Update 3/10/23. What is skinny fiber and does it work? To me, the name skinny fiber is ironic because I thought all fiber was supposed to help people lose weight. I did some digging into Skinny Fiber and discovered that there is some research on some of its ingredients. That will be the focus of this unbiased review. Does it have a secret ingredient? People may have heard about the enzymes in Skinny Fiber. Do they help with weight loss? That will also be addressed in this review. This review will help you decide if Skinny Fiber is right for you. See the Skinny Body Max review too.
What Is Skinny Fiber?
Skinny Fiber is exactly what the name says: a fiber pill supplement that is touted to help with weight loss. There is research on some of its ingredients, and those clinical studies will be summarized below.
Skinny Fiber Research
Is there any clinical evidence showing Skinny Fiber really helps people lose weight? Searching the product website reveals no research studies on the product.
Likewise, searching the National Library of Medicine (Pubmed.gov) for “skinny fiber” and “skinny fiber weight loss” reveal no studies either.
Fortunately, for this review, there are weight loss studies on some of the ingredients in this supplement.
Skinny Fiber Ingredients
According to the label I've seen, each bottle has 120 capsules, and the serving size is 2 capsules. In 2 Skinny Fiber Pills, there are the following ingredients:
| % Daily Value | |
| Calories 0 | |
| Total Fat 0 grams | <1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 1 gram | <1% |
| Protein 0 grams | <1% |
| Sodium 5 grams | <1% |
| Proprietary Blend 1160 mg | N/A |
| Glucomannan (tuber) powder | |
| Caralluma Fimbriata (whole plant) powder | |
| Cha de Bugre (leaf) powder | |
| Proprietary Enzyme Blend 260 mg | N/A |
| Amylase powder | |
| Protease powder | |
| Lipase powder | |
| Glucoamylase powder | |
| Papain powder | |
| Cellulase powder | |
| Bromelain powder |
N/A = no daily value established
Other Ingredients
The product also contains these other ingredients:
- Gelatin capsule
- microcrystalline cellulose
- magnesium stearate
These additional ingredients likely play no role in the effects or benefits of Skinny Fiber. Because gelatin is the first ingredient listed, it makes up most of these ingredients.
Let's look at each active ingredient in Skinny Fiber separately.
Glucomannan
Glucomannan (also called Konjac root) is a fiber that helps people feel full. It's in many weight loss products I've previously investigated, including:
This fiber is added to weight loss supplements because there is indeed some research that shows glucomannan can help weight loss. Studies usually use about 1 to 3 grams per day. Two skinny fiber pills have a 1.15 grams total of its proprietary blend of ingredients.
Since glucomannan is listed first in the blend's ingredients, I take that to mean it is mostly glucomannan fiber.
For those who want to compare prices, here is glucomannan capsules and glucomann powder on Amazon.
Caralluma Fimbriata
This is a cactus-like plant, rumored to have appetite-suppressing effects that grow in India. The idea behind how it works is that chemicals in the plant are said to reduce chemicals in the brain that cause us to want to eat. That is the theory anyway.
The plant is sometimes called a “famine food” likely because it's used during times of famine when there is not much food to eat. Given that it might reduce appetite, some suspect it may also help weight loss. Does it?
Here's what the research says:
In one study involving 43 people, researchers noted that 1000 mg Caralluma fimbriata per day, given for 12 weeks, caused a 2.2-inch reduction in waist circumference relative to placebo and a decrease in the waist-to-hip ratio. Those taking Caralluma Fimbriata also appeared to have a decrease in the smell, taste, and look of food. That of course could lead people to eat less.
The people in this study also followed a lower calorie eating plan. People ate 500 fewer calories than normal. It's also interesting to note that both groups lost similar amounts of weight. Also, those taking Caralluma Fimbriata did not lose more weight than the placebo group.
In another study involving 50 men and women, those who received 1000 mg of Caralluma Fimbriata per day were noted to significantly reduce waist circumference and hunger levels compared to those who received a placebo. There was no clinical difference in body weight.
In this investigation, researchers saw that rats given Caralluma Fimbriata experienced less food intake and reduced body weight gain than rats that did not receive Caralluma Fimbriata.
In a small study conducted on 15 kids with a rare genetic disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome that causes excessive appetite, 1000 mg of Caralluma seemed to reduce appetite when given over a 10-week period. Even though this study lasted 10 weeks, the study does not mention if body weight was reduced.
On the flip side, a study published in 2015 that noted Caralluma fimbriata did not work. This study involved 89 overweight people who were randomly given either a placebo or 1000 mg of Caralluma per day for 12 weeks. Those taking Caralluma did not have any improvements in weight loss or reduction in appetite.
Caralluma Fimbriata Video Review
Watch on my youtube channel too
Summary of Caralluma Fimbriata Research
Studies can be complicated so here is a quick rundown on the Caralluma Fimbriata research to help you
| Study Year / Type Of Study | Amount Used | Study Results |
|---|---|---|
| (2017) Rat study | 100mg/kg (see above for human dosage) | Weight reduction |
| (2015) 15 kids with Prader-Willi syndrome). Lasted 10 weeks | 1000 mg/day | Reduced appetite. Weight loss data not mentioned. |
| (2015) Human study (89 people). Lasted 12 weeks | 1000 mg/day | No reduction in body weight. No reduction in appetite. |
| (2013) Human study (43 people). Lasted 12 weeks | 1000 mg/day | Reduced waist circumference, reduced smell and taste for food. compared to placebo. No change in body weight |
| (2010) Rat study | various amounts | Rats weighed less and ate less food |
| (2007) Human study (5 men /women). Lasted 60 days | 1000 mg/day | Reduced waste circumference and hunger compared to placebo. No significant changes in body weight. |
Here is Caralluma fimbriata on Amazon.
Chá de Bugre
Also called Cordia ecalyculata and Cordia salicifolia. The Skinny Fiber website says that Chá de Bugre can “support a healthy metabolism” and is an “appetite suppressant.” Is there any proof it does this?
No human evidence on Chá de Bugre and weight loss could be located. A mouse study published in 2017 noted that Cha de Bugre, both alone and when combined with Spirulina, reduced appetite in mice.
Another mouse study noted that acha de bugre did not reduce body weight or food consumption.
The Enzyme Blend
When Skinny Fiber first came out, its website said this about the enzymes:
“The biggest CHALLENGE to losing weight is that most of us are NOT getting enough enzymes from our food to properly DIGEST what we eat.“
That working has changed and they now say that:
“When we don’t get enough enzymes from our food, our bodies can’t properly digest what we eat, causing use to often have a weaker immune system and gain weight.”
But it's important to know that our bodies make enzymes. While there are enzymes in food, they are quickly digested in the stomach when we eat them. Might enzymes help someone with digestion issues? Maybe. But for healthy people, evidence that they help weight loss is lacking.
The label says that 2 Skinny Fiber pills contain 260 mg of the following enzymes:
- Amylase (carbohydrate digesting enzyme)
- Protease (protein-digesting enzyme)
- Lipase (fat-digesting enzyme
- Glucoamylase (sugar-digesting enzyme)
- Papain (protein-digesting enzyme)
- Cellulase (carbohydrate digesting enzyme)
- Bromelain (protein-digesting enzyme)
One thing to remember is that enzymes that are eaten are quickly destroyed by the stomach's acidity soon after they are consumed. Because of that, those enzymes don't get into the blood to do anything.
Enzymes are safe and won't hurt anyone. They might add a little bit of protein but as for helping with weight loss, it would take human studies to know for sure.
How Much Sodium?
If you looked closely at the label above, you saw that 2 capsules contained “5 grams” (5000 mg) of sodium, which the label also indicates is less than 1% of the Daily Value for sodium. But 5 grams is not 1% of the Daily Value for sodium. In fact, 5 grams is far
more than most people should be consuming. Most medical experts advise people to keep sodium to 1500 mg to 2300 mg (1.5 to 2.3 grams). If Skinny Fiber really has 5g, this would put people way over what they should be getting.
Could this be a typo and that the product really has only 5 mg of sodium rather than 5 grams?
If I am wrong, and Skinny Fiber really has 5 grams of sodium (in only 2 capsules), then people watching their sodium intake should be aware of this.
Skinny Fiber Active Ingredients
Looking at the research on each of the ingredients in Skinny Fiber, I see two ingredients that might help people lose weight:
And of those two ingredients, I feel glucomannan has the most evidence.
Ingredients With Limited Evidence
No human weight loss evidence could be located or the following ingredients in Skinny Fiber:
- Enzymes
- Chá de Bugre
This review will be updated as it becomes available if the evidence is found. If anyone is aware of the evidence for any of these ingredients, please share in the comments below.
Skinny Fiber On TV
On January 22, 2014, Skinny Fiber was featured on The Balancing Act, a TV show on the LifeTime Network. The interview featured the CEO of Skinny Fiber and a woman named Kayla, who lost 40 pounds while taking the product. Kayla has a Facebook page where she lists she is a Skinny Fiber distributor. Nothing is wrong with this, but it was not mentioned in the Balancing Act segment.
In the Balancing Act interview, when speaking about why Kayla was able to 40 pounds, the company CEO said:
“The reason that this product was able to work is because the enzymes were able to get her body in a condition where losing weight was possible.”
But, as already mentioned above, there is a lack of evidence that enzymes help weight loss. In fact, the very name – “Skinny Fiber” – tells you that it's the fiber -not the enzymes- promoting weight loss.
Think about it, they don’t call it “Skinny Enzymes” do they? The simple answer is that Skinny Fiber is a fiber supplement.
Segments seen in the Balancing Act are called “Branded Entertainment Segments.” In other words, the segments feature different brands (products) in a way that is meant to both inform and entertain people.
When I called The Balancing Act, I was told that while the Skinny Fiber segments are not “infomercials,” the companies featured on the show do pay a “pre-production fee” prior to being on the show.
I was told that companies that do not pay this pre-production fee would probably not be featured on The Balancing Act.
So how is this not an infomercial?
There is nothing inherently wrong with this partnership between companies and broadcast media. I bring this up for those who didn’t know what they were watching.
Protandim has also been featured on The Balancing Act, so see that review for more information.
Skinny Fiber 90-Day Challenge
There is a Skinny Fiber 90-Day Challenge. To quote Ben Glinsky, in the Balancing Act interview, the reason for the 90-day challenge is that:
“the enzymes that we have in this product have to build in your body and until your body gets healthy enough with those enzymes to be able to let go of that extra fat, losing weight is almost impossible.”
What enzymes is he talking about? He doesn’t tell us.
In my opinion, the reason for the Skinny Fiber 90-Day Challenge is to get people to do something on a regular basis. If they do something regularly, it becomes a habit.
If people spend 90 days trying to lose weight, many of those people will be successful to some extent. There is nothing wrong with it. It gives people goals to aim for, and that is a good thing.
Many weight loss companies offer a “challenge” that lasts about 90 days or so. In my opinion, this can all be traced back to the book Body For Life by Bill Philips, which got people to exercise, eat well, and take supplements made by EAS (Bill Philips was the owner of EAS).
It was a win for people because many lost weight, and it was a win for EAS because they made a lot of money from people who purchased their supplements. For those who are curious, the supplement company, EAS, was later purchased by Abbot Labs, a pharmaceutical company.
How Much Does The 90-Day Challenge Cost?
Let's do the math for those who are thinking about doing the Skinny Fiber 90-day Challenge:
1 Bottle of skinny fiber costs $59.95. 1 Bottle has 120 capsules which is a 2-month supply (if taking only 2 pills per day). If you take 4 pills per day, a bottle of 120 pills will last a month (120 ÷ 4 = 30 days).
If taking 4 capsules per day the 90-day challenge would cost:
59.95 X 3 months = $179.95 (shipping and handling might be extra).
I believe glucomannan is the active ingredient in Skinny Fiber. And Glucomannan is a lot less expensive.
How Many Pills Per Day?
Some distributors advocate taking 2 capsules daily Skinny Fiber at least 30 minutes before eating. This should be done with the biggest meals of the day. For some, this might be 4 pills per day. Take pills with 1 -2 glasses of water.
As with any new supplement, it's best to start with less than is recommended. For example, starting with only 1 pill per day for the first week, followed by 2 pills the following week, and so on until reaching what the company recommends.
How Much Water?
People need to take Skinny Fiber with enough water to swallow the capsules completely. This is to ensure they don't get stuck in the throat. Drinking water during weight loss programs is also advocated because it can also help curb appetite.
Water is good, although it should be remembered that drinking so much water drinking too much is not always the best. There is a medical condition called hyponatremia (high-poe-nay-tree-me-ah). Also called “water intoxication.” This condition results when too much water is consumed.
Basically, the water consumed dilutes the electrolytes in the blood. This can cause headaches, fatigue, confusion and even loss of consciousness. In rare cases, people have died from hyponatremia. This very rare condition is mentioned not to scare anyone, but to rather give people something to think about if they encounter advice that places an unusually high emphasis on drinking water while taking weight loss supplements.
As a rough estimate, aim to drink half your body weight in water per day. So, for someone who is 180 pounds, this would be 90 oz per day. Looking at the color of your urine can also give an indication too. Yellow urine might mean you are becoming dehydrated.
While the urine test is popular, it should be remembered that the vitamin riboflavin can also make urine look yellow too. Those who are taking multivitamins should check how much riboflavin is present if using the urine test for hydration. Skinny Fiber does not have riboflavin.
Does It Contain Caffeine?
Skinny fiber has no caffeine or other stimulants. It is basically a fiber pill supplement.
Does It Contain Gluten?
Skinny Fiber appears to be gluten-free.
Is It Organic?
There is no mention of whether or not Skinny Fiber is organic.
Does Skinny Fiber Contain HCG?S
Skinny Fiber does not contain the HCG hormone or any other hormones. Here is the review of HCG diet research for those who want to know more about this.
Skinny Fiber vs. Metamucil
As stated above, it is believed that glucomannan (konjac root extract) is the main active ingredient in Skinny Fiber. Metamucil is another fiber supplement that is marketed to help people lose weight. Metamucil contains a fiber called psyllium. As mentioned in the Metamucil review, there are studies that psyllium fiber can help with weight loss too.
So what's better: Skinny Fiber or Metamucil? At this time, there are no head-to-head- clinical studies comparing these products to each other. There are also no studies comparing glucomannan fiber to psyllium fiber either for weight loss.
Could the other ingredients in Skinny Fiber make it better? Of course, it's possible. But that would take clinical studies to prove.
Skinny Fiber Customer Complaints
When looking at online complaints about any product, ask yourself if what you are reading is reasonable or not. For example, someone might complain that they did not receive a product on time. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the person complaining and ask yourself if what they are saying would be a problem for you.
The Skinny Fiber Lawsuit
In the comments section below, I was made aware of a lawsuit involving Skinny Fiber. It appears to involve another company called Master Strategies LLC which it said, owns the trademark to Skinny Fiber. Instead of going into detail here, I'll just refer you to the bloggers website to read more about this. Update. It appears the judge has dismissed this lawsuit.
Skinny Fiber Side Effects
Skinny Fiber is likely very safe for most healthy people. That said, here are a few things to consider if you are not healthy. This list is not complete.
- Stop taking Skinny Fiber at least 2 weeks before having surgery.
- Speak to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Drink sufficient water to completely swallow the pills. This is to reduce the chance of choking if the capsules get stuck in the throat. This is a remote chance but it should be kept in mind. Remember, glucomannan expands when it comes in contact with liquids.
- One mouse study noted that at very high levels, Chá de Bugre might break chromosomes. That would be bad if it did because it might lead to conditions like cancer. However, another mouse study noted that Cha de Bugre – both alone and when combined with Spirulina – did not have any effect on chromosomes. Better research should be done to resolve this issue.
Skinny Fiber And Breast Feeding?
Women who are breastfeeding to speak to their doctor about the supplements they take. This is because of the possibility that some supplements may pass from the mom to the baby in the breast milk. It's probably wise to not use this product while they are breastfeeding.
Who Makes Skinny Fiber?
The company is called Skinny Body Care and its website is SkinnyBodyCare.com. This website now redirects to another site called Valentus which has its own dietary supplement line. Update. The Skinny Body Care website no longer appears to be working.
The company address was 341 W 6100 S Murray, UT 84107. MS #1420.
423 Bussen Underground Rd St. Louis, MO 63129.
It's not known if these addresses are still valid.
How to Return Skinny Fiber?
The contact page of the product website does not list a phone number. They do, however, list this US address: 423 Bussen Underground Rd St. Louis, MO 63129. This address corresponds to a company called United Fulfillment Center. This company may take orders and ship Skinny Fiber to customers. The phone number to the fulfillment center is 314.894.3200.
This address is different than the original address found for this product: MS #1420 341 W 6100 S Murray, UT 84107. For those who purchased Skinny Fiber from a distributor, it's best to get return information from the distributor rather than just send the product back for a refund. There may be extra steps needed to return the product.
Does Skinny Fiber Work?
Skinny Fiber is a fiber supplement. Because it uses a type of fiber that has been shown to help weight loss, I would not be surprised if some people said it worked. The main active ingredient in Skinny Fiber is likely glucomannan (konjac fiber). Depending on cost, that might be the lesser expensive way to go.
Heres glucomannan/konjac on Amazon
I have heard that cinnamon and honey (1 to 2 ratio) mixed in water can aid weight loss. Do you know anything about it? Thanks for this review, I have been thinking to buy SF, but not anymore. 🙂
JK, cinnamon might help regulate blood sugar levels. If it does this, maybe this might lead to less over eating and hence maybe some weight loss. I’ve never seen that mixing cinnamon and honey helps people lose weight but Id say give it a shot and see if it helps. Honey does have some calories so be careful about that. You should know in a week if its helping or not.
Hi,
The weight loss industry is an 80BILLION dollar industry, that is the US alone. Not everything will work for everybody and things that work for some don’t work for others. Some feel it is “too expensive” that is just an opinion which I taking with a proverbial grain of salt. Everything has a price, just because I don’t buy a coffee at Starbucks because McDonalds coffee is “cheaper” doesn’t mean I will go around bashing Starbucks for being “too expensive” it is a personal choice.
Some fat people will make any excuse why something doesn’t work rather than try something new. New things scare people into reading endless reviews and opinions rather than just trying something new.
I have had weight “issues” my whole life and I am over 50. I have tried everything including Doctors, Naturopaths, Dietitians and every diet there is on the market. Not everyone can release weight on weightloss products alone, many of us have emotional issues that we need to address which in turn, will help with our journey. This is also why we promote support groups! Every customer will get one with their product! That is why apparently “weight watchers” works isn’t it? The added support? Which BTW, costs MORE THAN SF $$
The FACT is, everyone is different. Reviews are ok “in general” and I see lots of people who use them as an out. If something like S F is available for people to try, why not try? I use it. I love it. It works for me. I DO CLAIM to be an EXPERT. I have lived with this issue my whole life, I have the RIGHT to call myself an expert. All started when my doctor put me on speeders when I was TEN years old, I’ve been a yo yo ever since. My blood sugar is stable, I eat half as much as I used to, I am losing weight WITHOUT dieting or going to a gym for hours a day. I am no longer a slave to food, the scale or my finances. I eat healthy, I share healthy recipes and tips and support people, all of us do. It is my mission and it is working!
If you don’t believe this, that is fine. It’s your RIGHT to have your opinion. I just HATE people who call things a scam when they don’t know what the F they are talking about. It is NOT a pyramid. Pyramids are ILLEGAL. SF (not SK) has about 80% customer to distributor ratio. Meaning: more happy customers than distributors. MOST of the distributors were happy customers who saw an opportunity.
So for you people with the remarks up here, please…. there is a button on your Facebook where you can choose to not look at the happy people simply by clicking a button, We have so many success stories it is ridiculous.
They are real people, real issues, real successes. I understand people have been burned in various businesses and are looking for wrong doing, but most of us are of high integrity, honest hard working people trying to make a difference in this big bad world. As for the remark above about having trouble “getting out” that is just total BS. Don’t buy it. There may have been some slow service because of our growth spurt but otherwise the service is impeccable. Over 1000 people a DAY are joining. If the product didn’t work, I have been in businesses for over 30 years, that would NOT happen.
Thank you for providing your research and your opinion, although the negatives that your readers mention are mostly here say. I am happy that some of us have more than just someone’s opinion to go on….I researched this before I joined too… in the mean time you could be losing your stubborn fat and even maybe making some money, god forbid at something other than a miserable hourly paying job…. It’s a free world, isn’t it? Do what works for you.
Tori, I really tried to keep my options to a minimum and look at the research.
Ive seen this talk about making money a lot from SF sellers. Ive tried to steer clear of the multi level marketing aspect of skinny fiber but its come up so much that I have to ask, can you give me an idea of what the average skinny fiber distributor makes per month?
I think before people get involved with any MLM company that they should have an idea of the average that they might make per month.
You seem to like to do research and that is great. There have been studies to show that ingredients in Skinny Fiber DO help with diabetes and blood pressure and not just from weight loss. While the FDA doesn’t regulate products such as Skinny Fiber they do have studies on file about the ingredients. Here is a link to one of those files with two different studies. Please enjoy the reading.
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/95s0316/95s-0316-rpt0252-08-Exhibit-02-vol184.pdf
Kyle, thanks. the FDA does have some regulation of supplements but it does so differently than it regulates drugs. For example, one of the regulations says that companies cant make specific claims about what a supplement will do (will cause weight loss for example). its why we see the works “supports healthy weight loss.”
Because Glucomannan is not the only helpful ingredient in Skinny Fiber I posted a few of the sites I researched on before purchasing and even if you were to purchase each ingredient separately, which you could do, you would have to figure out safe dosages, it’s would be more costly than $2.00 a day and why would I go through that when there’s already a product made for me, with a 30 day money back guarantee that I can order as I want or have auto shipped to me each month in a form that has been proven to work for many, be it not all, people.
I can take my 2 capsules twice a day and not have to worry with mixing 10 different ingredients. I have no desire to play scientist when it’s already been done effectively for me. That’s just me though. I don’t try to bully anyone into my way of thinking. I simply honestly state my experience and those that I personally know and the research I have done.
I’m not a dr. I don’t claim to be or try to be, I’m not a scientist or a pharmacist, just an overweight girl with PCOS that has been suckered into an unbelievable amount of fad diets, diet pills, weight watchers, prescription weight loss pills and was very close to gastric surgery before I found SF. It works for me.
It’s all natural and not full of FDA approved killers with numerous dangerous side effects and that’s good enough for me. 4 pant sizes in 3 months for a PCOS girl speaks volumes in my opinion.
CB, Im glad its working for you. Have you ever tried just glucomannan?
Yes Joe I have and I did have some weight loss with it. It was not the results I have experienced with SF but there were some results. About a total of 8 pounds but I was still hungry most of the time I still had the carb and sugar cravings and I don’t with SF. I don’t know the reasoning behind it, but this just works better for me.
It’s much easier to make a conscious decision to change my eating habits and lifestyle when not only do I not crave carbs, sugar and soda, but I no longer even like they way they taste. I eat smaller more frequent meals now instead of just eating one meal a day. I still drink sweet tea that is my staple, but overall it has been helpful to change my eating habits with little effort
CB, thanks for that. I am really glad you found something that is working for you 🙂
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk7z0z_5-reasons-to-use-amylase-powder_lifestyle
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/lipase.html
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/glucoamylase/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJWQFcozcXI
http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/pineapple-enzyme-tenderize-steak1.htm
This is all just some of the research I did before purchasing Skinny Fiber. Although the company makes no claims other than SF will help you eat less and feel full you can see by a review of the ingredients where it could possibly help with other issues. Many of the ingredients are known for helping with blood sugar levels, some being natural anti inflammatory agents. As with any supplement or weight loss goal of course you will need to make good choices when it comes to eating and exercising.
CB I appreciate you going to all that trouble for me with this and the other posts. I noticed that what I didn’t see were any published peer reviewed studies on the ingredients. Websites that say something will “do this or that”, without backing it up with research is not the kind of proof I am looking for. Again, I appreciate your passion for SF-I really do! I just need more proof before I can believe that its more than a glucomannan product.
Cha de Bugre
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1124-CHA%20DE%20BUGRE.aspx?activeIngredientId=1124&activeIngredientName=CHA%20DE%20BUGRE
http://www.dietsinreview.com/diets/Cha_de_Bugre/
CB, I noticed web md agrees with me that there is no good proof that cha de Burge is an appetite suppressant.
the diet review site doesnt show any proof either.
No it doesn’t but it does show other health benefits which was yet another plus for me.
CB, ok well I’m happy its working for you 🙂
Possible benefits of Caralluma fimbriata powder
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1160-CARALLUMA.aspx?activeIngredientId=1160&activeIngredientName=CARALLUMA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caralluma_fimbriata
CB, webmd also mentioned that its unknown what effects Caralluma fimbriata might have after 60 days of use. I believe there is much less research on this than glucomannan.
Just a few articles that tell how Glucomannan which is the key ingredient in SF can help with things other than weight loss such as blood sugar, high cholesterol, constipation and other issues
http://www.rxlist.com/glucomannan/supplements.htm
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-205-glucomannan.aspx?activeIngredientId=205&activeIngredientName=glucomannan
This tells about possible relief provided by Glucomannan for cholesterol, arthritis, detox, skin problems as well as constipation and other issues.
CB, thanks for that. So why not just use glucomannan for weight loss etc.?
Joe You say you “RESEARCHED” your information. I only seen ONE SOURCE LISTED for each area! Doesn’t research require comparing pro’s and con’s as well as studying various sources?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0404-weight_loss_weapon.htm
Dan, Ok lets talk about the article on the supplement you linked to. It’s called Phase 2 and its an extract of kidney beans. It’s also called Phaseolus vulgaris.
I didn’t discuss Phaseolus vulgaris / Phase 2 in the review because skinny fiber does NOT contain this compound. As such, I’m sorry but your attempt to use this as proof that enzymes help people lose weight is not valid. Show me something on the enzymes in skinny fiber.
Also, if Phaseolus vulgaris works (which Im on the fence about) it works by INHIBITING the alpha amalyase enzyme. By inhibiting amalayse the calories in the carbs cant be absorbed. But, Skinny Fiber contains amylase – the very enzyme Phaseolus vulgaris is supposed to stop from working.
In other words, the study you cite says that weight loss occurs when you INHIBIT the amylase enzyme – BUT the skinny fiber philosophy basically says that LACK of amylase (and other enzymes) stops people from losing weight, and that adding those enzymes will help people lose weight.
Again, the very words used by skinny fiber to justify adding enzymes to the product don’t jive the study you referenced.
Skinny Fiber is a pure, all natural nutritional weight loss supplement that comes in the form of a capsule. It is a super detox on a cellular level! It has no nasty side effects, unlike other dietary supplements that make your heart pound and make you feel jittery.
Skinny Fiber contains 3 main plant ingredients:
Glucomannan-
a unique all natural soluble dietary fiber that expands 50 times its size in your stomach helping you overcome the #1 enemy of weight management … overeating. In addition to the amazing support for your weight loss goals, on its way through the body, glucomannan supports the colon, thereby supporting the digestive system.*
Caralluma-
a plant, in the cactus family, that has been used as a natural appetite suppressant and thirst quencher in India for centuries, particularly in times of famine.* Caralluma fimbriata is also believed to help support weight management.* It is believed to block certain enzymes that form fat in the body.
Chá de Bugre-
a small tree found in Brazil- very successful in suppressing the appetite and believed to fight cellulite. Can be roasted and made into a coffee substitute and is a good heart tonic that stimulates circulation. It’s also used in Brazil and Haiti as a tea to help relieve cough, regulate renal function, reduce uric acid, and externally to heal wounds.
As well as 7 digestive enzymes and antioxidants:
Beyond supporting digestion, certain Digestive Enzymes can play a major role in weight management.*Enzymes are responsible for every single chemical reaction in every single cell of your body. The enzymes found naturally in raw foods are very sensitive to heat (cooking) and most processed foods are completely void of the enzymes your body desperately needs to properly digest your meal. If you cannot get enough nutrition from the food you take in, your body just wants more.
Amylase-
an enzyme that helps digest carbohydrates. Breaks down starch and turns them into a natural sugar which gives the body energy. Also found in the pancreas and the glands that make saliva.
Protease- a digestive enzyme needed to digest protein. It liberates amino acids needed by the body. Used as therapy for benefits in oncology, inflammatory conditions, blood rheology control, and immune regulation.
Lipase- a digestive enzyme needed to digest a healthy amount of fat our bodies need. It hydrolyzes lipids, the ester bonds in triglycerides, to form fatty acids and glycerol. Dissolves fat throughout the body, improves metabolism, and aids in overall detoxification process.
Glucoamylase- also turns starch into sugar for easy digestion
Papain- a protease enzyme found in the papaya plant and is used to treat gastrointestinal problems such as stomach ulcers and indigestion. Breaks down heavy proteins to make them easy to digest and absorb into the body and works well against Celiac disease, shingles, and herpes. It also shortens the healing time of some injuries and surgery.
Cellulase- sustains blood sugar, maintains good level of cholesterol, supports cell membranes to keep them healthy from free radicals, toxic chemicals, and breaks down biofilm to help detoxify the intestinal tract as well as major organs.
Bromelain-
enzymes found in pineapples, used for digestive support. It treats inflammation following surgery primarily of the ear, nose, and throat as well as other infections and injuries. Aids heartburn when used with amylase and lipase and reduces diarrhea.
I found these independent clinical trials on the main ingredients in Skinny Fiber. These were NOT sponsored by Skinny Body Care are are totally independent studies.
CLINICAL TRIALS: GLUCOMANNAN
Effect of glucomannan on plasma lipid and glucose concentrations, body weight, and blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18842808
Clinical Trial on the effects of Glucomannan on Serum Cholesterol:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7872224
The effects of Glucomannan and weight loss: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6096282
Effect of glucomannan on obese patients: a clinical study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6096282
———————————————————-
CLINICAL TRIALS: CARALLUMA FIMBRIATA
Antiobesogenic and Antiatherosclerotic Properties of Caralluma fimbriata Extract.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21234320
Effect of Caralluma fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian men and women.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21234320
———————————————————-
CLINICAL TRIALS: CHA DE BUGRE
Antiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1963951
Hi Angie,
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and the research. A few thoughts occurred to me based on what you posted:
1. the research you posted on Caralluma fimbriata, I believe I linked to those studies in my review. If you read my review you will see those studies.
2. The study you listed on Chá de Bugre helping herpes, that was a test tube study and not a human study, but regardless, it has nothing to do with weight loss. In my review I wondered where the Cha De Burge weight loss studies were. In the info you posted above the studies, you said cha de burge is an appetite suppressant. Can you provide any research that Chá de Bugre helps humans lose weight or suppresses appetite ? If you can, I’d love to add it to my review.
3. The glucomannan weight loss research studies you listed are on glucomannan itself and not skinny fiber. With all respect, by listing those studies, you pretty much proved what I’ve been saying, that glucomannan is likely the main active weight loss ingredient in skinny fiber.
Please excuse my typos in my last post …it’s late and using my phone so can’t see all of post whilst typing ! Guess I should have read it before posting ! Lol
Kate O, no worries, there went too many typos 🙂
Thank you for your reply Joe . I have actually been taking the garcinia cambogia for a couple of months now, it does help curb appetite . I have cut down on my calories and food intake and have been exercising . On average I power walk with my hubby in the evenings, 3 nights a week . Sometimes 4 nights . We walk around 3 and 3/4 miles in about an hour .
My frustration is that I haven’t lost any weight at all … Maybe 1 lb .I’m so frustrated and upset with my weight .this is the heaviest I’ve ever. I am 45 and I take several meds including Anti depressants which my doctor has told me is why I have gained so much weight . I am now. Desperate ! I will try anything that might help me , so I was going to add the other two supplements to see if they would help me . Thanks Joe
Katie O, anti-depressants can make it harder to lose weight. Have you tried writing down the foods you eat? Have you ever taken a look at the free website MyFitnessPal.com. its also an app for your phone too. Give that a shot and see if that helps
Congrats on your exercising with hubby! I know people are always looking for weight loss, however it rally is about being healthy. People who exercise are healthier in many ways even if they dont lose weight – and they are heather than thinner people who don’t exercise.
Katie O..
I took sf for 50 days and had side effects. I went to a holistic nutritionist and he gave me something called super citimax. The main ingredient is Garcia Cambodia (1000mg) and Chromium (200mg) how does the GC seem to be working.. Joe have you heard of this product?
Thank again for this page!
Danielle, yes super citrimax is the name of a popular garcinia campogia supplement. Its actually one of the products that has been studied in research.
The sad thing is skinny fiber is really changing some lives. I have been taking it since last October and have lost over 70 lbs. I had lost 240 lbs before skinny fiber with diet and a whole lot of exercise. I was seeing a personal trainer 3 x a week and seeing a dietician as well.
I went to an event to help answer some questions about skinny fiber this last week. A lady pointed at my picture and said that person isn’t real! I told her that it was me. She looked closer and couldn’t believe her eyes. I knew she had a lot of questions and needed a lot of support. So when she put the money on the table for 3 bottles I kindly asked her to join my support group.
To read more on it and then order if she was confident. I love being able to help people achieve their goals. Yes I am a distributor but I am one on the very bottom as I work full time elsewhere. As with everything on the market some will work for some while others work for others. I am all about skinny fiber though.
MelissaK, I wont disparage your weight loss but I will tell you that there are SF sellers who say things that are over the top. For example, some of the ingredients in SF might help some people with weight loss, but none of the ingredients directly improves arthritis (arthritis might be improved by weight loss though). Yet there are SF sellers saying stuff like that
Whether putting up fake pictures happens with SF I just don’t know. With a little computer tricks it is possible to make a picture look skinnier. Not to say that you have experienced that but I’ll say its happened in the past with other wt loss products ads.
For me, I’ll just be happy that SF worked for you and wish you success with your SF business.
How is it exactly that you can even consider giving an accurate review if you have not even 1. tried the product 2. spoken to anyone who has tried the product 3. sought out a distributor to be able to get accurate information 4. bothered to have a clue what you are talking about.
Just so you know the Skinny Fiber found on places like Amazon that you have told everyone to go to look… is mostly non-legitimate product. The safest best bet for buying a product such as Skinny Fiber that is only available through a distributor…. is to buy from a distributor. Skinny Body Care works diligently to report any fakes out there selling as Skinny FIber.
I challenge you to seek out actual customers of Skinny Fiber that are not distributors and get them to share their stories with you. I’m sure you’ll be amazed. I assure you there is no shortage of success stories out there.
Perhaps you should even try the product yourself. It does after all come with a 30 day money back guarantee… then you can give a TRUE review of a product after having actually tried it.
CB, I appreciate your passion for SF. If I tried skinny fiber and said “it works” how different would my review be from ALL the other sites out there? It wouldn’t different then be because my review would just be a testimonial. I prefer to look at the research. Also, I write so many reviews its not feasible to try them all because if I did, products would be overlapping with other products in my body and then I’d have no way of knowing if anything really worked or not.
As for seeking out a distributor for “accurate information” I don’t feel most distributors know accurate information because they say skinny fiber helps with things that are outside the realm of weight loss. Some talk about SF helping with fibromyalgia for example. There are a LOT of skinny fiber distributors who try to post here. Their comments are filled with sales pitches, links to their websites and claims that SF helps with all sorts of medical issues that have no bases in published facts.
Show me proof that the product on amazon is not the real skinny fiber. It says its sold by “skinny fiber.” Im open to the possibility you say. I’d just like to see some proof.
As for me “not having a clue what I’m talking about”, just show me where I went wrong (please show me studies, not testimonials) and I’ll be glad to discuss it with you and even amend my review. I think the main active ingredient in skinny fiber is glucomannan. Can you show me a study comparing the weight loss effects of skinny fiber to glucomannan -or how well any of the other ingredients in SF compare to just glucomannan alone?
Hi there, can I take Caralluma Fimbriat , Glucomannan and garcinia Cambogia together ? Is it safe to do that ? Thanks
Kate O, I don’t recall seeing any research that combined caralluma fimbriat, glucomannan and garcinia cambogia. So whether all 3 would be better than any single product, I’m not sure. If you are going to do this why don’t you start with one product at a time and slowly add the others in. that way you can reduce any side effects that might pop up. If I were going to do this, I’d start with glucomannan and take that by itself for a week , followed by garcinia and lastly caraluma fimbriat. By the end of 3 weeks you are taking all 3 of them. This will also help you get an idea of how each is helping or not helping. I’m mostly concerned with reducing side effects and being able to identify which might be causing side effects for you.
In case you missed it, here is my review of garcinia cambogia
I don’t think any of these alone will work unless its combined with eating fewer calories. Using something like MyFitnessPal can help you track how many calories you eat.
Hi Joe, I have quite a few friends that are pushing this product and was curious myself about it. I went to the website and found that I could not come up with a possible side effect page on it, nor a warning page which you will almost always find when looking at a reputable diet product. Wanted to know about mixing with meds or if it could make certain things worse. I personally found that very troubling. I am really glad I found this and your review. thank you
JoAnn, thanks glad you found me also.
A friend of mine sent me here when I mentioned skinny fiber.
Of course I as well have seen it on FB. Glad she sent me here.I definitely won’t be buying it now. Looking forward to checking out your book :-D. Also I love the nice way you speak to negative people lol. Kill em with kindness.
Emily, I’m really glad you were referred to me and I could help. Hope you like my book 🙂
i am so glad i found this page i was also thinking of buying SF off of FB, i have been sucked into every weight loss pill, powder, shots, drinks, shakes, and even pills from the doc.. Her last advise to me was , THERE IS NO MIRACLE WEIGHT LOSS PILL, you have to cut down on what you eat and start exercising plain and simple.
Thank you for the information which was delivered manner that was not abrasive or abusive.
Suzanne, you are very welcome and I thank you for that 🙂
Joe, I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your website! Your review is easy to read, backed up by documented evidence, in an unbiased voice. I know lots of other people have said the same thing to you but I think it’s always good to give credit where it’s due.
You saved me lots of money because I was also seriously considering purchasing this. Please keep up the good work! !
Dyan, Ill never turn down a compliment 🙂
I’m really happy you found me and more happy that I was able to help.