Phenterfein Fat Burner: Does Phenterfein Work?
Phenterfein is the fat burner being touted online as the “hardcore diet pill” and the “world’s most powerful diet pill.” It sounds suspiciously like “phentermine” (reviewed here), a popular prescription diet drug — giving some consumers the perception it is a prescription diet pill.
Don’t let that or the advertising hype fool you… Phenterfein is not “hardcore”, nor is its formula particularly revolutionary. Sure, it does contain stimulants typical to most fat burners — like caffeine and synephrine, but it’s no prescription diet product — not by a long shot.
Of course, its retailers would have you think otherwise. Check out these little “gems” from the Phentermine Web site…
“Phenterfein customers have told us that that taking a”HIT” (1-3 caps) of it produces a mind stimulating euphoric feeling of well being in which they have had to literally force themselves to eat”
“We recommend buying 2-3 bottles to get to your desired bodyweight. 1 bottle will work fine if you have 20 pounds or less to lose. Otherwise buy 2 or 3 bottles.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear. Phenterfein is completely legal and no prescription is required.”
Notice how the last statement reinforces the illusion that Phenterfein is an extremely potent and somehow “sidestepped” the FDA approval process in making it to the market as a prescription drug?
The problem with this product are many:
1. It is sold online and on eBay. It does not appear to be sold off-line in reputable retail outlets. Not that’s there’s anything wrong with using eBay or selling online, it’s just that many supplement retailers do this in order to limit their accountability to the consumer. Without a “brick and mortar” presence, it’s very difficult for unsatisfied consumers to obtain refunds or make complaints.
2. None of this product’s claims are backed by any credible evidence. There are no trials of any sort validating the product, nor any of the claims made by the retailer.
A few people find my negative reviews of eBay-based products offensive, pointing out that eBay’s feedback mechanism (and retailers proudly display tons and TONS of positive customer feedback) demonstrates the credibility and effectiveness of the product.
Not so.
I have already received reports that retailers of similar products are actively discouraging the posting of negative feedback. This leads to a decidedly positive bias of customer feedback, and not necessarily the true “picture” of the product’s effectiveness.
Remember too that personal feedback is highly anecdotal — that’s why double-blind, placebo controlled, peer-reviewed clinical studies are the “gold standard” for measuring a supplement (or a drug’s) effectiveness.
3. Despite suggestions to the contrary, this product’s formula is not particularly ground breaking. And the product formula description as presented on the web site? Here’s what the retailer says about “Citrus Aurantium” (standardized for synephrine)…
“The now banned ephedra’s “Chemical Cousin”. Enough said about this ingredient!”
Bzzt! Wrong answer. That’s not enough said about this ingredient. In fact, despite synephrine’s being ephedra’s chemical cousin, there’s very little evidence supporting its evidence as a fat burner. Check this extract about Citrus Aurantium from this PubMed abstract…
“An extensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, and the Cochrane Collaboration Database identified only 1 eligible randomized placebo controlled trial, which followed 20 patients for 6 weeks, demonstrated no statistically significant benefit for weight loss, and provided limited information about the safety of the herb.”
Of course, the information provided on Phenterfein’s other ingredients is equally incredible. Clary Sage extract, for example, is not “one of the newest alternatives to ephedrine.” In fact, it’s not a stimulant at all, and it “works” in a totally different manner. And of course, there is not clinical evidence (at this time anyway) that it is effective for weight loss.
And there’s no evidence that vinpocetine is an extremely potent thermogenic or that it causes “rapid losses in body fat.” While it is a common ingredient in energy drinks and fat burners, its purpose is to increase mental acuity. For instance, in Europe, Japan and Mexico it’s used as a pharmaceutical agent for the treatment of cerebrovascular and cognitive disorders.
Unfortunately, this “trend” continues with most elements listed in this product. And that’s too bad, because some of the ingredients in Phentermine may indeed show a tendency for weight loss. It’s just that their effects have been grossly exaggerated.
If you’re considering purchasing this product, you should know that a 3-cap “Hit” (their terminology, not mine) contains a whopping 300 mg of caffeine — that’s about what you’d receive from 3 cups of coffee. So if you’re sensitive to caffeine, you may want to give this product a miss. And…
When you factor in the citrus aurantium and the yohimbe content in this product, you have a product that will really “give you the jitters.” However, keep in mind that the recommended dose of this product is only 1-cap — something most people will tolerate easily.
If you’re interested in reading what other visitors had to say about Phenterfein, click here!
