Raspberry Ketone Plus will help you burn fat faster

On the TV show called 'Fat Busting Metabolism Boosters' hosted by the popular dr. Oz, there was a person who had lost a lot of weight as a result of using Raspberry Ketone Plus. What is Raspberry Ketone? Raspberry Ketone Plus has been known to aid the weight loss process by producing Adiponectin, an important enzyme that helps to effectively metabolize the food that you eat.




Ingredients:
This product contains African Mango, Acai & Resveratrol, Apple Cider Vinegar, Kelp, Grapefruit, Caffeine, Green Tea Extract, and Raspberry Ketone.

How To Use:
You are to take two capsules per day with a large glass of water.


Pros:
•Will help you burn fat faster

•Can help to fend off free radical damage in the body

•Promotes higher energy levels so you’re more active throughout the day

•Can reduce your appetite level



Cons:
•You may experience feelings of anxiety or jitteriness while taking this product

•Some people will have difficulty sleeping if they are very sensitive to caffeine

•You will still be required to follow a smart diet plan with this product

•Proper exercise should also be performed in order to reap maximum benefits

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Want to look good this summer?

Phen375 is a 100% legal weight loss diet pills containing some of the most powerful fat-burning ingredients ever developed. Phentemine 375 has been developed to stop the cravings that normally cause a diet to fail before it even gets started. In fact, with Phentemine 375, a strong willpower is not required; its powerful appetite suppression means that calorie intake remains low, while cravings are kept under control. Phen375 helps your body to metabolize or burn fat off easier. Phen375 is currently one of the best selling pharmacy strength fat burner, energy booster and appetite suppressant.



on average most of the users experience 10Lbs of fat loss in just 2 weeks! People who took Phen375 for 6 weeks have lost 25Lbs. Its main ingredients include Dehydroepiandrosterone for calorie burning, L-Carnitine to release stored body fat, Trimethylxanthine which burns the body fat that has been released by L-Carnitine, Dimethypentylamine (an Epehedra substitute) and Sympathomimetic Amine, both of which has been shown to significantly increase metabolic rates. The manufacturer also claims that L-Carnitine is able to mimic the HCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin) in its ability to release, transport and metabolize stored body fat into energy. This powerful combination reduces appetite, stimulates metabolism, burns fat and helps prevent fat from being stored by the body.

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New diet pill ZGN-433 works, with no side-effects

ZGN-433 caused 24 obese women to lose, on average, a kilogram a week for a month – with no harmful side effects. This is a stunning rate of weight loss, especially as the women ate normally and were not given exercise advice. The drug works by encouraging the fat tissues to release fatty acids into the bloodstream to be converted into energy. The same drug has also been discovered to encourage the production of ketone bodies releases the fat to be burned up. larger trials will still be required and more funds will still have to be raised to aid this purpose of marketing an otherwise promising diet pill. If the redeveloped drug well achieves its purpose to combat obesity problems, market reception is expected to tremendously rise.

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Four people on rimonabant had killed themselves

A major trial linked the drug to a slightly higher suicide rate. The trial wasn't testing the drug's weight loss benefits, but whether it might prevent heart problems. It was supposed to follow more than 18,000 patients in 42 countries for three years. Roughly half were given rimonabant while the other half were given a placebo. European officials shut it down and pulled the drug from the market. It was never licensed in the United States, but was sold as Acomplia, Riobant, Slimona, as well as under other names in Europe. "Obviously the suicides are tragedies," said Eric Topol, director of Scripps Translational Science Institute and the study's lead author. "But we accept trade-offs in medicine and the psychiatric side effects might have been acceptable if we had found greater cardiovascular benefits later," he said.

He said rimonabant might still have been useful for fighting obesity, and that measures like stomach stapling surgeries also come with significant risk. Other experts disagreed. "Any mortality associated with cardiovascular preventive therapy is generally viewed as unacceptable," wrote Matthijs Boekholdt and Ron Peters of the department of cardiology in the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, in an accompanying commentary.
Source: MSNBC

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Zotrim could be the answer to your weight loss prayers

Scientists at Liverpool University found that women who took the pill with their breakfast had a much lower appetite at lunch time. Women can cut their daily calorie intake by almost a fifth if they simply take a herbal diet pill, research reveals today. The supplement has also been shown to help those with a sweet tooth - reducing the temptation to indulge in sugary snacks. They found that women who took the pill with their breakfast had a much lower appetite at lunch time - cutting their calorie intake by 17.6 per cent. Of 58 volunteers who were given either Zotrim or a dummy pill in the morning, those on the herbal supplement only picked at their afternoon meal. Those on Zotrim ate on average 132 fewer calories - the equivalent of a Milky Way or can of cola. If the effects were replicated throughout the day, the pill would cut a dieter's daily count by 400 or 500 calories, equivalent to two bars of chocolate or a kebab. Zotrim is designed to make the user feel fuller for longer. But it also appears to take the edge off a sweet tooth, cutting the women's selection of biscuits and chocolate mousse from the buffet by 27 per cent. Source DailyMail.

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Weight loss drug Qnexa submitted to the FDA for approval

The Phase 3 clinical program evaluated Qnexa in more than 4,500 patients in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The average baseline weight in one trial was 223 pounds and another trial had an average baseline weight of 256 pounds. All patients were asked to follow a diet representing a 500-calorie/day deficit and advised to implement a simple lifestyle modification program. "The weight loss of up to 37 pounds combined with significant improvements in weight-related medical conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, demonstrates the importance of treating obesity, which has become a major epidemic in the United States," Leland F. Wilson, chief executive officer for Vivus, said in a statement. Across both 56-week studies, the most commonly reported side effects were dry mouth, tingling and constipation, the application said.
Source: UPI

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Users of one of the drugs, Alli, can lose 3lb a week

Users of one of the drugs, Alli, can lose 3lb a week, according to its manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. This equates to more than three stones over four months.
The drug, which is a £1.60-a-day diluted version of the prescription-only drug Xenical, works by reducing the body's ability to process fat by about 25 per cent.

The undigested fat passes straight through the body, creating what is described as "an urgent need to go to the bathroom".
Professor Gareth Williams, professor of medicine at the University of Bristol and the author of Obesity: Science To Practice, said that the side-effects are so severe that "possibly few users will even finish their first pack of Alli, let alone buy a second".

Read more on: Telegraph.co.uk

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FDA warning consumers nationwide not to purchase any of the following tainted weight loss products

- Fatloss Slimming
- 2 Day Diet
- 3x Slimming Power
- Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet
- 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
- 3 Day Diet
- 7 Day Herbal Slim
- 8 Factor Diet

- 7 Diet Day/Night Formula

- 999 Fitness Essence
- Extrim Plus
- GMP
- Imelda Perfect Slim
- Lida DaiDaihua
- Miaozi Slim Capsules
- Perfect Slim
- Perfect Slim 5x
- Phyto Shape
- ProSlim Plus
- Royal Slimming Formula
- Slim 3 in 1
- Slim Express 360
- Slimtech
- Somotrim
- Superslim
- TripleSlim
- Zhen de Shou
- Venom Hyperdrive 3.0

After analysing these products the FDA found they contained undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients, in some case in amounts that exceeded FDA-recommended levels, thereby putting consumers' health at risk.

The director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Dr Janet Woodcock said: "These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed their maximum recommended dosages.""Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that could cause serious health consequences. Therefore FDA is taking this action to protect the health of the American public," she added.Among the undeclared ingredients they found were:

Sibutramine: this can cause high blood pressure, palpitations, tachycardia, seizures, heart, attack, and stroke. It can also interact with other medications to cause adverse reactions. Its safety for use by children under 16 or pregnant or breastfeeding women is unknown.

Rimonabant: an appetite suppressant that has been evaluated but not approved by the FDA for sale in the US. This drug is approved for sale in Europe, where is has been implicated in 5 deaths and 720 reported adverse reactions in the last two years. The drug has also been linked to increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts.

Phenytoin: an anti-seizure drug.
Phenolphthalein: a suspected carcinogen that is used to test for acidity in chemical experiments. Some of the products are advertised as containing only "herbal" or "natural" ingredients, but in reality contain potentially harmful substances that are not listed on product labels or advertisements.

The FDA warns that:"These products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers."If you have bought or own any of these products you should stop taking them and talk to your doctor immediately said the FDA, who also advises consumers to talk to a healthcare professional before buying any weight loss products.The federal agency has inspected a number of firms selling or connected with the selling of these illegal products and is seeking to recall the products.

The FDA may proceed with a number of enforcement actions, escalating from warning letters to seizures, injunctions and criminal prosecution. Whether you are a consumer or healthcare professional, you can report serious adverse events or side effects, or problems with product quality to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program in any of the following ways:

- Going online at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
- Faxing to the fax number: (800) FDA-0178.-- Calling phone number: (800) FDA-1088.-- Writing to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787.
- Filling in postage-paid FDA form 3500 available at: http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm and then mailing to above address.Click here for more information about these weight loss products and consumer-directed questions and answers.

Source: Medical News Today

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The Qnexa phase 3 obesity program

A pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic products, today announced positive results from the EQUATE study (OB-301), a 28-week, phase 3 obesity trial conducted at 32 sites with Qnexa™, an investigational drug. The EQUATE study met the primary endpoint by demonstrating superior weight loss with both the full-dose and mid-dose of Qnexa, as compared to the individual components and placebo.

Subjects treated with full-dose and mid-dose Qnexa had an average weight loss of 9.2%and 8.5% respectively, as compared to weight loss of 1.7% reported in the placebo group. Average weight loss was 19.8 pounds and 18.2 pounds in the treatment arms as compared to 3.3 pounds in the placebo group. Qnexa was well-tolerated, with no drug-related serious adverse events in the study.




"The results from the EQUATE trial once again confirmed our belief in Qnexa. In addition to hitting the primary endpoints of the study with the full-dose, we were also able to show excellent results with the mid-dose of Qnexa," commented Leland Wilson, president and chief executive officer of VIVUS. "The EQUATE study is the first of three studies in the Qnexa phase 3 obesity program. Data from the EQUIP and CONQUER studies, which combined enrolled over 3,750 subjects, is expected in mid-2009." Read more

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Scientists are trying to understand how Fen-phen behaves in the brain

In order to develop safer anti-obesity drugs with fewer side effects. Once hailed as a miracle weight-loss drug, Fen-phen was removed from the market more than a decade ago for inducing life-threatening side effects, including heart valve lesions.

In a study appearing in the Nov. 25 issue of Neuron, the researchers define a circuit in the brain that explains the ways fenfluramine, a component of Fen-phen, suppresses appetite.“Our findings provide evidence that the neural circuit we’ve proposed is sufficient for the neurotransmitter serotonin to regulate food intake and body weight, ” said Dr. Joel Elmquist, professor of internal medicine and pharmacology at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study. “Fen-phen works directly on this pathway. Unfortunately, that drug also adversely affects peripheral tissue such as the heart.”

For the current study, the researchers engineered mice in which the expression of a serotonin receptor called 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C was blocked throughout the entire body. This was previously known to produce obese mice resistant to the anorexic actions of fenfluramine. When activated by serotonin, however, this receptor is also known to suppress appetite. Using this mouse model, the authors engineered another set of mice in which the same serotonin receptor was blocked everywhere in the body except within a group of brain cells called pro-opiomelanocortin, or POMC, neurons. The POMC neurons, which are found in the hypothalamus, are also known to play an important role in suppressing appetite and inducing weight loss.

The researchers found that the animals with no serotonin 2c receptors expectedly developed obesity as well as other metabolism disorders such as increased food intake, hyperactivity and leptin insensitivity. They also were prone to spontaneous seizures, said Dr. Elmquist.In contrast, the mice in which the serotonin receptor was re-expressed and functioning only in the POMC neurons stayed slim and responded to fenfluramine.“The POMC-specific reactivation of the receptor only in POMC neurons normalizes the abnormal metabolism in these mice,” Dr. Elmquist said. “The animals don’t eat excessively.

Their hyperactivity is also gone.”Previous work from the UT Southwestern group led to the hypothesis that Fen-phen worked by activating the serotonin 2c receptor in the POMC neurons in the hypothalamus. The current work provides genetic proof supporting this model.“Conventional wisdom is that fenfluramine increases serotonin release that then activates serotonin receptors in the brain to regulate food intake and body weight, but unfortunately, this drug also causes lesions in heart valves,” he said. “If you could develop a drug that would travel to both the brain and the peripheral tissues, and then give a blocker to protect the heart, it’s possible that you could prevent the harmful side effects and still aid weight loss.

Admittedly, that’s a bit farfetched, but this mouse model could be used to test that theory.”The team’s next step is to determine whether they’ve identified the sole circuit required to suppress appetite and induce weight loss.

Source: UT Southwestern

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Banned drug Fenfluramine has been shown to have serious long-term effects

In a report published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, researchers have shown that people who stopped using fenfluramine eleven years ago had damaged heart valves up to seven years later.

Fenfluramine (and the closely related dexfenfluramine) were widely prescribed as half of a so-called 'fen/phen' drug combination used to combat obesity. Since its withdrawal, there have been reports that tens of thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the drug's manufacturers over damage caused. In this study, Charles Dahl from the Central Utah Clinic led a team of researchers who studied the heart condition of 5743 former fenfluramine users. He said, "Valve problems were common in individuals exposed to fenfluramines, more frequent in females and associated with duration of drug use in all valves assessed".

Heart valves, such as the aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves, ensure that blood flows in the correct direction around the heart. When they fail, blood back-flows (termed regurgitation). If the regurgitation is severe enough, congestive heart failure and/or the need for heart valve surgery may occur. Dahl said, "We found clear evidence for a strong, graded association between duration of exposure to fenfluramines and prevalence of aortic regurgitation and for mild or greater mitral and tricuspid regurgitation".

This is the largest study to examine duration of exposure to the drug and the first to estimate the incidence of valvular surgery among prior users. The authors found that 0.44% of former fenfluramine users in this group had valve surgery as a result of the use of fenfluramines. This risk for valve surgery was increased approximately seven fold. They write, "This is probably a conservative estimate, as another study has shown that there exists a 17- to 34-fold excess of clinically apparent (presumably severe), valvular disease in persons who had used fenfluramines for four months or longer".

Source: Medical News Today

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A chemical cousin of red wine extract resveratrol tricks the body to lose weight

The University of Louis Pasteur team found the drug protected mice against weight gain and insulin resistance. The drug SRT1720 - a chemical cousin of red wine extract resveratrol - targets the protein SIRT1, which is thought to combat ageing, Cell Metabolism reports. UK obesity experts said new drug treatments were needed but should be used alongside lifestyle changes. About a quarter of men and a third of women in the UK are overweight, according to government statistics. A change in diet and an increase in physical exercise can shift excess weight, but can be hard for many to maintain. With the removal of the anti-obesity pill rimonabant, also known as Acomplia, from the market amid safety concerns, fewer drug options exist.

Potent drug
The French team from the University Louis Pasteur became interested in the SIRT1 protein after earlier studies showing resveratrol countered some effects of a high-calorie diet via SIRT1.
But tests in mice suggested gallons of wine would be necessary for humans to stand a chance of getting the same benefits. The scientists turned their attention to creating a more potent drug that would specifically target SIRT1.

They found that a low dose of SRT1720 partially protected mice from gaining weight on a high-fat diet after 10 weeks of treatment. The drug worked by shifting the metabolism to a fat-burning mode that normally takes over only when energy levels are low.

At higher doses, the drug completely prevented weight gain. It also improved the rodents' blood sugar tolerance and insulin sensitivity, which are important for warding off diabetes. The mice showed no sign of side effects. However, the scientists say further studies are needed to test the drug's safety and efficacy before it could be used in humans.

Other scientists are investigating SIRT1 activators similar to SRT1720 developed by Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. Professor Stephen Bloom, who has been researching obesity at Imperial College London, said: "This sounds interesting but is terribly early. "We do need new treatments for obesity, particularly as there are 1,000 deaths a week in the UK from obesity."

Prof Ian Broom, of the Centre for Obesity Research and Epidemiology at The Robert Gordon University, said: "Research in this area is to be welcomed as an additional route of combating the obesity epidemic and associated comorbid disease." He added that any such drug should be used alongside dietary and lifestyle changes to tackle obesity.

Source: BBC News

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The overall profile of taranabant does not support further development for obesity

Merck and Co., Inc. will not seek regulatory approval for taranabant, an investigational medicine, to treat obesity and is discontinuing its Phase III clinical development program for taranabant for obesity.

"Available Phase III data showed that both efficacy and adverse events were dose related, with greater efficacy and more adverse events in the higher doses. Therefore, after careful consideration, we determined that the overall profile of taranabant does not support further development for obesity," said John Amatruda, M.D., senior vice president and research head, diabetes and obesity, Merck Research Laboratories. "We thank the patients and investigators around the world who collaborated with us on the research program for taranabant and look forward to developing new medicines for obesity to address the significant medical need posed by this disease."

Source: FierceBiotec

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The benefits of rimonabant no longer outweigh its risks

The EMEA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has concluded that the benefits of rimonabant no longer outweigh its risks and the marketing authorisation should be suspended across the EU.

Following the assessment of the available information on the benefits and risks of rimonabant including data from studies completed since it was granted marketing authorisation, the CHMP confirmed at its October 20-23 meeting, that there is an approximate doubling of the risk of psychiatric disorders in obese or overweight patients taking rimonabant compared with those taking placebo.

The CHMP considered that the new data from post-marketing experience and ongoing clinical trials indicated that serious psychiatric disorders may be more common than in the clinical trials used in the initial assessment of the medicine. The CHMP was also of the opinion that these psychiatric side effects could not be adequately addressed by further risk minimisation measures.

In addition, the CHMP noted, that the effectiveness of rimonabant in clinical practice is more limited than was expected on the basis of the clinical trials, because available data indicate that patients generally take rimonabant only for a short period.

Prescribers should not issue any prescriptions for rimonabant and should review the treatment of patients currently taking the medicine. There is no need for patients to stop treatment with rimonabant immediately, but patients who wish to stop can do so at any time.

The CHMP opinion will now be sent to the European Commission for the adoption of a decision, applicable in all EU countries.

Source: Doc Guide

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Using sibutramine or phentermine in tandem with pramlintide can enhance weight loss

Amy Halseth, MD, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California, and colleagues randomised 244 overweight or obese patients after a 1-week placebo run-in period to 24 weeks of subcutaneous injections of placebo or pramlintide 120 mcg TID alone or in combination with sibutramine 10 mg QAM or phentermine 37.5 mg QAM. Participants also received dietary counselling.

Pramlintide combined with sibutramine produced an 11.3 +- 1.2 kg mean weight loss, while pramlintide coupled with phentermine produced an 11.3 +- 0.9 kg mean weight loss. Subjects treated with pramlintide alone lost a mean of 3.6 +- 0.7 kg, and placebo-treated patients lost a mean of 2.1 +- 0.9 kg (P < .0001 combination arms vs pramlintide or placebo).

More patients achieved 5% or greater weight loss and 10% or greater weight loss in the pramlintide-sibutramine (78% and 49%, respectively) and pramlintide plus phentermine (82% and 56%, respectively) groups than pramlintide (36% and 11%) or placebo treatment groups (28% and 3%, respectively).

Three serious events occurred -- 2 with placebo, 1 with pramlintide plus phentermine. None of these events was judged to be related to the study medication. The most frequently observed adverse events were similar to those that have been previously reported with these agents when used individually, and no novel safety or tolerability issues arose with either medication, according to the researchers.

The robust weight loss (about 11% from baseline) with pramlintide plus sibutramine and pramlintide plus phentermine seen in this study confirms the potential for the development of combination treatment for obesity, Dr. Halseth said in a presentation on September 9.

She also noted that the findings corroborate earlier experimental data suggesting that targeting multiple pathways using the combination of pramlintide and other centrally-acting agents may produce robust weight loss.

Finally, she noted that future studies should assess more fully the potential risks of combination therapies in future studies.

Source: Doctor's Guide

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Vigabatrin also led to rapid weight loss

US scientists testing the epilepsy drug vigabatrin (GVG) as a potential treatment for drug addiction, discovered that it also led to rapid weight loss and reduced food intake in genetically bred obese rats.

The discovery by scientists at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, is published in the 20 August advance online issue of the journal Synapse.

Vigabatrin is currently being tested throughout the US in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Phase II trials for the treatment of cocaine and methamphetamine addiction.

For this latest study, the scientists at the DOE's Brookhaven Laboratory found that rats that were genetically bred to be obese showed a 19 per cent loss of total body weight while rats that were not obese lost 12 to 20 per cent, after less than two months on vigabatrin.

Study leader Amy DeMarco, who works with co-author and senior scientist at the Laboratory, Stephen Dewey, said it appeared that the drug made the animals feel full:

"Our results appear to demonstrate that vigabatrin induced satiety in these animals."

Dewey's team was the first to discover vigabatrin as a potential treatment for addiction. They have been investigating the drug for more than 20 years.

Earlier research at Brookhaven discovered a strong link between obesity and addiction, characterized by similar changes in brain activity of the obese and addicts depedent on drugs like cocaine. This prompted Dewey and colleagues to try and find out if vigabatrin would quench food cravings as it does drug cravings. As Dewey explained:

"Given the growing obesity epidemic, we felt that examining vigabatrin's therapeutic efficacy for obesity was particularly relevant."

For the study, Dewey, DeMarco and colleagues assigned 50 adolescent and adult genetically bred "fat" and normal weight rats either to a control group or to groups that were given varios doses of vigabatrin and monitored them for up to 40 days.

The control group rats were given daily injections of saline, while the drug groups were injected with up to 300 mg of of vigabatrin a day. The injection phases lasted for two periods of 7 to 13 days, with breaks in between.

After 40 days, all the animals treated with vigabatrin weighed significantly less than those that received only the saline injections (the controls).

The biggest weight loss and reduction in food intake was in the group that had the biggest dose, the 300 mg dose of vigabatrin. The obese rats lost an average of 19 per cent of their body weight, and the non obese animals lost between 12 and 20 per cent.

Dewey said that the fact the results occurred in the genetically obese animals "offers hope that this drug could potentially treat severe obesity".

"This would appear to be true even if the obesity results from binge eating, as this disorder is characterized by eating patterns that are similar to drug- taking patterns in those with cocaine dependency," he added.

Source: Medical News Today

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Controversial obesity drug Acomplia gets UK okay

Sanofi-Aventis won a final green light for its obesity drug Acomplia from Britain's cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE on Wednesday, clearing the way for doctors to prescribe it on the state health service. Acomplia was once touted as a multibillion-dollar seller, but hopes for the product dimmed last year when a U.S. expert panel recommended against its approval in the world's biggest market, after it was linked to rare cases of suicidal thoughts.

Read more Yahoo News

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Resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, reduces the number of fat cells

Resveratrol may one day be used to treat or prevent obesity, according to a new study.

Past research found that resveratrol protected laboratory mice that were fed a high-calorie diet from the health problems of obesity, by mimicking the effects of calorie restriction. Researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany wanted to know if resveratrol could mimic the effects of calorie restriction in human fat cells by changing their size or function. The German team used a strain of human fat cell precursors, called preadipocytes. In the body, these cells develop into mature fat cells, according to the study's lead author, Pamela Fischer-Posovszky, PhD, a pediatric endocrinology research fellow in the university's Diabetes and Obesity Unit.

In the cell-based study, they found that resveratrol inhibited the pre-fat cells from increasing and prevented them from converting into mature fat cells. Also, resveratrol hindered fat storage. Most interesting, according to Fischer-Posovszky, was that resveratrol reduced production of certain cytokines (interleukins 6 and 8), substances that may be linked to the development of obesity-related disorders, such as diabetes and clogged coronary arteries. Also, resveratrol stimulated formation of a protein known to decrease the risk of heart attack. Obesity decreases this substance, called adiponectin.

The new finding is consistent with the theory that the resveratrol in red wine explains the French paradox, the observation that French people eat a relatively high-fat diet but have a low death rate from heart disease.

"Resveratrol has anti-obesity properties by exerting its effects directly on the fat cells," Fischer-Posovszky said. "Thus, resveratrol might help to prevent development of obesity or might be suited to treating obesity."

Fischer-Posovszky cautioned that, while the health benefits of resveratrol seem promising, there is not sufficient knowledge about the effects of long-term treatment. One small study found that a single dose of up to 5 grams of resveratrol (much higher than the amount in a bottle of red wine) caused no serious ill effects in healthy volunteers, she pointed out. However, she said another study theorized that resveratrol may stimulate the growth of human breast cancer cells, possibly because resveratrol's chemical structure is similar to a phytoestrogen, an estrogen-like substance found in some plants.

Source: ScienceDaily

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Weight loss products containing bitter orange cause similar effects to Ephedra

Weight loss supplements that have stepped in to replace banned ephedra products carry the same heart risks, a research concludes.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, say weight loss products containing bitter orange cause similar effects to ephedra, including increased heart rate and blood pressure. Their study appears in the American Journal of Medicine.


Ephedra is a plant-derived stimulant that was promoted for weight loss and to boost energy levels. While it is still allowed to be used in Canada in small doses in nasal decongestants, it is not approved for weight loss, appetite suppression, or similar uses. It is particularly dangerous when combined with caffeine or other stimulants, as is the case in many such supplements. In Canada, this combination has been blamed for at least one death, while in the US, the death in 2003 of 23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, who used an ephedra supplement, helped prompt a ban.

Since then, numerous supplements have popped up in its place, including ones with bitter orange - also known as Sevilla orange or citrus aurantium - which contains synephrine, a chemically-similar compound to the active ingredient in ephedra. But until now, little was known about the effects of these products.

The researchers set out to test the safety of bitter orange products with a study involving 10 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 42. Participants were instructed to avoid caffeine, over-the-counter drugs, and herbal products for 24 hours before the study began.

Each participant randomly received a single dose of either Advantra Z, which contains 46.9 mg of synephrine, Xenadrine EFX, which contains 5.5 mg of synephrine along with 239.2 mg of caffeine and 5.7 mg of a compound called octopamine, or a placebo (inactive imitation medication). Participants eventually tried all three of the treatments, with a period of at least a week between each.

Heart rate and blood pressure were measured one hour before participants received their supplements and then checked again at the time participants received their dose, as well as 30, 60, and 90 minutes and two, three, four, five, six, eight, and 12 hours after. Blood samples were taken at the same time, starting when participants received their doses. Participants also rated their physical symptoms, moods, and emotions on a questionnaire at the time they received their dose and then again after one, two, and six hours.

While Advantra Z did not have any significant effects on blood pressure, Xenadrine EFX raised both systolic (the upper number) and diastolic blood pressure by an average of about 9 mm Hg each after two hours. Both treatments also significantly raised heart rates, with a peak of about 11 beats per minute for Advantra Z and nearly 17 extra beats per minute for Xenadrine EFX six hours after taking the medication.

These findings indicate that re-formulated weight loss supplements have similar acute cardiovascular stimulant actions as banned ephedra products and could cause adverse health effects in some individuals," write Dr. Christine A. Haller and colleagues.

But they go on to conclude that the bitter orange alone is not likely responsible, as evidenced by the fact that the amount of synephrine in Advantra Z - which far outweighs that in Xendarine EFX - does not cause a significant boost in blood pressure, whereas Xenadrine EFX does. They add that an interaction between synephrine and caffeine could be to blame.

"Physicians should caution patients about the use of ephedra-free weight-loss dietary supplements and monitor blood pressure in those who choose to use these supplements," the researchers conclude. "Individuals with hypertension, heart disease, or other pre-existing conditions that could be exacerbated by the sympathomimetic effects of botanical stimulants should avoid use of these products."

There's no quick fix for weight loss, but it is possible to shed pounds safely. So before you start a diet or add a supplement to your weight-loss regime, talk to your doctor.

Source: Canada.com

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Thinz and Eatless, are not available without a doctor's prescription anymore

The department of health adjusted the scheduling of some medication containing ephedrine, pseudo ephedrine and d-nor-pseudo ephedrine. Over-the-counter appetite suppressants with d-nor-pseudo ephedrine used to be schedule 2 medication, but since last month they have been changed to schedule 6 medication.



"It's about the safety of the public," Mandisa Hela from the South African Medicine Control Council (MCC) told Die Burger.

Criminals use ephedrine products to make the drug Tik, and teenagers abuse appetite suppressants by using them as stimulants when they go to parties or to stay awake when studying into the early hours of the morning. Pseudo ephedrine products were rescheduled overseas years ago.

Source: Health 24

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