Stacker 2 Review: As Effective As The Original?

As old as the hills. the original Stacker 2 fat burner contained the tried and true blend of ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin that bodybuilders have been taking for years. An effective and proven blend to be sure, but not without some controversy. The "heavyweight" of this stack, ephedra / ephedrine, is a controversial supplement which may present serious health risks to some.

Of course, ephedra supplements are a thing of the past, as ephedra is now an illegal substance in many countries, including the U.S.

(Ephedra fans take heart -- ephedra can still be obtained... safely and legally. For more information, check out my review of The Black Market Report On Ephedrine!).

Given the state of things "ephedra-wise," it's no surprise to find that the newest version of Stacker 2 is ephedra free (as is Stacker 3, which is a chitosan-based fat burner). Like so many fat burners and diet pills on the market today, this product claims to be "the world's strongest fat burner."

It's not surprising either, to find out that it isn't. With that said however, the newest version of this old favorite does contain some interesting ingredients.

One of which is Cassia Mimosoides Extract, something I rarely see in fat burners. It's a plant that is thought to be helpful as a "lipase inhibitor." Such inhibitors work by interfering with the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of fat.

Theoretically then, less fat gets absorbed by the body and stored in the fat cells. Apparently, Cassia does not interfere with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, a problem common to pharmaceutical based products (see the review for Xenical).

Unfortunately, I was unable to find any real clinical data validating Cassia Mimosoides's efficiency as a lipase inhibitor (other than one that indicated existing data was "poorly documented" see -- Med Hypotheses. 2005;64(1):151-8.)

Other ingredients included are kola nut and yerba mate, green tea, gymnema, caffeine anhydrous, guggulsterones, and something called a "Tri-GuggLyptoid Complex."

Unfortunately, the exact amount of each ingredient in the proprietary complex is not revealed so it's hard to determine the potency of this product (we are told that there is 200 mg of caffeine).

Green tea (reviewed here) has some benefit as a fat burner -- especially when it is combined with caffeine, as it is here (Obes Res. 2005 Jul; 13(7): 1195-204).

On its own caffeine's got a well established record as a thermogenic, and does help with weight loss (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97). It also cheaply and effectively addresses the most common complaint of dieters; lack of energy.

Several studies validate guggulsterones' thyroid-stimulating activity (Planta Med 1988;54:271-7, Curr Ther Res 1999; 60:220-7). It is thought guggulsterones increase the synthesis of T3, by the conversion of T4 to T3. A faster metabolism, especially when combined with proper diet and exercise, can certainly result in increased weight loss. Nonetheless, current studies show this is no weight loss miracle.

Gymnema sylvestre is an interesting plant. It is used to treat diabetes, and there is some preliminary evidence that it is useful this regard (J Ethnopharmacol 1990;30:281-94. J Ethnopharmacol 1990;30:295-300). It also inhibits the ability to taste sweet or bitter.

Bottom line?

Stacker 2 does boast a better than average formula. If there's a downside here, it's that it's impossible to measure the potency of the product to determine whether there's enough of the various ingredients present to elicit any sort of response.

Regardless, don't expect this product to be a miracle pill. With the implementation of a proper diet and exercise program, it's likely you'll see little from this fat burner.

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