I remember hearing one of my girlfriends in high school talking about how she went to the local drugstore to purchase Dexatrim because she wanted to lose weight. As my kids would be quick to point out, that shows you how long this stuff has been on the market. Dexatrim has been around for well over 25 years, and it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. But does it work? And what’s in it that is supposed to help us lose unwanted pounds?
Actually, to look at what Dexatrim contains and has contained over the years requires a rather exhausting attention to research and detail. As The Diet Channel website put it, “Dexatrim is one diet supplement that changes like a chameleon. It seems a new mix of supposedly effective weight loss ingredients is concocted into an all new ‘proprietor’s blend’ formulation every few years.”
For example, in 2001 Dexatrim was recalled because it contained phenylpropanolamine, or PPA, an ingredient that was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because it increased the risk of stroke. A year later, Dexatrim had to change its formula yet again because some of its products contained ephedra, which was recalled by the FDA.
There are different types of Dexatrim you can buy, depending on how much of a weight loss boost you want, etc. The Diet Channel looked at Dexatrim Results Ephedra Free and listed what it contains in an article about the product. The first group of ingredients is all vitamins and minerals like vitamins C, E and B6, and calcium, zinc, chromium, and others. These are all things you are probably getting from your diet already and/or a multivitamin. No rocket science here, at least not yet.
Next, this product contains what it calls a “Proprietary Herbal Blend #1,” which includes things like bitter orange, which contains natural chemicals that are similar to ephedra, and may even come with the same unfortunate side effects like heart issues, yohimbe bark (which may cause high blood pressure), licorice root, rutin, kelp, and fenugreek seed.
The label then lists “Proprietary Herbal Blend #2,” which includes cocoa extract (something that I personally feel should be included in every food and supplement in the world), caffeine, and green tea extract. It’s safe to say that this blend provides the kick in the pants of energy that Dexatrim claims—cocoa extract and green tea are also naturally filled with caffeine.
So far, this formula has not been pulled from the market, and due to its established name in the diet pill industry, sales of Dexatrim are probably pretty decent. But does it actually work? The Diet Channel’s website said that there have not been any independent studies conducted on Dexatrim to test its safety or if it actually helps people lose weight. While some of the ingredients have been linked to weight loss (chromium is one), overall it appears like the formula doesn’t contain anything that would really add a boost to dropping unwanted pounds, and if one did, it probably isn’t in a high of enough dose. For example, the fenugreek seed in the first herbal blend may help keep blood sugar levels steady and it may also curb hunger. But usually daily doses in the 15-20 mg range are required for this effect, and this product doesn’t contain that high of an amount.
Have you tried the current Dexatrim formula, or did you purchase one of the older blends that is no longer available? If so, what did you think? Do you think it helped you lose weight or was it a waste of your money? If you did lose weight, do you think it was just from the Dexatrim or did you also do other things like exercise and eat a lot less?
References:
www.thedietchannel.com/Facts-About-Dexatrim.htm
www.fitness-events.com/does-dexatrim-work.htm