Iovate's TrimForm™ Fat Burner Reviewed:

TrimForm™ is brought to us by Iovate Health Sciences... which is what Muscle Tech is calling itself these days. Unlike the Muscle Tech brand products, however, TrimForm™ isn't marketed to a hardcore audience. But a close look at the TrimForm™ ingredient label shows a close affinity with some recently launched MT products (like Hydroxycut Max for women, reviewed here!).

The foundation of the product's 998 mg dosage lies in three core ingredients...

1) Green tea extract: Standardized for polyphenols, cathechins and CGCG, green tea (reviewed in full here) is the closest thing to a "no brainer" ingredient in any fat burner. Frankly, any weight loss product worth its salt should include this ingredient. So it's a welcome addition to this formulation.

2) Caffeine: There is 300 mg of caffeine in a 3-cap serving of TrimForm™ -- the equivalent to 3 cups of coffee. Caffeine's benefit as a thermogenic (fat burner) is well documented (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97), and some evidence indicates that when combined with green tea, it elicits even greater fat burning effects (see Obes Res. 2005 Jul;13(7):1195-204).

If you're sensitive to caffeine, you'll definitely want to reduce the dosage to a single capsule to assess your tolerance to this product.

Two servings a day will see your caffeine intake from this product soar well over the 600 mg mark (when you factor in the caffeine naturally occurring in the tea also present in this formula).

That's a pretty serious amount -- the equivalent of over 6 strong cups of coffee's worth. Most people will "fly" through their day with this dosage.

Pregnant women must avoid this product, as high doses of caffeine (in excess of 300 mg/day) have been linked to low infant birth weights.

3) Cissus quadrangularis: A lot of the newer Muscle Tech/Iovate fat burners are touting this ingredient's fat burning powers. And, yes, a couple of studies performed at the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon do validate this ingredient's effectiveness for weight loss.

It also appears to be helpful for lowering blood sugar levels, decreasing serum lipids and "improving cardiovascular risk factors." (See Lipids Health Dis. 2007 Feb 4;6:4, Lipids Health Dis. 2006 Sep 2;5:24).

Unfortunately TrimForm™ is a "proprietary" blend of ingredients. So we can't be sure if a daily dose contains the 300 mg of the Cissus quadrangularis extract found to be helpful in the studies. Only a trip to a lab can confirm or deny this.

Additionally, the lead author of these studies, Julius E Oben, has a patent on Cissus quadrangularis as a fat loss agent. While this doesn't necessarily mean that the results of these studies are not legitimate, it certainly calls their "objectivity" into question. There certainly appears to be a conflict of interest here.

TrimForm also contains a blend of...

Xanthinol, inositol, acetyl-l-cysteine, evodia, vinpocetine, inula, black pepper and white willow extracts, plus another 4 or so ingredients.

Problem is, if this compilation contains anywhere near the necessary amount of Cissus to be effective -- coupled with 300 mg of caffeine and an even greater amount of green tea (ingredients are listed on the label from highest concentration to the lowest ) there will only be a mere sprinkling of these "ancillary" ingredients included. Which basically means they serve as "label dressing", and not much more.

No big deal really... since the core ingredient profile of TrimForm™ is pretty decent, although hardly revolutionary. As indicated earlier, this is a pretty potent concoction, what with the 600 mg of caffeine and all.

What I've said about the Muscle Tech products pretty much stands for TrimForm™...

Advertising tends to be a bit exaggerated. But I've found that despite this, most people tend to be happy with the Muscle Tech / Iovate products -- simply because -- despite the hype -- they are potent, quality compilations that they can "feel", and do deliver some results.

Have you used TrimForm™?
Tell us all about it!

Have you been the victim of a product that makes exaggerated claims? Launch a complaint!

US visitors should submit a complaint to the US Federal Trade Commission!

Canadians, submit a complaint at the Canadian Competition Bureau!