The weight loss supplement, Healthe Trim claims to make you High School Skinny. That’s a phrase I never heard before, probably conceived to to get people to long for the good old days” I guess? I wasn’t skinny in high school so I never had those good old days, but in any event, let’s look at the ingredients in Healthe Trim and discover how it works. Thanks to Cindy, one of the readers of my website, for turning me on to Healthe Trim.
Healthe Trim Clinical Study
On Healthe Trim website there is a clinical study reporting to be proof of how well Healthe Trim works. The study is said to be a placebo-controlled double-blind study that lasted 30 days and consisted of 60 people. The study is said to have occurred in 2009. Here is what they don’t tell you about this study:
1. Where this study was is published? There is no listing to where this study was published. If the study was not published in a medical journal then it is not peer-reviewed and holds very little weight in my book.
2. Who conducted this study? Was it the Healthe Trim Company? Was it a college student? They don’t tell us who did the Healthe Trim study. I have no problems with Healthe Trim conducting its own research. I would just like to know who did it.
3. How much weight did the placebo group lose? This is a biggie! The study is said to be a placebo-controlled study. That’s good. They tell us that the people getting Healthe Trim lost an average of 2.43 pounds.
How much did the placebo group lose? They don’t tell us. What if the placebo group also lost 2.43 pounds? What if the placebo group lost more weight than those who got Healthe Trim? If we don’t know how much weight the placebo group lost, then the 2.43 pounds lost by the Healthe Trim group means nothing.
4. What was the placebo used in the study? If the people in the study could tell the difference between who was getting Healthe Trim and who was getting the placebo, then the study is less valuable. They say people couldn’t tell the difference between Healthe Trim and placebo but any good study would tell us what the placebo was.
In my book these 4 questions are red flags about how good this study was.
Healthe Trim Ingredients
When I looked at the Healthe trim website (healthytrim.com) I notice a lot of ingredients that I've seen in other products. The following ingredients are prominently displayed on the Healthe Trim website.
Hoodia Gordonii
Hoodia is very popular in weight loss supplements despite the overwhelming lack of proof that hoodia supplements work.
The Healthe Trim website has an audio file of Doctor Oz talking about Hoodia to some radio disk jockey (Dr Oz is not talking about Healthe Trim – although the DJ is). Dr. Oz says “Hoodia Works” –as an appetite suppressant.
Note. Doctor Oz did not say hoodia causes weight loss.
Another thing Doctor Oz does not mention is that you have to eat the raw root of the Hoodia plant. That’s not the same as taking a hoodia supplement.
I won’t reinvent the wheel about hoodia so here is my review Hoodia does it help weight loss and my review of the Hoodia Patch – another hoodia weight loss product. If you search my website, you will see many other weight loss supplements that contain hooodia also.
Green Tea Leaf Extract
Like hoodia many weight loss supplements contain green tea or green tea extracts as well. This is because people think green tea is healthy AND because green tea contains caffeine.
Caffeine has a mild fat burning effect. When people say that Healthe Trim gives them energy, this is likely the ingredient that does it. How much caffeine is in Healthe Trim? They don’t say. For more info, here are several other supplements that contain green tea:
Resveratrol
I could not find any published study showing that resveratrol causes weight loss in humans. There is however some resveratrol weight loss research on lab animals.
In lab rats, resveratrol seems to slow the aging process. That’s nice but where is the proof it helps people lose weight? I’ve never seen any research. If you find any let me know.
Caralluma Fimbriata
This is a cactus-like plant and as such also is sometimes found in weight loss supplements that contain hoodia gordonii. There is a caralluma fimbriata weight loss study. In this study, 50 men and women were given 1000 mg a day of caralluma fimbriata for 2 months.
Those who got caralluma fimbriata reported a reduced appetite and had smaller waist circumferences compared to those who received a placebo. How much caralluma fimbriata is in Healthe Trim? The website does not say.
When I called Healthe Trim they did not want to tell me how much caralluma fimbriata was in Healthe Trim. The customer service rep I spoke with told me that the amounts of ingredients in Healthe Trim are not listed because they are part of a proprietary blend, which stops others from duplicating their recipe.
That doesn't make sense to me because I was able to locate the caralluma fimbriata weight loss study I just summarized in about 5 minutes. Since there is a study that specifies an actual amount of caralluma fimbriata (1000 mg), then don’t you think they should be touting the amount of caralluma fimbriata in Healthe Trim? But they don’t. Why?
Coix Seed
I reviewed coix seed in my review of the weight loss supplement Beautiful Slim Body. Im not aware of any human studies showing it helps weight loss.
Other Ingredients In Healthe Trim
These were not prominently displayed.
Poria Cocos
This is a type of mushroom that has very preliminary research on a number of issues but when it comes to weight loss, I can’t find anything.
Cassia Seed
This is found in other products like Zi Xiu Tang and Beautiful Slim Body
Lotus Leaf
Lotus leaf is found in several supplements including but not limited to
Water Plantain
In some cultures, this is used for urinary tract infections. When it comes to weight loss, I see no research to support its use.
Cumquat
No weight loss evidence.
Methionine
This is an amino acid. The Healthe Trim website says methionine is supposed to “support liver function”. What they don’t tell you is that methionine helps the liver – if you have been poisoned by taking too much acetaminophen (Tylenol). Acetaminophen can damage the liver if you take too much.
Garcinia Cambogia
Healthe Trim also contains Garcinia Cambogia (also called HCA) which is a fruit. Some have speculated that garcinia cambogia can inhibit the fat storage process and that is why its in some weight loss supplements – but is there any proof that garcinia cambigia helps weight loss?
Well, one study showed it might. In this study, published in 2002, 12 men were given either a placebo or the placebo that also contained garcinia cambogia.
When the men got the garcinia cambogia, they reduced their food intake by 15%-30%. Interesting. The men in this study were given 900 mg of garcinia cambogia a day for 2 weeks.
How much garcinia cambogia is in Healthe Trim? They don't tell us. Also, keep in mind that this study did not look at weight loss. It only looked at whether HCA helped people eat less. If garcinia cambogia can help people lose weight or not is kind of controversial but for now, I am willing to leave the door open until more research is done.
See the review of Garcinia cambogia weight loss research.
Garcinia Cambogia (HCA) and Liver Problems?
In 2009 the FDA received reports of liver failure from HydroxyCut – a supplement that contained garcinia cambogia. At that time the FDA had 23 reports of liver problems including 1 person who died.
Other issues reported from hydroxycut use included rhabdomyolysis (muscle cell death) and kidney failure. Here is a review of the liver failure hydroxycut issues.
But, did garcinia cambogia cause liver problems or was it something else in HydroxyCut? Or was it a combination of garcinia cambogia and other ingredients? Nobody knows. Garcina has been eaten for thousands of years but is it possible that it acts differently when its HCA ingredient is concentrated in supplements? Again, I'm just not sure.
At this time, most of the liver problems I am aware of involve HydroxyCut. I'm not aware of any research that specifically links garcinia cambogia (by itself) to liver failure. That's good news but until more is known, it's wise to talk to your doctor first, especially if you have any liver problems to start with.
Mulberry Leaf
Like several other ingredients already listed, mulberry leaf is also found in other weight loss supplements like Zi Xiu Tang, Phentraburn and Beautiful Slim Body. It seems to have a blood sugar lowering effect.
Gymnema Sylvestre
I covered this ingredient when I reviewed the weight loss supplement Glucotor v2
Eleutherococus Senticosus
This is the fancy name for Siberian Ginseng. Apart from some studies finding that Siberian ginseng may reduce flu symptoms, I can’t find anything proof it helps weight loss. On the Healthe Trim website they say it “promotes weight loss”. Where is the proof? They also say Siberian ginseng “reduces stress”. Again where is the proof?
As an aside, I have a big chapter on all the main types of ginseng in my book Nutritional Supplements What Works and Why so if you have that book just turn to the ginseng chapter.
Pyruvate
I was one of the first people in America to take a long, hard look at the pyruvate weight loss research in the 1990s. I would have felt a little better about Healthe Trim if pyruvate was one of the premium ingredients on the main page of the Healthe Trim website. Instead, you have to click “other ingredients” to see it.
That tells me there is not a lot of pyruvate in Healthe Trim. This is bizarre because out of all of the ingredients in Healthe Trim, Pyruvate has the best quality weight loss research.
Pyruvate was popular in the 1990s but quickly fell from grace after people like Bill Sukala PhD and myself started asking tough questions about the weight loss research. Bill Sukala even wrote a peer reviewed paper on pyruvate.
Who Makes Healthe Trim?
The company is called HealthyLife Sciences, LLC.
The Better Business Bureau gave the company a rating of “C-“ the last time I looked and there was an alert on the company pertaining to a run in with the Federal Trade Commission stemming to how the product was marketed. See the BBB file for updates and more information.
The people On The Healthe Trim website
Dr. Scott Carol (Michael Scott Carol)
According to his Linkedin profile, Dr. Carol is a senior partner at Atlanta Allergy and Asthma in Atlanta Georgia (atlantaallergy.com). He is also the owner of Doctors Care Weight Loss. He has also authored a book called Be Fat Free Forever (1996), which according to the Atlantaallergy.com site “serves as the foundation for Doctors Care Weight Loss Healthy Living, Inc.”. Dr Carol has participated in several published peer-reviewed studies on the topic of asthma.
Matthew Dwyer
Matthew is the founder of Healthe Trim. The website claims that Matthew lost 45 pounds in 90 days but I could not tell whether Healthe Trim caused that weight loss. Monique – the perky woman with great abs talking when you first arrive at the Healthe Trim website – is the wife of Matthew Dwyer.
How Much Does Healthe Trim Cost?
You have to give them your name, email, zip code and gender to get to the page that tells you that Healthe Trim costs 54.95 per bottle. There is also a $7.95 shipping and handling charge which brings the total to $62.90 a month.
Here is Healthe Trim on Amazon.
Other Healthe Trim Products
The supplement website lists several other products such as vitamins, minerals, “heart health” supplements, and cleansing supplements. I don’t feel any of these products are needed.
How To Return Healthe Trim
Healthy Life Sciences LLC is the company that makes Healthe Trim. The website lists the Healthe Trim business address is the Northridge Business Park located at 8601 Dunwoody Place Building 400, Suite 418 Atlanta, Georgia 30350. To speak to customer service call 888-456-TRIM (8746).
Does Healthe Trim Work?
To know for sure if it works, we would need real clinical studies published in medical journals involving people. Right now I don't think the product has that level of proof given that I was unable where their clinical study was published. My personal opinion is that if it really does work, it may be due to caralluma fimbriata. That ingredient has some evidence.
I HAVE BEEN TAKING HEALTHE TRIM FOR 6 DAYS AND MY STOOLS HAVE TURNED VERY LIGHT WHICH I UNDERSTAND CAN BE CAUSED FROM POOR LIVER FUNCTION. WILL STOP IMMEDIATLY!!!!!!
Julie, if it’s no better soon go to your doctor and get checked out.
took this for 1 day I was so buzzed and not hungry at all then when it finally wore off at 8 pm I ate everything in sight and actually gained wait sent it back scary and a rip off stay away and just work out and eat right
kamasuitsyou, thanks for sharing and sorry that happened to you. For what its worth I am reading an interesting book called The Fast Diet, about the benefits of intermittent fasting. Im not a big fan of diets but this looked interesting for some people.
Joe, I recently purchased the book “the Fast-5 diet’ by Bert Herring M.D. It is well written and I will follow his plan for at least 5 weeks to see if it benefits me.
Jay, sounds good let me know what you think of the book and plan. Is it a book about intermittent fasting?
Joe, The Fast 5 Diet is IF. He gives reasons why it works and is healthy. He says to fast until 3pm and then have one meal that lasts no longer than 5 hours. Then fast again. That one meal can be appetizers, any food you want, drinks, and dessert. He doesn’t have you count calories but doesn’t suggest living on doughnuts either. I’ll try it and let you know how hard it is and if I get results.
Jay, thanks. Yes fasting has become quite popular lately.
About a year ago I tried healthe trim because I heard an ad on the radio. I was 5’1 and weighed 168 when I started. 3 months into taking this product( which I only took ONE pill a day due to feeling overly hyper if I took more than that) I dropped 30 pounds!
I was so happy with the results so I purchased another months supply but when I took the new pills I felt sick to my stomach and started blacking out. I thought ok maybe I just wasn’t feeling good that day so I tried again the next day and the same feeling occurred.
I immediately stopped taking it and ever since then I have only gained 10 pounds pack (on and off).
Don’t get me wrong… the product works but it does come with some scary side affects. Just be careful.
Ok so I got the bottle yesterday from Walgreens it cost 33$ not much but it works ,, I woke up around 9;30 am I eat 2 of those tablets and around 12 got my breakfast it’s 3:30 I’m not hungry at all notin,, hehe but I have so much energy omg I love it so I live in this building for like 5 years and I have never thought of cleaning the holloway and guess what , I did today infect I clean the whole kitchen so my point is I truly recommend it thank you .!!!!!
My best friend has been taking it. She did it for two months then took a month break. in that two months she lost 20ish lb. then she took it again,after not taking it for a month, and lost 20 lbs again. she is now back to her high school weight. she weighed 197 and now she weighs 155. she didn’t diet,just ate a little better and as far as i know barely exercised.
i know i have to beg her to go walk with me. she has had two kids and started this about a year and a half after her 2nd.i have just started taking it this week and i will let you know how it goes.i weigh 198 as of today,and i try to exercise 2-3x a week. I also just had a baby 3 months ago.
I Finished my two bottles but couldn’t even do the cleanse. It really messed up my stomach and I only lost about 5 lbs, and i think that was water weight or something. It just didnt work for me.
Joe,
Thanks for all your hard work on getting the real facts and allowing us to make an educated decision on these products.
Wondering during all your research have you found a product designed for weight loss that looks at all promising? Or maybe to ask another way, in all the ingredients you have researched is one stand out for weight loss than any other?
Again thanks.
HI Stephanie, I wish I had good news. All the weight loss products Ive looked at just seem to be the same ingredients – mostly- in different bottles. Weight loss products fall into these categories
1 stimulants
2 laxatives
3 fiber
Of those, fiber is probably the safest way to go. Ive written about this in the past on my personal site. Here’s the link
http://www.joe-cannon.com/what-weight-loss-supplements-work/
I saw this product being endorsed on Atlanta and Company this morning (8-29-2012). I did my diligence and won’t be buying this “Magic Pill in a Bottle”. I went to their website and noticed most of the usually named “Weight loss ) ingredients and some strange ones. Beside how can you trust the CEO spokesperson who doesn’t wear socks.
Thanks Joe for your research
V
I tried healthe trim for 1 month in 2010. It gave me energy, suppressed my appetite ( but I still ate, not diet foods!). I was 240 lbs, I went down to 220 & kept it off. I didn’t buy more cause of the cost, but am planning on purchasing it today. I now weigh 163 lbs, totally due to exercise, but would like a boost to get me down to 125.
So yes, it works:)
Ditto what chopper said. I wasn’t looking for a weight loss pill when I tried 2 months of Healthe Trim, but I was looking for an appetite suppressant. For this purpose, Healthe Trim worked. It allowed me to switch up my calorie intake down to 800 per day for a week, then up to 1200 a day for the remaining 2 month period.
Doing this and calorie counting allowed me to lose 15 pounds. After that, as intended, I quit Healthe Trim and continued on with healthy eating, more calories per day, and doing the P90X program. I lost more weight, but due to an injury I’ve gain all the weight back now. This time around I’m looking to do something similar. Having a desk job doesn’t help matter. But at home when watching TV or on the computer, I always try to have a weight around to lift or Ab-roller to do while watching TV.
As for those with health concerns, I didn’t notice any issues from taking this for 2 months. I started this around 207lbs, got down to 192lbs. with proper eating, limited exercise and taking Healthe Trim. I later got down to 168lbs using high impact exercises 6 days a week, eating 2 snacks a day, and having 3 meal with proteins, veggies, and water.
I also kept to trying to eat something during my wakeful hours ever 2 – 3 hours. Even if it was just a Clif bar. Also, Shakeology is another product I later used and saw great results, got sick less, and felt better overall. I also try to avoid most dairy products.
I have been taking healthy trim for a while and the number 1 thing for me is that it is an appetite suppressant which causes me to eat less calories which then concludes to me losing weight. The second thing it does for me is it gives me a slight boost of energy without crash . I’ve decided to exercise more and eat healthier because of cost.
Once you start Healthe Trim, do you need to continue taking it “forever” in order to maintain your weight or because its addictive?
Lora, I dont think people should take it forever. all weight loss supplements are best used with a modified food intake and to keep doing that after stopping wt loss pills so that it prevents the regaining of weight that is lost. i think that is something most people do not do.
Was wondering if you have any opinion on taking this if you have had breast cancer? I am a 6 year survivor (I am almost 42). I cannot have any kind of hormones whatsoever but doesn’t look like Healthe Trim has hormones it in.
My friend is taking this and lost about 20 pounds in 2 months and has great things to say. She gave me about 2 weeks’ worth to try but I’m not sure I should. I know you’re probably going to suggest I check with my doc, but wanted your opinion. Thanks! Michelle
Michelle, thats exactly what I’m going to say. I dont think anybody know the answer to your question because supplements sold in the US do not have to undergo testing for safety before they are sold to the public. so there is no research on breast cancer survivors and the propriety blend of ingredients in healthe trim -or most other supplements either.
iwish I had a better answer for you. your oncologist might have other ideas.
Thanks for all the great data ! Very helpful and allowed me to make the right choice not to buy Healthe Trim.
My teenage niece is taking this to lose weight. Should I be worried? Can this type of product be harmful to people under 18?
Sarah, Its hard to say. I’m pretty sure healthee trim would say not to use if you are under 18 years old. I personally would like to see research proving Garcinia Cambogia (HCA) is not linked to liver problems. if able, have your niece get a doctor check up including liver functioning tests just to be on the safe side.
Hi joe,
I’ve been hearing a lot about this product, so i bought some and I’ve been hoping for the best. However, I am worried about adverse health effects. For it not to work is one thing, but I definitely don’t want any harmful results! Do you think that it has any harm beyond simply not working? Also, my 60 year old mother wants to begin this as well. At her age, is this product dangerous?
Thanks for the help. Hopefully I’ll lose some weight, but regardless I’ll report back any results.
jess i dont know. I’d recommend your mom get a dr check up before trying healthee trim at the very least.
Just saw the same review from “Terron” from another website where it was a woman making the comment. Same exact wordage. Funny. My boyfriend wants me to try it, so I will. Its his money he’s wasting and I told him that. I have no confidence in the product at all. Thank yoou very much for your review.
Jessica thanks for pointing that out about “Terron”
A friend and I both started taking healthe trim around the same time. I didn’t lose an ounce; I didn’t really feel anything taking this – it didn’t suppress my appetite or make me jittery. She lost about 15 pounds; it helped her appetite, but made her jittery.
She is in the hospital now, for liver failure hopefully on her way home soon. They tested her for just about everything that could cause liver failure and nothing came back positive. They are pretty sure it was from her taking healthe trim.
I now have 3 bottle of this stuff (because if you order on line with a credit card they will continue to send it to you with 25$ shipping) that I will not be using. I am going to try to return the last shipment.
I really wish I would have researched this before trying it. How silly to think a pill I could buy over the counter could help me lose weight. I agree with what was said above. Diet and exercise, plus lots of water. You do not need this pill.
SS, on my goodness I hope your friend is ok!!! Please keep me posted on what happens.
Hey Joe, this is a great review! I have searched but cannot find a review for Calotren (another weight loss supplement with a lot of hype) Have you reviewed this product and if so do you have the link?
Thanks
JW
JW, thanks. I have not heard of Calotren but as soon as I saw the name, I had a good idea of what it was. I went to the product website, which confirmed my idea. It is a supplement that contains collagen, which is a protein. college has been used in different weight loss supplements for a long time. My buddy, Bill Sukala has written an in-depth review of a similar product called Calorad. Here is the link http://www.drbillofhealth.com/nutrition/calorad-collagen-weight-loss-supplements-review-marketing-claims/
In short, I see no proof that collagen helps people lose weight. Its just protein. Collagen is an incomplete protein which means its less valuable to the body than chicken, fish etc. It is missing some essential amino acids that we need. I appreciate you telling me about this product. Ive added it to my list (yes I really do have a list!) 🙂
So I will just comment that I have lost 8 pounds in just 10 days on Healthy Trim. I don’t exercise much-if I do it’s taking my son out for a walk for 20-30 minutes about 4 times a week. I work at a desk. I have tried to cut my calories to at most 1700 a day. I used to consume about 2000. I feel great and am not eating around the clock anymore.
I do say it’s because of healthy trim that I lost the weight I have so far. It really does help with curbing the hunger. I was dieting without it for a few weeks and didn’t lose anything. I got on healthy trim and lost weight easily. I do not limit what I eat, just how much I eat. I’m a very picky eater so my staples are frozen pizzas, fast food, french fries, ice cream, etc. I have not changed to a “healthy” diet, just to a change in the amount of calories I take in. I’m very happy with this product because Hydroxycut didn’t work for me at all.
Why are people so gullible when it comes to weight loss? Has anyone seen a pill yet that states you can use it alone & still lose weight? NO!!!!! All of them state that weight loss will occur as long as it is used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. Well no $hit it will occur, because you are doing the two things that promote weight loss! It has nothing to do with the pill. Even the lady above told us what she’s eating every day and what she is doing for exercise, yet she’s convinced it’s the pill that’s helping her. Honey, stop taking the pill, continue what you are doing and the weight is going to still come off. People need to stop giving companies money for these dumb a$$ gimmicks, do the diet and exercise and lo and behold, the weight will come off!