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Performance · December 16, 2010

Shakeology Review: Everything: Ingredients + Research

Update 3/10/20. Have you been asked to try Shakeology – or become a Shakeology Beachbody Coach? I have – several times. I've been asked to try this product so many times from so many different people that I decided to write this Shakeology review so you know the facts. Is Shakeology safe? Will Shakeology help weight loss? These are the questions I will address. As always, I'll link to the research so you know I'm not making stuff up. I don't have a dog in this fight. I only want you to have the best information available -free from testimonials, and internet hype – so that you can make the best decision for you. Also, see the review of Ultimate Power Greens as well.

Also see my review of vegan chocolate Shakeology.

Shakeology is one of the products sold by the company, BeachBody. Beachbody markets many health and fitness products, probably the most popular of which the P90X workout by Tony Horton. If you want to know how Shakeology tastes, check out my Shakeology Taste Test.

What Does Shakeology Mean?

The suffix ology means “the study of” so Shakeology literally means “the study of shakes“, In this case, it's a health and weight loss shake that contains various fruits, enzymes, vitamins, protein, etc.

It's a catchy name and gives the impression that there is some science behind Shakeology. But, when I entered “Shakeology” into the National Library of Medicine website, I found no published peer-reviewed studies on this product.

Most health and weight loss shakes don't have any research to back up what they are saying but I wanted to double check just in case because the name of this product stood out to me.

On the Shakeology website, I noticed a reference to a study that drinking Shakeology can lower cholesterol levels but there doesn't appear to be any published studies to back up this claim. At the bottom of the website (Shakeology.com) I see a reference that says :

“In a 90-day study, participants replaced one meal per day with Shakeology, ate a balanced diet, and exercised moderately three times per week. Total cholesterol was reduced on average by 30% and LDL cholesterol was reduced on average by 38%.”

But, this doesn't seem to be a published peer-reviewed study. Questions I asked myself included:

Who were the people in this “study”?

Were they men? Were they women?

Did they have normal cholesterol or high cholesterol?

What was their LDL levels before the study?

Did exercise play any role in the outcomes?

They don't tell us any of this information – and this is important stuff to know if we are to analyze how effective shakeology really was.

Fruits contain soluble fiber and Shakeology has a lot of different fruits, so the study outcomes kind of make sense. But, would the same effect be seen if people just blended up some fruits themselves?

I don't know.

Losing weight can also reduce cholesterol. So, did cholesterol and LDL levels change simply because of weight loss, rather than because of Shakeology? I don't know because it doesn't look like the subjects were compared to those who did not use Shakeology.

Shakeology Ingredients

There are a LOT of ingredients in Shakeology. Below you will see that I copied the ingredients from the Shakeology.com website (I used the chocolate version) and separated them into different sections to make this review easier.

Total Calories	140
Calories from fat	10
Total fat	1 g (2% DV)
Cholesterol	15 mg (5% DV)
Sodium	100 mg (4% DV)
Total carbohydrates	17 g (6% DV)
Dietary fiber	3 g (12% DV)
Sugars	9 g
Protein	17 g (34% DV)

The total calories are based on 1 scoop (48 grams) mixed with water.

This doesn't look too bad to me. In fact, the calories, protein, fat, etc. are similar to other popular protein mixes. A scoop also has 135 mg of the sweetener, stevia.

Super Fruit Blend

Shakeology also has several types of what they call Super Fruits. Here is the list:

Acerola powder (fruit)	Cordyceps
Camu-Camu powder (fruit)	Maitake powder
Pomegranate powder (fruit)	Reishi powder
Bilberry powder (fruit)	Citrus bioflavonoids
Blueberry powder (fruit)	Rose Hips powder (fruit)
Lycium (Goji) powder (berry)	Schisandra
Açai powder (berry)	Suma powder (root)
Acerola powder (fruit)	Gingko powder (leaf) REMOVED

Weight Loss · December 4, 2010

Zylotrim Weight Loss Supplement Review

Have you heard of Zylotrim? It's a weight loss supplement I discovered at about 4 AM somewhere between reruns of Cops and Ice Road Truckers.

Because the Zylotrim claimed that it “was awarded two US patents” and was “clinically proven” to promote weight loss, I was intrigued. What follows is my review Zylotrim, based on what was listed on its website and what I could discover about its reported active ingredients. This is an updated review of Zylotrim with new information.

Zylotrim Ingredients

According to the products website, zylotrim’s active ingredients include “an all-natural compound derived from yam in Latin America”. What that ingredient is was not stated.

Because the TV commercial said that the weight loss effects of Zylotrim were supported by clinical research, I checked the National Library of Medicine. I did a search for Zylotrim (without quotation marks) and again with quotes (“Zylotrim”). In both cases, no peer reviewed studies of the product were discovered.

Some websites state that yams contain the hormone, DHEA. This is not exactly true. Yams don't contain DHEA but rather compounds that might in theory help us make DHEA. There is debate however as to whether the human body can turn these compounds (i.e., diosgenin) into DHEA. I mention DHEA because one study did appear to link DHEA to weight loss.

The problem with this study was that it looked at DHEA use in older adults. What about younger people? In theory it might help younger people too but there is no proof (yet) of this. Also, how much DHEA was used? In this study 50 mg of DHEA was used for 6 months.

If Zylotrim contains compounds derived from yams that – in theory – might raise DHEA levels, how much of these compounds does it have and how much DHEA does this equate to? Nothing is said about this on the Zylotrim website.

The real issue is that even if Zylotrim contained these compounds, where is the proof that you and I can convert them into DHEA? I was unable to locate any clinical studies that taking yam-derived DHEA precursors raised DHEA levels in people.

Yams do contain fiber and a fiber that has often been touted for weight loss is Glucomannan. I reviewed the evidence on glucomannan in my book, Nutritional Supplements: What Works and Why. Could glucomannan be the active ingredient in zylotrim? I dont think so because I don't believe yams contain glucomannan so this is pure speculation on my part.

If you want to know more about glucamannan, read my review on Glucosulin.

Zylotrim Research

I was unable to discover any research on the reputed active ingredient of Zylotrim in the National Library of Medicine. The website for Zylotrim also does not list the “clinical studies” it claims support the product’s weight loss effects.

My Thoughts

Personally, I'm skeptical about Zylotrim because I couldn’t find any peer reviewed research on its website or elsewhere to support what the TV commercial said about the product.

When viewing ads for health and fitness products, don’t be swayed by fancy words and phrases like :

Clinically proven
All natural
Safe and effective

These words are vague and hold little weight to the scientific community. They are little more than marketing words to get you to buy something.

Instead, look for this phrase: “published peer reviewed research” This is a much more focused statement and means that the research was reviewed by other competent scientists before it was published in a medical or health journal. Read the Page Supplement Questions at the top of this website for more info on peer reviewed research and other topics about supplements.

Update: 12/4/10. If you go to the Zylotrim website, you may see that it is not working. When I checked the website, all I saw was “We are no longer accepting new orders for Zylotrim”. Current customers using Zylotrim were told to call a 888 number to get more information. As of 6/12/12 a sign on the Zylotrim website says “Zylotrim is no longer is business.”

what do you think?

Anti Aging · November 27, 2010

MonaVie Essental Review

MonaVie is a popular health supplement but what people may not know is that there are 7 different types of MonaVie. In this review, I want to focus specifically on MonaVie Essential because that's likely to be a person's first introduction to this supplement.

MonaVie Ingredients

According to the MonaVie website, MonaVie is said to be composed of “19 body-beneficial fruits and AçaVie™—the purest, most potent form of açai available”

The 19 fruits in MonaVie Essential are as follows:

Açai, apple, grape, pear, Aronia, prune, kiwi, cranberry, black currant, blueberry, pomegranate, wolfberry, camu camu, maqui, acerola, banana, cupuaçu, bilberry, jabuticaba.

Update. See the review of camu camu research.

The main ingredient in all MonaVie products is acai berry so let's review it and see what we can discover.

What Is Acai Berry Used For?

Acai berry rocketed to fame after Oprah and Doctor Oz spoke of this fruit as a “super food”. Acai does have some protein, vitamins and minerals and monounsaturated fats which are all good. It also has anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and other related compounds which are types of phytonutrients (plant-nutrients).

It’s the anthocyanins that are responsible for the purple color of acai berry. These anthocyanins do act as antioxidants and this is good. Antioxidants have the potential to neutralize potentially damaging compounds called free radicals.

Many fruits also have anthocyanins although research suggests the antioxidant power of acai berry maybe higher than those of other fruits like strawberries and blueberries. This does not mean acai is better than other fruits, but that it is different.

Like all fruits acai is likely something that’s healthy but I have not seen any peer reviewed studies that show it is superior to other fruits.

Is Acai a Super Food?

Most websites for acai berry call it a “super food”, a reference to Oprah and Dr. Oz and others who have talked about it on TV. The term superfood however is marketing hype. There are acai berry lawsuits that Dr. Oz and Oprah have filed against various acai supplement makers too.Neither Oprah or Dr. Oz endorses acai berry supplements.

For more info about acai berry here is my acai berry review

Remember there is no single “super food”. All food –acai included – works best when used in combination with other foods. This is the reason why MonaVie includes 18 other fruits in addition to acai.

Acai Berry Research

There is research on acai berry. For example, some studies suggest this fruit inhibits growth of cancer cells in a test tube

Another study noted that acai may have some anti-inflammatory properties. Specifically, Acai appears to inhibit COX 1 and COX 2 enzymes. As such ,you may see acai supplements marked as “natural COX inhibitors”.

Because of this acai berry or acai fruit may be found in supplements marketed to people who have arthritis, despite any firm proof that they help arthritis.

MonaVie And Weight Loss?

MonaVie does have a version that has fewer calories than other MonaVie products but to their credit, the company that makes MonaVie does not make any specific claims that the MonaVie will help you lose weight.

MonaVie is marketed for its health promoting effects, not for weight loss. There are other acai weight loss products out there but people should be skeptical of these.

Here is the review of the Acai Diet.

MonaVie Side Effects

Because MonaVie contains just fruits and a few other relatively harmless ingredients (i.e. glucosamine HCL is included in one of the MonaVie supplements) it is expected to be safe in most people. In fact, a recent study has tested this and found the MonaV ie is safe in healthy people. That said, depending on your unique health needs, here is a short list of things to consider. This list is not complete.

Glucosamine can act as a blood thinner. Glucosamine HCL is also found in the MonaVie product MonaVie Acive. Because of this, it’s possible that MonaVie may interact with blood thinner medications like Warafarin (Coumadin). Check with your doctor if you also take blood thinners.

See my write up, Glucosamine 4 Facts You Don't Know for more information on glucosamine HCL. I feel that glucosamine sulfate is superior to glucosamine HCL at helping arthritis pain.

Who Makes MonaVie?

MonaVie supplements are a product of MonaVie LLC. They are located at 10855 River Front Pkwy Ste 100, South Jordan, UT 84095. When this review was created, the Better Business Bureau gave MonaVie a rating of “A-.”

As of 3/15/15, I learned that the MonaVie company had been acquired by a skincare company called Jeunesse.

Does MonaVie Work?

People have told me some interesting and good things that occurred after they started taking MonaVie. Currently I am on the fence about this product. I do like that its been tested as safe in healthy people. If MonaVie really works, I feel it might take about a 6-8 weeks before people notice a benefit.

Here's MonaVie on Amazon

What do you think?

Weight Loss · November 23, 2010

Tainted Weight Loss Supplements

I know that the most popular reviews on my website have to do with weight loss supplements. People are interested in weight loss products and that's why I review them -to help people. Because of this I wanted to mention that some weight loss supplements may not be supplements at all – but rather weight loss drugs masquerading as supplements.

On December 22 2008 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a list of 69 weight loss dietary supplements that it said contained pharmaceutical drugs not mentioned on the supplements ingredients list (mentioned or not, drugs should not be found in supplements).

Some weight loss supplements contained the weight loss prescription drug, sibutramine, also known as Meridia. Other drugs the FDA found were those prescribed to treat seizures. One of the drugs (Rimonabant) has been linked to increased suicidal thoughts and depression.

In America, current laws prohibit the use of prescription drugs in dietary supplements. Supplements are regulated as food and drugs are regulated as drugs.

In theory, the use of such drug-laced supplements might ramp up side effects and/or interact with other medications you may be taking.

Just a few of the products highlighted by the FDA include:

7 Day Herbal Slim	3 Day Diet
999 Fitness Essence	Royal Slimming Formula
Slim Express 360	Fasting Diet
Slim Burn	3 Days Fit
7 Days Diet	Sliminate
2 Day Diet	JM Fat Reducer
TripleSlim	Miaozi MeiMiaoQianZiJiaoNang

Here is the full list of 69 weight loss supplements the FDA highlighted in 2008.

Let me be clear: most supplement companies do not do put prescription drugs or drug like compounds in their dietary supplements. Reputable companies are very careful about quality control and what gets added into their products.

This is another reason to deal only with supplement companies that have a good reputation.

What do you think of this?

Anti Aging · November 17, 2010

Zicam Facts You Need To Know

I posted something about supplements on Facebook recently and somebody commented about a terrible experience they had with a supplement called Zicam, which is a popular over the counter cold remedy containing zinc. In her comment, she said after she using Zicam, she lost her sense of smell. She said it's unlikely she would ever get her sense of smell back again. I am familiar with this unfortunate side effect. Let's look at the evidence for zinc and the loss of smell.

Zinc Swabs In Your Nose?

If you have heard me lecture, you know I've been telling people to avoid over-the-counter zinc-based cold remedies that require people to insert an applicator into their nose.

I have been saying this because of reports that have arisen over the last 10 years alleging these products may lead to a loss in the sense of smell. In some instances, the loss of smell may be permanent.

Now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirms this in their June 16th 2009 Warning Letter to the makers of Zicam where they state they have received 130 complaints from people whose smell sense was either reduced or permanently lost. Some of these reports occurred after a single application. On the same day the FDA issued a public Safety Alert about Zicam.

Zicam is the product specifically mentioned in the FDA Warning Letter and public safety alert. Zicam has been around for years and even touted on Rush Limbaugh’s syndicated radio show in spite of prior case reports linking these products to loss of smell.

As reported in the Washington Post article about Zicam, In 2006, the maker of Zicam (Matrixx Initatives) agreed to pay 12 million dollars to settle 340 lawsuits stemming from people who had lost their sense of smell. In some instance, just one application of Zicam caused a loss of smell.

Can Zinc Reduce Colds/Flus?

Interest in zinc as a cold remedy has been around since the 1990s when studies found cold lozenges containing 13.3 mg of zinc gluconate appeared to reduce the duration and severity of colds when taken at first sign of symptoms. If you have ever used lozenges called Cold-EEZE® you have seen the actual studies listed on the package.

A common mantra in the supplement industry these days is “our product works faster”. As I understand it, this is the rationale behind Zicam. In other words, by exposing the nasal passages to zinc, you speed the absorption of zinc, which in turn makes you feel better faster.

The problem is that this is faulty reasoning because “works faster” does not always mean the same thing as “works better”.

In fact, that’s the question I always ask to the people who say stuff like this. In other words, I'll ask them if they can prove to me (through published, clinical studies on their product) that a faster delivery means a better result. Nobody has ever proven to my satisfaction the works faster argument. This is because “works faster” is just marketing hype to make people think that something works better.

The peer reviewed published clinical studies find that sucking on zinc throat lozenges might help reduce cold symptoms (by about 10% to 30%).

My litmus test for all supplements is “published peer reviewed research”. To their credit, Cold-EEZE® is the ONLY PRODUCT on the market that has this proof. As such, it’s the zinc-based product I would recommend to people as long as they don't take the lozenges all the time.

Side effects of zinc

Zinc is safe when consumed in food. While zinc, taken for a short period of time, at the early stages of infection might help colds / flus, taking this mineral all the time (to prevent getting sick) is not recommended. It's easy to get more than the RDA for zinc and this is where problems can occur. Too much zinc may also lower HDL (good cholesterol). This can accelerate the risk of heart disease.

Senior citizens are a group I'm always concerned about when it comes to zinc supplements because they usually have several health issues – including heart disease. In seniors, taking zinc supplements regularly might do much more harm than good. Generally, it's always best to get zinc from food rather than high potency zinc supplements.

What do you think?

Performance · November 11, 2010

Ensure Muscle Health Revigor Review

Update 7/30/19. When I first heard about Ensure Clinical Strength, also called Ensure Revigor and Ensure Muscle Health, I was intrigued. I was intrigued because Ensure Muscle Health contains a very interesting ingredient called HMB, which several studies have shown can reduce muscle tissue breakdown. Because many people (but not all) drink Ensure because they are either older and have a poor appetite, or are sick and can't eat much, to me, the addition of HMB sounded like such a win-win combination. In this review, let's take a look at HMB and then Ensure Muscle Health with HMB so you can get a better idea of it's right for you.

What is HMB?

HMB stands for beta hydroxy betamethyl buterate.

Small amounts of HMB are naturally created when we breakdown the amino acid leucine. So, you are making HMB all the time, just not very much of it. Leucine is one of the branch chain amino acids and is found in any “any food that had a mother” such as chicken, fish, steak, etc.

Studies show that HMB may help reduce muscle protein breakdown. As such, HMB was at one time popular among bodybuilders. Athletes however quickly stopped using this supplement after research started to show HMB worked best in beginners – not experienced weight lifters.

This fact is what made adding HMB to Ensure such an interesting idea to me. Most older adults and sick folks don't exercise very much – if at all. In theory, they would be prime candidates to benefit from HMB supplements.

People who have cancer, HIV and other serious illnesses often experience a muscle-wasting disease called cachexia. Research has shown that HMB might help reverse cachexia in some people when used in conjunction with the amino acids, arginine, and glutamine.

HMB can also be found on Amazon as a stand-alone supplement, for those who want to just take it without Ensure.

What's in Ensure Clinical Strength?

The Nutrition Facts Label for Ensure Revigor tells us it contains the following ingredients:

Serving size	1 bottle ( 8 oz)	Percent of daily value
Calories	250
Calories from fat	100
Total fat	11 grams	17%
Saturated fat	1 gram	5%
Polyunsaturated fat	4 grams
Monounsaturated fat	6 grams
Sodium	240 milligrams	10%
Potassium	840 milligrams	24%
Total carbs	51 grams	17%
Dietary fiber	3 grams	12%
Sugars	20 grams
Protein	13 grams	26%

Notice Ensure has 250 calories. When I purchased Ensure for this review, my bottles said 350 calories. Thanks to one of the readers in the comments, I was alerted to the change to 250 calories.

While the label does not say how much HMB is in Ensure Muscle Health, I called Abbott Labs, the maker of Ensure and asked them. They told me that each bottle contains 1.5 grams of HMB. They recommend people use 2 bottles a day, which would give people a total of 3 grams of HMB. 3 grams of HMB is what has been used in many clinical studies to have positive effects.

The studies of HMB I mentioned above found that 3 grams of HMB worked best. This is why Abbott Labs recommends drinking 2 bottles of Ensure Revigor per day – to get the maximum effect of HMB.

Why Do They Call It Revigor?

To me, revigor sounds like the word reinvigorate. In other words, drinking Revigor will reinvigorate you. It's a catchy name.

Other Effects of HMB?

While most of the clinical research on HMB has been directed at testing how it might help decrease muscle breakdown, other studies have hinted that it may help lower cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure. This is preliminary research only and will remain this way until other studies replicate these findings.

HMB Side Effects

HMB appears to be safe. No study to my knowledge has shown any negative side effects. That said, if you take any medicine (blood thinners etc), talk to your pharmacist and doctor.

What Does “Clinical Strength” Mean?

Since two bottles contain 3 grams of HMB – the amount used in clinical studies – I understand why they would call it clinical strength. And, its good marketing too.

Who Might Ensure Revigor Help?

I believe Ensure Revigor is probably best for people who:

1. Are older and do not exercise

2. Are older and just starting to exercise

3. Those who have cancer, HIV or other serious health issues

4. Anyone experiencing muscle-wasting conditions

Can You Take Ensure But Not Exercise?

Exercise has many benefits. Any physical activity you can do will help HMB work better.

Why Don't They Make Revigor Ensure Any More?

I have no idea. Ensure Revigor is no longer listed on the Abbott Labs website. When I called Abbott Labs, I was told it was a company decision to stop making Revigor. As an alternative they told me to look at Ensure High Protein. This version does not contain HMB.

Ensure Revigor: Closing Thoughts

I was saddened Abbott Labs no longer makes Ensure Revigor. It sounded like a good addition to the Ensure line up. I wish it was around when my 104-year-old grandmother was still alive. That said, Ensure is still a fine product and for those who want to add HMB to their shakes, this is possible. HMB comes in both powder and capsules. For those who don't like swallowing capsules, you can open them up and add them to food or any shake you like to drink.

Here is HMB on Amazon

Here's Ensure

Any Questions or Comments?

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