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The Thermogenesis Factor Weight loss program Further, Ms. Doyle pointed out, both animal and in vitro studies have been conducted by DSM scientists and collaborators on Teavigo brand EGCG, which have yielded positive results in various factors of obesity, including a reduction in body fat and weight, a reduction in body weight gain and increased metabolism and fat oxidation. To boost consumer awareness for Teavigo, DSM recently implemented a marketing campaign incorporating print and radio ads to drive consumers to products containing Teavigo. In addition, it recently received generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for its Teavigo product, which gives the company the “green light” to market it for use in a variety of food and beverage applications. Even the best efforts to lose weight cannot reverse the fact that consumers will inevitably get fatter as they age. It is in this vein that Humanetics has positioned its 7-Keto product. In an effort to put to more substantiation behind its 7-Keto ingredient, a non-stimulant, thermogenic fat burner, the company dramatically strengthened its research center this year to carry out clinical studies. “The center is a wholly owned subsidiary of Humanetics and it performs IRB-approved clinical research,” said Mr. Steil. “MARC (Minnesota Applied Research Center) just finished its 1000th patient visit for weight loss studies.” Mr. Steil said the studies carried out by the center are designed according to a pharmaceutical model. The only difference is the study populations are not as big. So far, studies indicate that aging has a negative impact on metabolism. “We know that aging will slow down the metabolic rate,” explained Mr. Steil. “In fact, clinical studies have shown that metabolism slows down 2% each decade, beginning on average from age 30. So as you get older your body is not burning calories as efficiently as it used to.” So how can 7-Keto play a role in this process? Mr. Steil said 7-Keto specifically enhances certain enzymes that help the body burn fat like it used to. “The enzymes that break down fat for energy also dramatically decrease with age. We have found that between ages 20 and 40 the activity of those fat burning enzymes decreases about 50%, and between the ages of 20 and 60 people lose about 75% of that enzymatic activity,” he offered. “We are really starting to connect the dots through various studies showing that 7-Keto may play a role in reversing age-related declines in metabolism. As a result, clinical study participants have shown that 7-Keto produces three times greater weight loss than placebo, which was diet and excerise alone.” Another company that has been active on the thermogenesis front is Nutratech, Fairfield, NJ, which produces a product called Advantra Z, a bitter orange-based product. Bitter orange, or Citrus aurantium, contains a component called synephrine, which has been thrown into the spotlight due to its perceived ephedra-like effects. Over the years, Nutratech and other organizations have been actively working to dispel the negatives that have been associated with synephrine-based products. A study conducted earlier this year concluded that Advantra Z contains only p-synephrine, a stable isomer of the synephrine alkaloid, not m-synephrine, which has the potential for raising blood pressure. In a more recent study conducted at the University of California, and published in the September issue of the American Journal of Medicine, researchers said ephedra-free weight loss supplements seem to have significant cardiovascular stimulant actions, similar to ephedra. But they also said, “These effects are not likely caused by C. aurantium alone, because an eightfold higher dose of synephrine (Advantra Z) had no effect on blood pressure, but may be attributable to caffeine and other stimulants in the multi-component formulation.” Bill Arthur, principal/owner of Nutraceutical Solutions Consulting (NSC), Miami Beach, FL, and a consultant to Nutratech, claims the studies on Advantra Z have repeatedly found that it produced a significant increase in the resting metabolic rate and was effective in inducing weight loss and reducing body fat more than diet and exercise alone—all without increasing heart rate or blood pressure or causing other adverse effects. Unfortunately, Mr. Arthur said, “Hype works both ways to either falsely pump up or denigrate a product/ingredient. For example, there has been a lot of conflicting negative hype out there about the safety of bitter orange.” So how does a consumer separate false hype from fact? Mr. Arthur said the only way is to look at the research. “In the case of bitter orange, the truth is that in all the years bitter orange has been sold in the U.S., there has not been even one adverse event directly linked to it—a remarkable statistic, especially when compared with popular foods and prescription and over-the-counter drugs,” he said. The 10-subject study conducted at the University of California was subsequently picked up by major news outlets, including the New York Times. In an article that appeared in the October 11th edition, Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Silver Spring, MD, was quoted as saying that the ingredient to be concerned about was caffeine, not bitter orange. The article also said that AHPA advocates special labeling for dietary supplements that contain caffeine, telling consumers how much the product contains by comparing it to cups of coffee. For example, a supplement that contains 200 mg of caffeine would be equivalent to two cups of coffee. Given the hard fought efforts of industry to accurately portray bitter orange, FDA and other government agencies still remain concerned about its effects. For now, it seems, the future for this ingredient is uncertain at best.
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