recognize that it does not differentiate between the "bad" saturated fat, and the good poly and monounsaturated fats. In other words, a fat binder may prevent your body from utilizing the good, beneficial fats in your diet. Remember... you need some fat in your diet -- your body requires it for many vital processes.
Third, fat binding substances can impair the body's ability to absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K (according to one of the "studies" published on the Proactol™ web site -- again performed "in vitro" -- this isn't an issue with Proactol™). Nevertheless, it is recommended you take a high-quality multi vitamin up to two hours before or after supplementing with Proactol™ to ensure you're getting adequate nutrition.
You'll also see plenty of doctors on the Proactol™ web site, either endorsing the product, or emphasizing the importance of increasing your fibre intake. I'm always wary of this... more often than not, doctors are paid very well for their endorsements, and often have little or no knowledge of the product they are endorsing. ( Check out some of the inconsistencies with doctor-endorsed products that were found by Consumer Reports!).
However, when I asked them, the folks at Proactol™ insisted they do not, nor have they ever paid anyone for a recommendation. |
Now, before I continue, let's do a little math. On the Proactol™ web site, one ad claims you can lose up to 10 kilos (about 22 lbs.) in 30 days. Now suppose you eat 3000 calories a day (this will be an extremely high number for most people), with 40% of those calories coming from fat...
3000 X 40% = 1200 calories from fat.
Now suppose Proactol™ does eliminate 28% of fat calories...
1200 X 28% = 336
That means 336 calories worth of fat are not absorbed by the body and do not contribute to your overall daily calorie count. It also means that it will take 11 days before the equivalent of 1 pound worth of fat calories are absorbed (1 pound of stored fat = approx 3500 calories). That's a far cry from losing 20 lbs in 30 days.
Of course, this is a highly simplified demonstration. Someone eating 3000 calories per day is very likely still over consuming calories at a substantial rate, and won't see much of a difference in the way of weight loss. Additionally, the benefits of Opuntia extend beyond mere fat blocking. The blood sugar moderating effects of this supplement should lead to balanced blood sugar levels and a reduced insulin response.
This may contribute to weight loss indirectly as balanced blood sugar levels reduce cravings for high calorie sugar-loaded foods. Removing them from your diet could elicit a caloric deficit, which could lead to weight loss. And obviously, any time you want to lose weight, you really need to implement a proper diet and exercise program.
Supplementing with a fibre supplement is a good idea. Fibre fills you up quicker, allowing you to eat less. It's good for the digestive system. In the case of Proactol™'s active ingredient, Opuntia, there's a fair bit of data demonstrating its lipid lowering and blood-sugar balancing characteristics. Data demonstrating its fat binding abilities -- while certainly promising -- is far from conclusive. As I indicated earlier, one small clinical study coupled with a few in vitro studies do not constitute irrefutable proof.
Bottom line?
Proactol™ might offer an easier, more convenient method to obtain your fibre intake as well as to capitalize on some of the other, aforementioned benefits this ingredient offers. It may, when coupled with a smart diet and exercise program, help you lose weight, although I'd be hesitant to suggest that you'll attain the sort of dramatic results advertised on the web site.
Unfortunately, Proactol is not cheap. There are simply much more cost effective ways to add fibre to your diet -- add more fruit or vegetables to your diet, eat a high fibre cereal in the morning or precede each meal with a dose of Metamucil. However, for those of you for whom cost is not an issue, the convenience offered by chucking back a couple of pills a couple times a day may be worth it.
Proactol is only available direct online. Click here if you are interested in learning more about purchasing Proactol™!!
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