Update 1/20/20. Japanese Hokkaido Weight Loss Pills are another in a long line of weight loss supplements from Japan, China, Vietnam, etc. aimed predominately at Americans. I admit I'd never heard of these slimming pills until it was brought to my attention by one of the readers of my blog. At various websites, these pills are said to be “in high demand,” and when I checked eBay, I saw some people selling them for over $60! Do these slimming pills work? Let’s see what the research says. This review contains updated and new information, thanks to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who tested Hokkaido weight loss pills and discovered what I suspected from the start… Also, see the review of Slim Trim U for more info.
Hokkaido Pills Ingredients
Hokkaido weight loss pills contain these ingredients.
- Dill Extract
- Chinese rose extract
- Trumpet Creeper extract
- Evening primrose extract
- Lotus
Is there any evidence that these ingredients help people lose weight? Let’s look at the research and see:
Dill Extract
They don’t tell you what “extract” they are talking about, but when I searched for weight loss research on dill, I found nothing. Dill does seem to have a diuretic effect so it may act as a natural water pill. I'm guessing that is why it’s in the ingredients.
Women who may be pregnant should avoid Hokkaido Weight Loss Pills. There is some speculation that dill may cause menstrual bleeding. I cannot find any research or case studies to substantiate this, however, but it is something to consider.
Chinese Rose Extract
Again, they do not tell us what specific extract they are talking about. What is the scientific name of the Chinese rose they are using? If anyone knows, let me know, and I will update this review.
Trumpet Creeper Extract
If you search for research on Trumpet Creeper, online, it can be a little difficult to find because its scientific name is Campsis radicans. Another name –albeit less scientific – is cow itch, which is a reference to how farm animals sometimes get a rash when they rub against it. This makes sense since the name “radicans” is the same classification as poison ivy (Rhus radicans).
That said, I could not locate any weight loss proof that Trumpet Creeper helps weight loss. When I googled Trumpet Creeper and weight loss, many sites that came up had to do with sites that sell weight-loss pills and that was no help. I then checked the National Library of Medicine and also couldn’t find anything. One problem with my search is that we are not told what extract of Trumpet Creeper is in Hokkaido weight loss pills.
Evening Primrose Extract
This is also called GLA, which stands for gamma-linolenic acid. The lack of evening primrose weight loss research makes me very skeptical. One study from the 1980s found evening primrose oil did not help weight loss.
Because evening primrose oil effects blood clotting, people taking blood thinners should avoid this product. There is also some perplexing cancer research hints that evening primrose oil might either reduce breast cancer growth or speed up breast cancer growth, depending on how much is used. The bottom line, if you have a history of cancer, talk to your doctor first.
The product Abdominal Cuts also has evening primrose oil. See that review for more info.
Evening primrose oil is sometimes used for PMS symptoms –with mixed results. Like Dill, women who may be pregnant should not use evening primrose oil.
It may be very dangerous. If you have my book on supplements see the chapter on evening primrose oil for more on its other uses.
Hokkaido FDA Update
In November 2012, The FDA alerted the public that Japanise Hokkaido Slimming Pills contained the weight loss drug called sibutramine, a weight-loss drug that was removed from the US market in 2010 because it posed significant health risks. Here is what the FDA said in their warning about Hokkaido pills:
“Sibutramine is known to substantially increase blood pressure and/or pulse rate in some patients and may present a significant risk for patients with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, or stroke. This product may also interact, in life-threatening ways, with other medications a consumer may be taking.”
This explains the very strange symptoms people have been reporting in the comments.
Lotus
Human weight loss research on lotus cannot be located. I did locate one test-tube study where lotus and L carnitine reduced fat buildup inside fat cells. This is interesting but it’s a study of fat cells in test tubes. You are MUCH more complex than a test tube.
You may recall that lotus is one of the ingredients in Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen weight loss supplements.
On one of the websites that sell Hokkaido Pills, they spelled “primrose” wrong and there is broken English. Nobody is perfect but ingredient typos – and broken English on websites make me wonder about who put this website together.
Do Hokkaido Weight Loss Pills work?
Based on the research I can find, I say no, this stuff cannot possibly work – if these are the only ingredients in the pills. If people are losing weight, I am interested in hearing about it. Since I wrote this review, the FDA has confirmed what I thought all along – that Hokkaido slimming pills contained something not listed in the ingredients, a drug called sibutramine. Because of this, Hokkaido weight loss pills cannot be recommended.
What do you think?
Hi Michelle
Sorry to hear about that, it really is hard to swallow pills but I wanna lose weight also. It doesn’t taste that bad, there’s a bitter after taste though so I usually mix it with fresh juice so it would be more tolerable.
Janina,
Hi. I too have problems taking pills! I HATE taking pills but I really want to lose weight. But I have not been taking these pills everyday cause the last time I took them, I started choking LITERALLY!! And my husband had to put his finger down my throat and help me gag so the pill could come out!! Cause I couldn’t breath!!!:( very scary moment!! So my question to u is, does it taste really bad if u open the pills and mix it with water, then drink it??
Yes, only because I have trouble swallowing pills/tablets so I open up the pills and mix it with water/juice.
Hi Joe This is my 4th day taking the pill and so far my tummy seems smaller but I still feel the hunger, although my supplier told me it would take about 2-3 days for the pills to kick in. Since the first day I drank the pills I get chills and a tingling sensation in my back, I feel very much dehydrated and I also experience the headaches.
I’ve only experienced palpitation once I don’t know though if it was because of the pills or the Chinese food take out I ate or maybe even both. I’ve also had trouble sleeping before I started drinking hokkaido but now the pills keep me up until 6 or 7 AM. I also feel so irritable all the time because I’m hungry and I don’t get enough sleep.
I was really surprised at the feedback from other people. I’m so glad I came across this page
Janina, you said you “drank” the pills. Are you taking a liquid form of this supplement?
Joe,
Thanks for the info! (: I did get really discouraged with not losing a pound!! So I stopped taking the pills as of Saturday (jan. 14th) and I felt extremely hungry! Like all the time! Even after I would eat a good sized meal, an hour later I would feel as if I were starving!!:( so I figured, okay..that could be due to the fact that I wasn’t feeding my body very much food and it was kinda wanting to make up for all the lost calories? LOL I dont know..I was just assuming haha…so I could deal with that, no problem!
What I could NOT deal with, however, was the fact that after stopping these pills, I became extremely CONSTIPATED!!! I couldn’t have a bowel movement even if my life depended on it!!!!:( so that did bother me a whole bunch! I started feeling really crampy and bloated so today, (jan. 18th)
I started taking these pills again..and within one hour, I had diarrhea! And then I felt a whooooole lot better!:/ but, I’m still at the same weight since my last weigh in on Friday. So even after not taking these pills for 4 days, I did not gain any weight back..
Anyway, I’m going to continue taking these pills and I’ll just see what happens in the future(:
first time that i take the pill. i feel lightness in my head, numbness of the my body especially my feet and i experienced palpitation.:(
Emjhay, that doesn’t sound good to me. I recommend you stop taking it immediately and see your doctor.
Hello, hello!! Well today marks the 2nd week that I’ve been taking these pills! And with such good results last week, I’m disappointed to report bad news this week.
I weighed myself today and sadly, I have not gained nor lost one single pound this whole week!!!:( I have no clue as to why this happened to me this week if last week I lost 8 ponds!!! I was very discouraged after seeing no weight loss.
I’m trying to figure out how this could be possible? As of right now, I have no answer..however, I’m going to continue taking the pills and hopefully next Friday, I’ll see lower digits on that scale!:(
Sincerely,
disheartened Michelle_Dee
Michelle, dont beat yourself up. sometimes as you get closer to your goal weight – or where your body feels “comfortable” – it slows down its metabolic weight which makes weight loss harder. Metabolic rate does tend to slow down as we lose weight.
i saw hokkaido slimming pills on the internet when i saw searching of the best slimming pills ever, i have red different testimonials regarding this product saying what they have experienced .. the first time i have taken this product I’m not that so sure of what was my weight back then but all i remembered is that my ever favorite pants loosen up, it was only my 1st time to drink that kind of pills .. when i ran out of my pill i bought the same product at different person .. the 1st bottle i bought was the genuine one but the second bottle i was able to bought was the fake one ..
the 1st bottle i was able to bought didn’t make me feel hungry most of the time, i feel like I’m bloated, ever time i’m about to eat when i had saw foods or even smelled it i feel that i’m already so much full .. also i had dried mouth and throat all the time, and even though i already drinks 2 glasses of cold water it feels the same .. i had palpitations .. i wasn’t able to sleep well during couple of days .. my hands are tingley .. i keep on urinating every now and then but this time i can’t control my pee .. i just poo in the morning when i woke up .. but after my system was immune of that kind of pills it finally lower those things .. the person who sold it to me told me that it was natural .. so i believed her 🙂
while the second bottle i bought i just taken 2 capsules then i stopped .. because when i looked at it thoroughly the color of the capsule of the second bottle was lighter than the first bottle .. i was scared of what might happen ..
MY PARENTS DON’T EVEN KNOW THAT I WAS TAKING THAT KING OF PILL EVERYDAY .. BOTH OF THEM ARE REGISTERED NURSES AND THEY KNOW IF ITS GOOD OR BAD FOR THE HEALTH ..
after a long time of stop taking HOKKAIDO i gained much wait again .. so i bought 2 bottles for 40 days so that when i ran out of my first bottle i wont buy rush with out checking if it is really genuine or not ..
and TODAY is my 3rd day of drinking that king of pill .. when i finally finish my 2 bottles i will stop taking it and just maintain the weight i will be having .. i’m scared that i might have UTI as what is said the previous testimonials ..
I WILL JUST DRINK LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER AND BUKO JUICE .. EAT RIGHT AND LESSER AMOUNT OF FOOD .. AND EXERCISE AS MUCH AS MY BODY COULD :))
Oh and on the box it says the place that makes them and there is a website but can be hard to find with all of the people selling them
The tan powder is the real ones and dark brown powder is fake. And they normally have a holographic genuine stamp on the box.
Hi Jo, I wish I had read your posts even before buying these pills.
I’ve tried everything, Maggie, Zhen de Zhou, Ballerina..all of the “Chinese” slimming products, even the slimming tea and coffee. As a 30 year old / single mom, I don’t really have time to exercise so I turn to the quick fix which are these pills.
After taking Hokkaido, only after a couple of hours I noticed the same observations that the others on the site posted. Tingly-fingers, felt I was always spaced out or floating. I was thirsty and walked around with a bottle of water wherever I went. I thought that it was like that since it was just the first day. So I continued and clenched my teeth through all the other symptoms thinking that my body was just adjusting to it. After taking it for 5 days, I woke up one morning and couldn’t feel my right arm. My lower legs hurt and I thought that I had injured it. (Which is impossible since I don’t really do much physical activity).
On the 6th day I threw the bottle away and went about doing my usual errands. I was standing in front of my house with the grocery bags and fell to my knees. I was taken to the hospital and after hours and blood tests, I was told that my sodium and potassium levels had dropped. Silly me, I didn’t tell the doctor that I was taking these pills. I did some research and found how dangerous loss of potassium and sodium is in our body.
I definitely learned my lesson. Will be sure to research first and it’s time to realize that there’s no easy way to lose weight. Thanks for keeping this forum, definitely allows others to share their experiences. For those who were successful with the product, congratulations!
Don, I’m confused by all your posts. Two say you ordered from the Philippines and one says china. I’ve researched these pills and can’t tell where they are actually manufactured, as each “distributor” claims a different country of origin. I’ve heard China, Philippines, and japan. I’m assuming they are all manufactured in the same place, but if not, that could explain why some people experience side effects and some experience nothing, not even weight loss.
This isn’t meant as a personal attack, but I also noticed you said you stopped taking the pills after 30 days because you had lost all the weight you wanted to lose. But a few posts later you said you are taking them after a week off because you need to lose 35 lbs before your wedding. It makes me think your info isn’t reliable.
Laura,
The pills I took, had tan powder inside of them..is there a dif in the tan and dark brown powdered pills? I’m really curious!
Hello.. just received these today and took two… not even two hours later just like others.. drymouth and my hands are tingley…. will keep posted
Hello!!(: so I’m checking back in..today is exactly one week since I’ve first taken these pills and I have great news!!!
I weighed myself this morning and I’ve lost a whopping 8 pounds!!!!!! In just 7 days! I honestly love these pills and I’m very curious why some users have such bad side effects from these, and very few users have little to no side effects?? Hmmm..that’s alarming, I’ll admit! I would def stop taking these pills as well if I felt what some of u guys are feeling that have taken these pills!
But I’m glad to report that I have not experienced any alarming or questionable side effects! My only side effects include: energy, frequent bowel movements, suppressed appetite, and dry mouth.
However, I do eat throughout the day, although I don’t feel hungry! I just make sure I’m eating something healthy and I remember portion control! Also, I don’t eat past 6pm!
So, in closing, these pills have worked wonders for me. I’m sorry that these pills just were not working for some of u and hopefully u do find something else out there that aids in ur weight loss goals!!
I will continue to check in every week!(:
8 pounds down, 22 pounds to go!!! LOL happy Friday everyone!!!!
Love,
Michelle_Dee
E if you read all the comments you will see his post I think his name is don he says flat out that the shippers miss labeled the boxes and down further said all his pills were tested and had a diet drug that was banned not too long ago. But I wish people would really look into if their pills are real or fake before taking them so they might know if the people that had bad side efects can tell me if the powder inside is tan or dark brown. Same with people that have good stories.
I bought this pills on a well-known mall here in the philippines. at first I was hesitant but since its sold in this mall i bought it. I used it for 3 weeks and lost 10lbs.
On my first week, the symptoms that i experienced are insomnia, suppressed appetite, BM, and high energy even if i only ate a little.
2nd wk : the same as 1st wk and its our sembreak so when classes resumed, i have to use the stairs because my room is on the 4th flr. so when i reached my room and sat down, i noticed that i feel nervous or anxious, its like a heavy feeling i dont know how to explain. at first, i tried to ignore it coz i think it was because of the stairs. 15 mins passed, i still feel it so i checked my heartbeat and it was so fast. i asked my friend who went also the same stairs if she is experiencing it too but she wasn’t. so i let her feel mine and she was surprised because it was really fast. then we waited for 30 mins and its still the same. It made me worried. then it went back to normal later on. this is my first time to experience this
3rd wk: dry mouth, pain from the back of my neck, right shoulder, insomnia, lightheaded..
Im still on my 3rd wk, yesterday morning was the last time i took it. I have 4 pills left.
When i arrived at my home, i felt dizzy, the pain on my back still hurts, i have fever and mouth is drier. i notice that when i move my tongue to the sides, there are skin falling off. and i was so scared so i searched and found this website.
I think I’m dehydrated. so i ate tomatoes and drank milk to gain potassium.
now, i still feel dizzy and weak.. and Im writing this because I want you to know what happened so that others will not try it. me and my sister is thinking of going to the hospital later if my fever will get worse.
I dont want to sleep so I wrote this.
thank u Mr. Joe.
Kris,
Just able to get to your email now. I do hope you went to the hospital if you felt that bad. did you? what did the doctor say? I hope you are ok
Laura: I am also from Kern County, Can u tell me more about the guy getting his shipment seized?
Hi guys;) I did tried this product and it really works .I took it for straight 7 days and lost about 10 lbs.Yes it will have side effect of thirst coz it’s draining excess body water and causes LBm .Make sure to drink 8 glasses of water refrain from eating too much salty food ,drink Gatorade .One week was enough for to take this pills.I do take it only when I miss BM in a day or if I I like to eat plenty I take this to evacuate it the next day,lol.
headache signs bec u r not not eating or skipping meals.
Right now I’m watching my diet and even I eat my stomach will suddenly feels full right away.
Hello!(: I just started taking these pills on Dec. 30th in hopes of losing weight! I’ve read good and bad reviews on this product so I figured I’m just gonna have to personally try them and see what side effects, if any, I experience. So far so good..the only difference I’ve noticed is that I don’t get as hungry as I used to before starting these pills. Besides that, everything else remains the same..maybe its too soon to tell, since its only been a couple days lol, but I will def keep u guys posted on my weight lose journey! Hopefully the next time I check-in, its good news and not bad! Haha well have a lovely new years day everyone!!!(: