NIH Report Indicates Alternative Diet Pill Safer and More Effective
Than Ephedra
Washington
DC, 26 December 2002
Every
year, millions of Americans start dieting in hopes of losing weight
they gained during the year. Many people might use controversial
ephedra-based diet pills to help shed pounds. However, a new clinical
study published by the National Institutes of Health indicates a
relatively new ephedra-free diet agent, known as Xenadrine EFX,
has similar metabolic-enhancing, caloric-burning capabilities as
ephedra. Yet, unlike ephedra, Xenadrine EFX, which contains a specific
green tea extract, has no history of "adverse events."
According
to the NIH December report on "The Interaction of Physical Activity
and Nutrition," medical researchers concluded that patients taking
ephedra-free Xenadrine EFX increased caloric burn counts into the
double digits.
Doctors
say patients taking Xenadrine EFX were closely monitored and showed
no signs of cardiac side effects, which are potential concerns of
some people using ephedra.
The
same research team also reports that it compared the efficacy of
ephedra-free Xenadrine EFX to the efficacy of ephedra-based Dexatrim
Natural and ephedra-based Metab-O-Lite diet pills. The conclusions,
published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition,"
indicate patients burned significantly more calories taking ephedra-free
Xenadrine EFX compared to when they took the two ephedra-based brands.
Chief
Clinical Investigator Howard Schwartz, MD, Internal Medicine, South
Miami Hospital, Director of Clinical Research at Miami Research
Associates, Florida, site of the diet capsule clinical studies,
says "The trials involved randomly selected patients whose resting
metabolic rates were measured with an indirect calorimeter." Dr.
Schwartz explains, "It is a device, recently approved for medical
use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is proven to
accurately determine how many calories a person is burning by gauging
biological gases, respiratory rates and oxygen consumption levels."
He adds, "Based on calculations, patients taking Xenadrine EFX daily
would, on average, lose 25 pounds annually without altering current
lifestyles."
Clinical
Conclusions
In
phase one of the clinical trial, patients only took Xenadrine EFX.
Patients' metabolic rates were measured with an indirect calorimeter
before they took the diet agent and every hour for five hours.
The
study concluded that Xenadrine EFX increased metabolic rates by
as much as 13.41 percent.
In
phase two of the clinical trial, patients were given Xenadrine EFX
on the first day. On day two they were given Dexatrim Natural. On
Day three they were given Metab-O-Lite. Patients' metabolic rates
were measured with an indirect calorimeter before and an hour after
taking a pill.
The
study concluded patients burned five percent more calories taking
ephedra-free Xenadrine EFX compared to taking ephedra-based Dexatrim
Natural. And, they burned 4.9 percent more calories taking ephedra-free
Xenadrine EFX compared to taking ephedra-based Metab-O-Lite.
Patient
Profile
"When
I was taking Xenadrine EFX I didn't experience any side effects.
I felt energized. I could feel my body temperature increase slightly
and I noticed my appetite disappeared," says Lori Gross, 37, of
Sunrise, FL, a clinical study participant.
Medical
records show that while taking Xenadrine EFX Gross increased her
metabolic burn rate from 1310 calories to 1550 calories per day.
Gross says, "I did the math and that's a difference of 240 calories
daily, which, over the course of a year, would add-up to a weight-loss
of 25 pounds," She adds, "The doctor told me these calculations
are based on the presumption that there are no significant changes
in my current lifestyle."
Consumer
Case Study
Thousands
of Americans report losing significant weight, in some cases more
than one hundred pounds, taking Xenadrine EFX as directed in conjunction
with routine exercise and balanced diet.
"After
the holidays one season, I made a resolution to lose weight," said
38 year old John Orrett, a global exporter of Miami, FL. "I had
ballooned up to two hundred and ninety five pounds and I was huge,"
explained Orrett. He says his local health food store owner recommended
Xenadrine EFX. "It made me feel motivated, it gave me energy, and
it also helped me to suppress my appetite without side effects,"
said Orrett. "Within three to four months, I had lost 45 pounds,
and within seven months I lost ninety five pounds," he said. Orrett
said he is keeping the weight off by taking Xenadrine EFX as directed,
eating nutritious meals, exercising regularly and even competing
in triathlons and marathons.
Green
Tea Extract
Green
tea leaves grow on trees in Asia. After water, green tea is the
second most-consumed beverage worldwide. According to a mountain
of medical evidence, including a recent report from the University
of Chicago, a specific green tea extract, known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate
(EGCG), "has shown to modulate appetite, control obesity and reduce
cholesterol" in lab subjects. Xenadrine EFX contains a precise EGCG
compound, which is a powerful appetite suppressant that increases
energy and accelerates the body's metabolism, enabling it to burn
calories quickly.
Ephedra
Ephedra
is an ancient Chinese medicinal root known as Ma Huang. There are
isolated claims that ephedra causes heart palpitations and strokes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says there is no conclusive
evidence that ephedra is dangerous.
Ephedra
was recently banned as a diet product in Canada. It is banned by
the International Olympic Committee, National Football League and
National Collegiate Athletic Association.
In
2003, California's ephedra heart-safety labeling law goes into effect.
Kansas, Nebraska and New York are considering similar laws. Sales
of ephedra diet supplements are banned at all U.S. Army base stores
worldwide. Attorneys in some states are filing lawsuits against
a myriad of ephedra manufacturers contending the diet products posed
health risks to their clients.
Xenadrine
EFX
Cytodyne
Technologies, Inc. of Manasquan, NJ is the maker of Xenadrine EFX
and the complete Xenadrine diet supplement line. Xenadrine is America's
number one selling brand of diet products, because they work. Xenadrine
is available at Wal-Mart, GNC, thousands of chain and private drug
stores nationwide and at hundreds of natural foods, nutrition and
vitamin shops across North America.
Cytodyne
says Xenadrine EFX is part of a new generation of thermogenic diet
agents that it is now developing in response to consumers who want
to take ephedra-free products and still lose weight fast. Pregnant
or nursing women, children, people with cardiac, thyroid and other
conditions should not take any diet product without consulting their
physicians.
Source
Cytodyne
Technologies, Inc., manufacturer of Xenadrine EFX.
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