Supplement Clarity

Avesil: Weight Loss Pros and Cons: Review of Ingredients

Joe Cannon

Update 8/1/20. One of the readers of my site -Nicole – recently asked me about a weight loss supplement called Avesil.  After looking the website of the product, I noticed that there is indeed some weight loss research on this diet pill so I thought it would be wise to review it here so you were armed with all the facts. While this supplement is no longer offered the ingredients in it can be found in other weight loss supplements.  See the review of Leptigen for more insights.

 

What Is Avesil?

Avesil is a weight loss supplement composed of the following ingredients:

There is also an “Avesil proprietary blend” (475 mg) which consists of:

Let's talk about each of its ingredients briefly below

Chromium

Chromium is found in many weight loss supplements despite any good proof that it works. That's how good the chromium marketing was in the 1990s. People expect to see it in weight loss supplements.

 

Practically every study I have ever seen shows that chromium does not help weight loss – even when a lot of it is used.  As such, even though chromium is listed first on the Avesil ingredients list, I don't feel it's the “active ingredient”.

Chromium may lower blood sugar levels.  Diabetics should be aware of this if they take diabetes medications.

Caffeine

Avesil contains caffeine. Now we are getting somewhere… Several studies have shown that caffeine can help weight loss. True, many of these studies did combine caffeine with ephedra (which is banned in weight loss supplements in the US), but caffeine, alone does have a mild fat-burning effect. This is why caffeine is found in so many weight loss pills. For more on caffeine check out Jillian Michale's Maximum Strength Fat Burner.

Decaffeinated Green Tea Extract

The decaffeinated green tea extract in Avesil may be EGCG. It was not specifically listed in the ingredients when I reviewed it but this is what I feel they are referring to (ask the Avesil company and let me know if I am correct or not).

EGCG is also called  Epigallo Catechin Gallate. Green tea contains caffeine and hence the reason it is also found in so many weight loss supplements.

But, the green tea extract in Avesil is said to be “decaffeinated“. If green tea is going to work (which I'm skeptical of), it might also need caffeine. That may be why Avesil also has caffeine. Here is a study noting that EGCG without caffeine didn't seem to work.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is also in Avesil.  This herb is sometimes called Indian Ginseng because some of the compounds resemble those in ginseng. It may be used because of reports it can help hypothyroidism.

There is some evidence that ashwagandha can increase levels of thyroid hormone. Since thyroid hormone plays a role in metabolic rate, this may be a reason it's in diet pills like Avesil.

While rare, ashwagandha may be dangerous in some people. The condition is called thyrotoxicosis (“toxic thyroid”) and results from very high levels of thyroid hormones. So, this is not something I would recommend for those with hyperthyroid or low thyroid issues. In healthy people with normal thyroid glands, I don't think this would happen.

Thyrotoxicosis Signs & Symptoms

You can think of this as “super hyperthyroidism”. I'm making this term up but you get the picture. Signs of this condition can include:

Obviously, not everybody who takes ashwagandha will get these symptoms. It can vary according to how much you take as well as your unique metabolism.

We are not told how much ashwagandha is in Avesil. We are only told that the combination of ashwagandha and green tea equals 475 mg. Avesil has been around for a while and I have not heard of this condition arising from it. Still, I thought it was worth mentioning.

It's possible that caffeine and ashwagandha might have a greater effect than either would by themselves. This may be the reason why both are found in weight loss supplements.

In other words, by raising metabolic rate, Avesil causes one to burn more calories. The more calories you burn, the more weight you might lose.

Ashwagandha might also increase how the immune system functions. While that can be a good thing, in theory, this may make symptoms of arthritis and other immune disorders worse. This is worth remembering since many overweight people have arthritis.

Update. Thanks to a reader, I was alerted that ashwagandha has been removed from Avesil and replaced with MeraTrim.

See the Meratrim review for more on that product.

Avesil vs. Leptigen

The ingredients in that product look very similar to Avesil. See my Leptigen review for more info about that supplement.

Who Makes Avesil?

The company is called Green Bracket LLC. Another name for this company is DietSpotlight.com. The Better Business Bureau file for the company contains reviews on the company as well as other information.

Avesil Side Effects

Because Avesil contains caffeine and ashwagandha (no longer in the product) it's possible that Avesil might cause weight loss in some people. That said, there are some warnings about this product.

Don't take Avesil if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Stop taking the supplement at least 2 weeks before surgery. This is wise to do also with any supplement as well.

Avoid if you have problems. Even the Avesil website says that people with the following health problems should talk to their doctor first:

If you are basically healthy, I don't think most people would notice any bad side effects. As with any new supplement you take, it's always wise to start with less than is recommended for the first week, just to see how you react.

Does Avesil Work?

It's hard to say. There is no published research on Avesil itself to prove it works. I feel that if Avesil is going to work, people will still have to watch what they eat and do a little exercise to maximize any weight loss benefits it might have.  By itself, I have my doubts, but if it did work for you, do let me know.

Here is Avesil on Amazon.

What do you think?

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