Zi Xiu Tang is one of the most popular weight loss supplements in recent memory. Unlike practically every other weight loss supplement I have ever investigated, ZXT does not list hardly any stimulants on its label. Yet, despite this, people report losing impressive amounts of weight in a short period of time. After reading through the comments on my two previous ZXT reviews – Zi Xiu Tang Does It Work and Zi Xiu Tang Revealed, I have formed some opinions about this supplement. Take these for what they are worth. They are my thoughts and not to be taken as gospel and I may very well be wrong on all of these 10 points. I felt the need to say these things because I don't see anyone else on the web addressing these issues.
This is what I currently believe about Zi Xiu Tang:
1. I believe Zi Xiu Tang may contain a compound not listed in the ingredients that is causing weight loss.
Other than a laxative effect (caused by Senna and other laxative ingredients) most of the ingredients in ZXT have either no proof or minimal proof that they promote weight loss in humans.
Update 4/8/14. The FDA warns people to immediately stop taking Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen weight loss supplements. It tested several Zi Xiu Tang products – including those that were said to be “genuine” and not counterfeit. The FDA found that the some products contained not only sibutramine, an illegal weight loss drug but some also contained Phenolphthalein, a chemical that may increase the risk of cancer. See the FDA alert for more information.
Update 10/24/12. The FDA has confirmed what I have said from day one – Zi Xiu Tang has a weight loss drug called sibutramine
2. I believe there is zero published peer reviewed proof that bee pollen promotes weight loss in humans.
ZXT websites love to tell people that bee pollen is responsible for weight loss, but if that's true, why can't I find any proof that bee pollen helps people lose weight?
3. I believe that senna and other ingredients with laxative properties and fiber are at least partially responsible for weight loss with ZXT.
It appears that senna has been removed from Zi Xiu Tang but people still report more frequent bowel movements -sometimes really more frequently – during the first 2 weeks.
4. I believe that the green tea in Zi Xiu Tang is partially responsible for weight loss.
The caffeine in the green tea is also probably one of the reasons why some people say they cannot sleep when they take Zi Xiu Tang.
5. I believe that drinking a lot of water -which is recommended when taking ZXT – helps curb appetite and is another way people lose weight.
Drinking more water is a common tactic in diets. Water helps fill people up and has no calories.
6. I believe hawthorn should be removed from ZXT because it can change how the heart pumps.
Hawthorn can potentially interact with medications people are taking. Hawthorn, by speeding up heart rate may in theory alter the metabolic rate but I’ve never seen any hawthorn-weight loss research.
7. I believe there is no study documenting Zi Xiu Tang side effects.
Those who have commented on my site report some very odd Zi Xiu Tang side effects ranging from blurry vision, headaches, depression, and rapid heart rate. Others report almost no side effects.
8. I believe not all ZXT supplements have the same ingredients.
Because of the variety of side effects, I feel some Zi Xiu Tang supplements may contain ingredients that other ZXT supplements do not contain. Some people report a lot of weight loss while others report very little weight loss. Maybe this is due to counterfeit ZXT products. I am not sure.
9. I believe that the talk of counterfeit Zi Xiu Tang is mostly marketing hype to get people to buy Zi Xiu Tang from a particular company.
I've heard that only authentic Zi Xiu Tang has a 20 digit anti counterfeit code on the box. People enter this code into a website (61131115.com) to see if they have the real stuff or not. I have never seen a published peer reviewed study on the differences in quality between ZXT that has an anti counterfeit code vs. a bottle of ZXT that does not have an anti-counterfeit code. How do we know those with an anti counterfeiting code are really better or more effective?
10. I believe people should be able to read the ZXT anti counterfeit code website – 61131115.com.
I've always thought the anti counterfeit ZXT website URL was odd because it only contained numbers; why doesn't it have the name of the company that makes authentic ZXT? The website is also ALL in Chinese. Shouldn't they translate the website into English so Americans etc. can read the site? English speaking people buy ZXT so shouldn't they be able to read what the website says?
What do you think about Zi Xiu Tang?