Proprietary Blends: Secrets and Lies
Whenever I look at the nutritional labels on diet supplements - there is often an anomalous ingredient called a "proprietary blend". The blend lists its ingredients but without the amounts.
What is a Proprietary Blend?
A supplement that lists a "proprietary blend" on the bottle can be there for one of two reasons:(a) to prevent the competition from knowing exactly what ratios and amounts of each ingredient present in the formula to prevent the competition from copying their formula exactly (commonly referred to as a 'knock off') or
(b) to hide the fact the formula contains very little of the active ingredients listed on the bottle in an attempt to fool consumers.
Sadly, the latter use is far more common then the former. They see a long list of seemingly impressive ingredients listed in the "proprietary blend" none of which are there is amounts that will have any effects. This is commonly referred to as "label decoration" by industry insiders.
The former use of the term is a legitimate way for a company of a quality formula from having the competition copy or "knock off" their formula and the latter use of the term is to scam people.
Nutritional Label of Xenadrine EFX
A mix of vitamins, minerals, and a mystical blend
As consumers, we really have no idea of the exact details of a proprietary blend.
Most people have neither the time or inclination to research all that info just to decide if they want to use a product and thus the many "proprietary blends" on the market that are no more then a long list of under-dosed ingredients.
Xenadrine EFX is a good example.
The nutritional label lists something called "Proprietary Thermodyne Complex". Which in turn contains three more proprietary blends:
Ingredients for Proprietary Thermodyne™ Complex: Tyroplex™ (proprietary blend of l-tyrosine and acetyl-l-tyrosine), Green Tea Extract (standardized for epigallocatechin gallate, caffeine and polyphenols), Seropo™ (proprietary cocoa extract standardized for PEA[phenylethylamine], tyramine and theobromine), Yerba Mate (standardized for caffeine and methylxanthines), dl-Methionine, Ginger Root (standardized for gingerols), Isotherm™ (proprietary blend of 3,3',4',5-7 pentahydroxyflavone and 3,3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone), DMAE (2-dimethylaminoethanol), Grape Seed Extract (standardized for catechins).
Read More
- Mountain Dew Drinkers Are Heaviest, Espresso Drinkers Lightest (Diet Blog)
- 8 Diet and Exercise Myths That Die Hard (Diet Blog)
- Meet Greg, 155 Pounds Down! (DailySpark)
- 2012 Super Bowl Commercial Winners: Oikos and Belvita [VIDEOS] (Diets in Review)
270 Comments
Add Your Comment
Created / Updated: November 8, 2011
Diet pill companies are such experts at the "proprietary blend" mumbo-jumbo. They put down how many mg of blend are in it, but there's no mention of how much you have to take for it to be effective. Most of those blends that have caffeine in them have MOSTLY caffeine and only trace amounts of everything else because caffeine is a very cheap appetite suppressant. So if you're getting 1000 mg of a blend that is 80% caffeine, you're only really getting a small amount of actual herbal appetite suppressant. You'd be better off drinking a cup of strong coffee.
ReplySad but true. The diet pill companies capitalize on the consumers hope that some magic combination of ‘stuff’ will eliminate the need for proper nutrition and exercise and cause them to loose that extra weight they have accumulated over the last 10 or 20 years. Also by flooding the market with this junk the reputations of the entire supplement industry is tarnished.
www.antiagingatlanta.com
ReplyNone of the diet pills have notes on who shouldn't be taking these pills due to existing health conditions. Our daughter has seizures, is hypothyroid, and has insomnia. Thgese diet pills have done her immeasurable harm. She has suffered 2 grand-mal seizures since taking them, even though she is on standard seizure medication. She can't sleep now at all, and eats very little. No nutition negatively affects her over all health and is obviously bad for her other medical problems. With one seizure, afterwards she fell down the stairs, not being aware of what she was doing. With the other seizure, she hit her head when she fell. I remember what happened to Christopher Reeve when he fell from his horse. There is a Mayo Clinic Case Report concerning Ephedra free diet pills that implicate them in heart attacks. The pills are not passed by the FDA and there have been no well designed clinical trials to examine the safety of these newer ephedra free pills. Another ingrediant found in diet pills is Norambrolide (Cytodyne Xenadrine)and its own web site says it has not been tested on humans. Why would anyone want to take this formulary! It's a lazy way to lose weight. Eat right and exercise and weight lose will occur. Time and will power may take longer but it's better than being dead.
ReplySorry to hear your daughter has had such side effects from the pills, however I cant imagine a doctor clearing her to take them in her current medical condition. As for using will power....well, if it was that easy we would have very few over weight people struggling to loose. There is far more to it than "will power" thats for sure. I would imagine that the "fat" lady in her ride along cart in the store would almost die to have the will power to loose enough weight to walk without pain, or avoid being the prime target for "less than human" jokes from members of our stand up society. To bad "will power" didnt come in the beauty of a pill. Imagine..... YOU having the will to conquere every task or goal you set for yourself and never feeling less than in any way. Imagine....YOU having the "will" to stand up for everything you believed in and never settling. Imagine....YOU having the "will" to make all your dreams come true as well as the dreams of your children...Just imagine how YOU could be............IF YOU ONLY HAD THE WILL POWER!!! Perhaps there is more to loosing than just "will". (imaging the lives that would be spared from death and destruction if the addict or alcoholic only had more "will")....BRING ON THE "WILL IN A PILL"...and all would be roses and rainbows, but until then it just isn't that fricken' easy.
ReplyWOW! Really? If your overweight stop eating so much and start exercising! I don't mean to sound calous or mean, cuz that's not the point here. If it's psychological get help! Stop thinking that pills will cure all your ill's whatever that may be. You are born with willpower and just need to use it! How bout that lady w/ the cart? If she would have put the fork down she wouldn't hurt when she walks. Or maybe she needs to see a doctor for a thyroid issue, or a shrink for the psycho issue's. However it's all a choice. Not just willpower. You have the power of choice exercise it! Yes pun intended!
ReplyDid anyone see the story of the horse medication that celebs use to lose weight fast? KNBC-TV ran it in Los Angeles about a month ago.
ReplyI had my very first grand mal seizure when I was 26 yrs old after the birth of my second child and I was desperate to lose weight. It was the first time that I had ever taken a diet pill in my life. The pill was called "Diet Fuel" and contained Ephedra and that was supposedly the culprit of the seizure. Low and behold when I was 35 yrs old I had my third child and once again I was desperate to lose the baby weight. I was swayed by the ads for the new safe ephedra free diet pills that were all over the market. I tried Zantrex and low and behold had another grand mal seizure and that was the beginning of a life of Epilepsy for me. I have had so many life threatening seizures since then and see a neurologist on a regular basis. There are parts of my life that I have no memory of and have been robbed of a past and a future by these so called safe drugs!
ReplyMy mother had renal failure in Jan 06 and survived, but was subject too dialysis 4 days a week. In an attempt to solve her health problems she purchased a Colon Clear "proprietary blend" on an infomercial. A month later she had a seizure and after being admitted into the hospital she had a massive stroke, which took her life. I am looking for information that might be associated with her death. Please refer to the following ingredients: Cascara Sagrada Bark; Fennel Seed; Psyllium Seed; Ginger Root; Oat Bran; Alfalfa Leaf; Apple Pectin; Apple Powder; Barley Rice Fiber; Beet Root; Lemon Peel; Mint Leaf; Acacia Gum; Red Raspberry Leaf; Shattered Cell Wall Chlorella; Lactobacillus Acidophilus; Guar Gum; Gum Karaya; Turnip; Garlic; Pau D'Arco root. This is the listed ingredients for the "Colon Clear" label as one tablet contains 572mg of a "proprietary blend"
ReplyUmm. so im starting NV- do you think it will work or no? and do you have any information on where i can find out what amount these pills contain?
thank you so much
~desperatly in need of weight loss~
ReplyTo Lisa : and others like her. The ingredients you listed are all natural plant products. The Cascara Sagrada Bark and Pau D'Arco root are usually labled for limited term use. In my opinion (and I am NOT a Doctor but a researcher) This product should have been used only once maybe for a two day term to clear out toxins and then maybe again a week or so later. If an individual were to use this every day, your colon would be clear alright but the nutrients a person would take in would wash out right along with it. Most likely the stroke your mother had was due to the renal failure and the subsequent dialysis probabaly an embolism of some type. This product at 572 mg (1/2 gram) would not be the likely culprit. You would need to direct your investigation into what caused the kidney failure.
ReplyHaving had a recent seizure from taking Zantrex 3 and subsequent fracture of my T6 vertebrae, I am looking for anyone who can assist in helping me with an opening for a possible 'Class action Suit ' to stop these profesional con artrists from hurting more good people because of false or limited ads ...
email address - ( jwalker_2@yahoo.com )
ReplyMy sister is taking NV and now her hair is coming out in gobs, any one else with the problems. I so not think anyone should take any pill unless it is perscribed.
Replywhat is nv??
ReplyFirst off, I am very sorry to hear about what has happened with your sister taking NV. For myself, NV was the best thing that worked for me! After buying so many of these diet pill products, I came across NV and saw great results after about 2 weeks. I took NV faithfully for about 2 years continuously, and then the manufacturer discontinued it! The guy in the health store where I was purchasing it stated that it wasn't selling enough & that's why they discontinued it! I guess I was in that very slim margin of people that are all associated with these kinds of products. There may be people few and far between that any given weight loss product does wonders for, and then you have the many people who don't see any results. I was very upset that I had found something to help me lose weight & then it got discontinued. NV really did work for me! I lost weight & maintained it, my hair, skin & nails was absolutely flawless! I saw great results.... Unfortunately now, I'm out here once again buying different products that just hasn't worked the way NV did :(
Replyi had no idea that taking diet pills could harm someone as bad as i have been hearing since i came to this site. i am underage and taking zantrex3 but from what i've been hearing it can cause seizures even though it is a supposedly safe pill. i'm probably stupid for taking diet pills, but i had no idea how much damage they could cause
ReplyDanielle, you can stop taking the pills. It is never a good idea to take anything a doctor didn't prescribe anyway - even when you have been prescribed something, adverse side effects can always happen, but at least you'll have a professional monitoring you for them.
ReplyMy mom has been taking the diet pill called Xenadrine. She has MS as well. Due to the MS, she is on a shot called Copaxone. Friday night my mother took her Copaxone shot, & had the Xenadrine in her system from earlier that morning. About 10 minutes after taking her shot, she went into a seizure. I'm beginning to think the shot mixed with the Xenadrine caused it. Seeing everyone elses comments on here, I would not be the slightest bit suprised.
I am very concerned of my mother's health. I've been doing my homework on this pill, & one of the side effects are increased heart rate. The Copaxone has the same side effects.
I just wanted this to be a slight warning to those of you who may take this pill or may think about taking this pill. I myself don't like what diet pills do to people. I don't mean the losing weight part, I mean the horrible side effects they cause. They may be FDA approved, but everyone has different reactions to different pills.
ReplyHi I'm taking Solo slim. I've been taking it since march and working out since then i lost 20lbs. I've never took andy type of drug. So I was wondering If any one has had a bad exsperience. Or andyone had any bad side affects. Please let me know. Cause I just started taking the extra strength Solo Slim.
ReplyThanks Sandy
I have been taking the regular strength Solo Slim for 2 weeks now. I like that it curbs my appetite and cravings. However, I am experiencing extreme insomnia. Waking up at 3 am and not being able to fall back to sleep for hours affecting my daily performance. I did some research on the ingredients and found that Lotus Leaf can cause insomnia.
ReplyI have also been taking Solo Slim for about 2 months. I've lost 10 lbs. so far, which is good for me in that amount of time. It usually takes me a lot longer to lose weight because I'm Hypothyroid too. It really does help curb my appetite, I don't eat nearly as much in serving size or frequency, which was my biggest problem. It's the best thing I've found, and it doesn't cause the jittery feeling at all. The ONLY thing I've found is that I also have a harder time wanting to sleep. I have stayed up till 3 or 4 AM in the past while and still get up at 8, and while a little groggy at first, I seem to get through the day fine anyway. I know it's better for me to get more sleep, so I try to force myself to sleep more on the weekends at least.
ReplyI have been taking solo slim for almost 2 months now and I have lost 21 lbs (down to 132 from 153). I am very happy with the results. The only side effect I have experienced has been dry mouth. However the dry mouth has worked in my favor bc since starting the pills I have only been drinking water (and skim milk with my cereal) whereas I was a diet soda junky before. I have not experienced insomnia, but I do not get tired during the day anymore even without my cafeine. I am very satisfied with the product and have just purchased another 30 day supply.
ReplyHave been taking Solo Slim for a week and I notice at first I was jittery for the first two days, but I also had a late or ice tea. I have not been hungry and I too have experience dry mouth and been drinking more water and becauce of that I thought my urine would be clear but it has been real dark, the only thing I can think of is that it has to be linked to one or more of the ingredients. I looked in my natural heath book and could only find Hawthorne and it had many great thing to say about that ingredient.I looked up Lotus Leaf on the internet and found that it is Hydrophobic- which mean it does not like water. that concerns me a bit. I am still researching this product because i like that I am not hungry and not craving junk food. I haven't gotten on a scale but I can tell I have lost weight this week using Solo Slim.
ReplyHydrophobic is not a good or bad thing. It just means that the molecules it is made up of do not have positive and negative ends; they're just neutral. Water does have positive and negative ends. The lotus leaf molecules are not as easily suspended in water and will clump together if in water to get away from the charges(this is why people way it doesn't like water). As far as drugs are concerned, hydrophobic is a good thing because it means the molecules can pass through the cell membrane easier.
ReplyKris was right about the polar ends, and that it can pass through the cell membrane. But I didn't think that Kris was very clear about what it means.
Hydrophobic means that it's a fat lover. Like oil and fat substances, it doesn't mix with water. Things are either fat soluble or water soluble. It works the same way as lotion. Lotion is hydrophobic and when you rub it on your skin, it can soak into your skin cells. Water, on the other hand, does not soak into your skin cells. It's nothing to worry about - it's just the way that this one works.
ReplyMy name is Michelle and I am 30 years old. I started taking Solo Slim in March of 2008. I lost 32 lbs. ih 4 months. I have recently been in the hospital for bad side effects of this pill. My side effects have been as follows: Dry mouth, insomnia, mal nutrition, memory loss, speech impairment, rapid heart race, hard time breathing, dehydration, and the list goes on. I was very healthy and able to speek move and remember before taking this pill. My advise to anyone considering this pill is DON 'T!!!!!
ReplyI started taking soloslim and within two days I was not hungry and had less fatigue. By the end of the first week the scale didn't change but my clothes were loose. About every 4 days I would get terrific thirst and if I honored it and drank lots of water the next day I would lose three lbs. That pattern continued. I wasn't hungry and wasn't eating my normal well balanced diet (turkey with mustard for lunch and two fistfulls of triscuits for dinner) no fruits or veggies or fats etc. Also was worried I was becoming dehydrated. So I bought a scale which measures your fat, water, muscle, basal metabolic rate, etc. I found that I remained perfectly hydrated, my muscle mass remained constant, my metabolic rate remained consistant, and my fat % dropped consistantly. I never felt insomnia but would get bursts of energy and the fat was burning and noted that after these episodes I would notice my clothes were even looser and the scale even lighter. At the 6 week mark I plateaued and it took three weeks before it kicked it again. In less than 12 weeks I have lost 30 lbs. The only side effect I had was if I had a stressful day or drank too much caffeine or not enough water I would have sense of heart racing...much like mild anxiety attack. However, the pills weren't the culprit it was the other things that were. Otherwise, I have been sharper cognitively, can multitask, work longer hours, more emotionally balance, and making very healthy choices about my food intact. Soloslim gave me the control over my eating I never had and the body I always wanted. Now I take it only when I notice I am getting into larger portions or looking for sugar; about one pill twice per week and have maintained my weight loss for more than one month. Certain medical conditions and medications should not be taken with herbal supplements. I have researched all the ingredients and for the average person who utilizes it correctly and listens to their body there are no harmful side effects. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding herbal supplements to you health regime.
ReplyI started taking Solo Slim after my cousin recommended it. She said there were no side effects and she had lost all her pregnancy weight. She was right, I didn't feel anything but a decrease in appetite and I slowly lost some weight. I was trying to sign up for life insurance and took some blood test so they could check my health. The results came back and according to them my liver was screwed up! I am not a heavy and try to watch what I eat. I had no idea what could have caused this. The rate they gave me to cover me with life insurance had tripled from what I was originally quoted due to these results. I went to my Dr. and have another set of blood results. My blood results came back normal this time. We couldn't figure out why my results were bad the first time. After many questions from the doctor we determined it was the Solo Slim. During this second test I was no longer taking the pill because I didn't need it anymore. According to the doctor this is what diet pills do to you. They screw up your liver without you knowing it. Although you don't feel any side effects it's eating you up inside. There is no way I would have found this out any other way. Be careful!
ReplyHi, I have been takign solo slim on and off for a bit and it helped me loose about 5 pounds so far. My side effects have been super dry mouth, dizziness and feeling of being 'high' with kind of a medicene head.But I react badly to any type of metabolism pill in this way. The dry mouth is unique to Solo Slim however. I haven't had any problems with insomnia.
ReplyI too have been taking Solo Trim for a while now and lost 10 pounds the frist month I took it. I skipped a month and then started taking them again. However, this time I was four days into the bottle and got very dizzy and ended up at the doctors office with elevated blood pressure. Could not shake the dizziness all that day or the next. I am not taking them now.
ReplyI started taking Solo Slim 4 days ago. The only side effects I have had are dry mouth, waking up at 1am each morning. I have felt a bit out of it though. I will continue taking it for 2 wks, then I think I am done. I dont really like how it makes me feel. I have lost weight however in the 4 days and think that it has to do with adding exercise as well. I think when it comes down to it eating right and exercise are the right way to go.
ReplyI started taking solo slim extra strength a week ago...I have lost about 5pounds...I did just read on their site that I do not need it though.They have something to calculate you weight and stuff then it tells you if they recommend it or not. I have had some bad side effects like jitters, my stomach hurts(diareah)I am not a good speller, and I feel sick in the morning right after I take it but it usually goes away after I eat.But it has made me less hungry. I dont get alot of sleep it wakes me up alot, the first two days were the worst.
ReplyPlease do not take Solo Slim!
I took this weight loss pill for about 2 weeks before I had a seizure and was admitted to the hospital.
This drug has caused me to have a permanent heart arrhythmia, constant chest pain, and distorted vision. I am only 21 years old and am constantly fearing for my life.
Be careful and be well. Love who you are!
ReplyIt is true that solo slim will help you lose weight. I lost 35 pounds with it, however, the backflow is it made my heart skip beats (prolong QT syndrone. As a result, I stopped taking it. So my advice is to get an ekg done on your heart rhym... good luck.
ReplyI have had a few side effects, no sleeping well, and a little dizzy and a little
Replysick feeling, but im not really over weight, just trying to ride a few extra pounds.
I am on the extra strength every day, I just think its to much for me every day so, im cutting back to every other day to see how it goes. I really think it is safe
if your healthy, if you already have health problems yeah anything you take could cause problems, but if the average normal person takes it the right way im sure they will be fine.
I recently bought Lipovox on Ebay. This pill is supposedly good for weight loss, acne, and anti-aging. If anyone has heard of good or bad side effects from this pill....please let me know.
ReplyI bought lipovox on Ebay, too. It did absolutely nothing. No side effects, no weight loss, no energy from all of the "superfoods", nothing. ALSO, WHEN I REQUESTED MY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE AS THEY PROMISED, YOU KNOW I GOT NOTHING!
Reply