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 just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your superb investigative skills and all the information you supplied. I was super pleased with all the information you provided. Not only did you give me the basics, but went above and beyond to explain each ingredient. You my dear sir are an awesome find! Thank you again for a well written article!
SimpleGal, I truly appreciate your kind words and I am happy I was able to help you 🙂
I fell for the SF hype and bought 3 bottles of it. I will say that it did help curb my appetite but I actually gained about 15 lbs on it. I was concerned and many times reached out to different distributors and all of them said the same thing “drink more water”
I drink more than enough water and prior to buying SF I was taking the glucomannan supplement and was losing weight. I bought SF because of all the other claims about curing health issues. I did stick it out and complete the 3 bottles and saw zero weight loss.
Stopped SF went back to glucomannan and have taken 5 of the 15 lbs off. I was less than pleased with the very generic replies I received from the distributors from SF and will not be buying it again.
I just spent about 2 hours reading through your comments and I have to say I am very impressed with how you conduct yourself in a professional manor and respond using facts instead of emotion, commendable.
Sharon, thanks for that information and sorry you gained weight with skinny fiber. That’s something I never anticipated would happen. I am glad the glucomannan is helping you lose that weight though.
Thanks for the compliment also 🙂
I don’t care if it works or not. I don’t even know if I’ll try it. (i’m a sucker for sales gimmicks). I just want to say, you seem like such a nice guy. Thank you for all you do to help people make educated decisions.
Crystal, THANKS! That is so nice of you to say 🙂 You just made my day 🙂
I’m going to try the supplements, and I’ll post 30 day updates
I also started the ingredients in separate supplements yesterday. I will also post 30 day updates.
Joe, I’d like to share another miracle cure people have experienced with SF. Seriously, I read this last night on a SF distriutor’s page. Apparently, it now cures Erectile Dysfunction.
PattiK really? I’d guess that if men lost weight then this might play a role in helping ED. It sounds like a lot of the claims SF sellers are making are inferences of what might happen if people lost weight.
Skinny Fiber is only marketed for weight loss. It is not marketed to “cure” anything. Whatever a customer states has improved for them is their opinion, not the opinion of Skinny Body Care.
Angie, I would agree with that also.
This has truly been helpful! I just started hearing about this product and was looking for information. Thank you
Krista, you are very welcome!
Great review. Reffering to the “men in hard hats” picture, you can copy the photo link and go to google images, click the little camera in the search bar and search the image URL to see if it’s anywhere else on the internet. Great way to d’bunk the fakes!
Shayna, wow, I didn’t know you could do that. I did what you said for the hard hat guys pic and found the pic on another website. Thanks for that!
I thought your review was very thorough and unbiased. I read it all and went through the comments. I ordered SFa few days ago but haven’t received it yet so I can’t say if it works or not. I do know that I feel like I’ve tried everything from good ole diet and exercise, portion control, personal training,and just about every supplement and diet pill there is out there!
I’m at my heaviest and unhealthiest I’ve ever been…..and I know how I got here, lol! I do think that SF is expensive, but I’ve paid more for other things like nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, AdvoCare, even Itworks!!!!! I definitely agree that it takes discipline and compliance to make any product work.
I will keep you updated after a few weeks on SF and let you know what changes I’ve made and how I feel the product is working for me.
Emily, I hope it helps you also. I believe in you! 🙂
Really great review! Very informative!! Thank you for such great information!!
Alison, you are very welcome 🙂
Joe, thank you for the review. I love your replies and got a kick how the haters would force your hand into printing proof. I wasn’t even going to look at the BBB reports until one SF rep kept trying to discredit you and you came back with the web site..
I don’t get what ppl don’t understand about scientific vs testimonial.. At any rate, the information was fair and very open to any proof/studies.. BTW just to reiterate, FB is covered with SF.. Thanks again.
Kathy, thanks for that! I had no idea there was a lot of buzz about SF on facebook until recently.
I have been trying to loose weight for 18 years now… I have tried all the fad diets, from the inexpensive to the very expensive (prescription only stuff). I am sick of being over weight. I have been reviewing and asking lots of questions (which mainly go unanswered as others above have said).. I cannot find any skinny fiber distributor that actually has this stuff readily available, so to me that was a red flag…
Another red flag is the fact that every distributor that I have found, when you go to place the order, there is a statement: ” IMPORTANT: Due to the incredible success of Skinny Fiber and our 90 Day Challenge, and the life-changing results people are experiencing, the demand for this product has been absolutely huge. While being recognized as the best weight loss product on the market is certainly an exciting acknowledgement, that title has also caused us to grow even faster than expected. In fact, over the last two months, sales have grown by over 200% which has caused our manufacturing team to not be able to keep up. We have now tripled our manufacturing capacity to ensure that everyone can get this great product in their hands just days after ordering. For the next few weeks, however, as we ramp up our new manufacturing processes, orders can be delayed for as long as three weeks before they are shipped.
We sincerely apologize for this short-term inconvenience and can ensure you that we will be back to our normal 24 hour shipping time by September 1. Thank you for your understanding and for your order as we continue to do everything we can to provide excellent products and service.”
Here is my issue with this. I’m wanting the product now.. not wait 3 weeks for it to be shipped and then another 2 to 4 weeks to get it. By that time, I am already paying for another shipment… Ya know?
I honestly think I was put off so that I would come to your review, which in turn brought me back to my senses!! So I personally thank you.. I will be trying the ingredients separately in hopes of getting some results with out the expenses involved here…. Thank you again!!
LadiesNow, Im glad I was able to help and I do hope the ingredients help you. Remember, supplements are most effective when they are used alongside other healthy things. I’ve listed some things that might help on my personal site, here is the link
http://www.joe-cannon.com/what-weight-loss-supplements-work/
keep me posted on your progress!
Found your article very interesting. I looked up SF after seeing it so many times on FB in conjunction with recipes. 90% of the recipes are not weight loss helpful nor do they have cal, carb, pro, etc. breakdown. This made me curious. One would expect/hope that the sales person for such a product would be more knowledgeable — hand me SF in one hand and a recipe using two and one-half lbs of cheese in the other.
Also, who would help if there were medical problems taking SF? Also, what happens when you stop taking it?
Thanks Curious, I’m glad I was able to help answer some questions you had.
Whoever mentioned that it was easy to contact customer service… I’m wondering where that came from. Body didn’t react well after taking it for about two months. Emailed CS within 60 days for a130 dollar refund.. No answer and now I am over 30 days. No number and no live help. Just another warning for everyone! I am very upset!
(817) 479-9198
That number was for Skinny Fiber customer service.
There is a 30-Day money back guarantee, NOT a 60-day money back guarantee. That is your mistake, not the company.
Angie, my review does not even discuss a money back guarantee. The word “guarantee” never appears in my review, so I never said it has a 30 day guarantee. Maybe somebody in the comments said that but it was not me. If you say it has a 60 day guarantee, that’s fine by me 🙂
I like this review. I have several friends I personally know who are swearing by Skinny Fiber and claiming they have done nothing but switch from soda to water (this alone can cause drastic change in weight). My curiosity was peaked but I decided there was no way in ___ I was going to pay $60.00 a month for a diet pill so I got the nutrition label off of the internet.
Let’s just for the sake of argument say that even though there is no research showing enzymes and Cha de Bugre alone will assist in weight loss, that it is the combination of all the ingredients that works. I found that I was able to purchase the 3 main ingredients of Skinny Fiber plus a multi-enzyme separately for what will work out to be under just under $17.00 per month. My order should be here on Thursday. I will let you all know how it works out for me!
I also am not sure I believe in weight loss miracles so I have already altered my diet significantly and began a daily exercise regimen but have not seen the results I was hoping for thus far.
Jen J, please keep me posted how it goes for you.
Very good article, thank you so much for saving me a lot of research time!
Crystal, you’re welcome 🙂
Thanks, Joe. I pretty much knew this and researched the ingredients. What you wrote is easily supported by what is readily available in this very accessible age of technology. I am blown away by how many people believe the hype. I am blown away by the FB posts for all the healthy recipes along with this product. The healthy recipes are loaded with cheese and meat and butter and sugars, etc…. and then yeah, eat up… and lose NINE inches and 2 lb in just weeks??
Don’t know how nine inches can be lost without exercise when only 2 lb are shed. Food is promoted galore but not the exercise. What worries me most are all the promises of improved health and that meds will no longer be necessary for those who truly need them. And I am the LAST person on earth to push meds. But, in an age when self-medicating is so easy, all you need is this. It’s a scam.
I think the promised distributor income is VERY high (too high) and the fact that Amazon Skinny Fiber is not real only adds to the fact that the company wants control and this stuff MUST be bought only from the distributor. That is very suspicious.
Many of the pictures on FB of before and after appear fake, often not the same people, and mostly of people slouching v. good posture with proper undergarments to make them look better. We are living in a day and age where we are all looking for a quick fix. It does not exist.
Even if one ingredient is helpful in weight loss, what are the repercussions to adding it to a diet that never had it before and to a body that would not know what to do with it!!??!! In other words, change your habits, work out in whatever capacity you can, and a healthy improvement will happen – free of charge. Someone is making a quick buck and will disappear just as quickly as soon as everything becomes transparent or, worse, health issues appear. Just stay away.
Thanks again, Joe. I don’t care if you were paid to write this review. The fact of the matter is, everything you wrote is verifiable. Skinny Fiber is not – not even a phone # or customer service website. JUST WRONG! I don’t need people to agree with me.
Perspective is reality and my perspective is that this is a scam. I wouldn’t even want to try it for fear of what it would do to my body and my health. So, I don’t need to worry about knocking it. I think the ultimate price of trying it might end up being too high.
Anne, thanks for your words and I can assure you I was not paid by anyone to write this review – or any of the reviews on this site. Mostly my ideas come from people who contact me and ask me about products.
Good evening Joe,
I always find it odd when consumers ask if a product has FDA approval like that is the deciding factor on safety and/or efficacy.
Remember phen-fen? Those individual drugs were FDA approved and Doctor prescribed. https://www.dartmouth.edu/~chance/course/Syllabi/97Dartmouth/day-2/fen-phen-1.pdf
Anyone make any money from the sales of those drugs?
Doctors? Pharmaceutical companies? You bet they did.
Anyone suffer harmful side effects including death? Again,
yes is the answer.
My point to all of this is that just because a product – any product – does or does not have FDA approval is not a reason to use it or to discount the fact that it could be an effective remedy. Just because someone is a distributor of a natural supplement like Skinny Fiber and will benefit financially from the sale does not automatically mean that they will “say anything to make a sale”
and do not care whether it actually works or not.
Another point I want to address is regarding the individual ingredients and whether there are clinical trials or studies determining their efficacy in weight loss. To me, the individual ingredients and their stand alone efficacy is a moot point. It is the combination and how those ingredients interact with one another that will determine how well the finished product will work.
For instance, since supplements are food, I will use an example familiar to all of us ~ a Peanut Butter Cookie.
I use each of the following in the 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies I make.
1.Peanut Butter – good source of protein, high in saturated fat
2.Granulated Sugar – empty calories
3. Egg – good source of protein
If I want a cookie, I am not going to get one until I mix these ingredients together in specific amounts and cook them at a specific temperature for a required amount of time. Right?
So saying that either of these individual ingredients is a Peanut Butter Cookie would not be true. It is when they are combined that they yield the desired product. Why would that not be possible with other foods/supplements? The combination of ingredients and how they interact with one another is what determines the final results.
Good luck with the sale of your supplement book! I will have to check it out.
Hi Terri, few thoughts on what you said
1. I never deprecated SF sellers in my review. In fact I was actually complimentary to the SF website when I discovered that it was not competing with SF distributors for sales of the product (they make you tell them who sent you to their website, thus, giving commissions to the right person). I have no problems with capitalism.
2. supplements are not food but are classified as food by the FDA (the law is called the dietary supplement health and education act. See my FAQ Page for more on this. Taking supplements does not always give the same results as eating the food that contained those ingredients. For example, eating carrots is healthy. carrots contain beta carotene. if smokers take beta carotene supplements, they have a greater chance of getting lung cancer. Here is a study on this. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8127329.
3. You maintain that the combination of ingredients in SF is more important than the published research on their individual ingredients. But, how can you know this? you say the point is moot, but until there is a study compares the effects of SF to glucoomannan alone, it really is anyone guess.
I hope you like my book 🙂
Hi Joe,
thank you for your reply 🙂 And I do agree that eating the whole food such as carrots is the better way to get your vitamins depending on how you are preparing them. Over cooking or processing depletes those wonderful nutrients which is how most people consume them. I , for one, eat more cooked carrots than I do raw ones but I don’t take a beta carotene supplement. #1 – I don’t want orange skin!! Remember those tanning pills that were sold? lol I prefer to take a multi-vitamin which contains lots of the “good stuff” all in one pill.
In my mind supplements are food because of their organic nature. That and the fact that they are made to add needed nutrients to our diets that we may not be getting from eating actual food.
The reason that I think that the combination of ingredients is what gives any product it’s unique attribute is because of what each one brings to mix. For instance, one of the ingredients that Skinny Fiber has – bromelain – could make a difference in efficacy over just plain glucomannan. Bromelain is known to increase the effectiveness of prescribed drugs so it is possible that it could increase the effectiveness of this supplement, as well.
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/bromelain
Anyway, thanks again for your reply. It’s when people have conversations and share knowledge that everyone stands to benefit.
Just think, it’s only been in the last decade that physicians have started “suggesting” supplements to heart patients. Several in my own family take Fish Oil now because their heart specialist recommended it.
As for Skinny Fiber, well, it is working for several people that I know personally including myself. Perhaps one day a definitive trial will be done and all the questions will be laid to rest.
Until then, I sincerely hope that whatever people chose to do to improve their health will work for them. 🙂
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Thanks Terry, you also 🙂
I have commented and then watched this thread for a couple of weeks. What impassioned supporters of Skinny Fiber fail to recognize is that while the product may work for you, the point is that there are no peer reviewed studies showing that the product works any better than glucomannan works by itself, For people who believe in fact based research, this helps inform their decision as to whether the cost of SF are justified.
You can scream from the rooftops that it works for you, but any one person’s testimonial, or, for that matter, throngs of peoples testimonials are not the same as scientific research.
I love that Joe has called for someone to point him in the direction of ANY published research on SF and its claims, yet, with many casting aspersions on his work on HIS website, not one person has produced a shred of evidence.
There are many diets and dietary supplements that MAY work for this person or that person or even an entire population of people, but unless and until there is scientific evidence that the product is superior to its individual components, those who are discerning may want to save their money and buy glucomman (or each ingredient) by itself.
Of course, this goes completely against the grain of anyone selling Skinny Fiber as it hurts sales, but, caveat emptor.
Joe has been provided with INDEPENDENT clinical studies on the ingredients in Skinny Fiber. Joe has also been provided with evidence that some of what he has written is untrue, as in, no money back guarantee, etc. However Joe chooses not to update his review despite being provided with the correct information.
I could care less if someone orders from me, however I do expect truthful reviews and when something is pointed out to be incorrect, I expect an update. I have provided Joe with more than enough proof that some of what he has written is inaccurate. It has been over a month but still, no update.
So, unfortunately, I now question every product he has reviewed because he has not made corrections to some of the questions he raised in his review about Skinny Body Care and Skinny Fiber even though I provided him sources to do so. Sad because I referred over 10,000 people to this web site. No longer however until I see this thread updated to reflect the inaccuracies. Any true reviewer will be happy to humble themselves and update if they truly care and want an honest, truthful and complete review.
Angie, as I’ve said previously in your other comment, the independent research that you sent me privately is mostly general talk about the ingredients in SF. For example, you said in your email to me that Cha De Burge was a “natural appetite suppressant” but you showed me no proof that it was.
Those studies you included in the email you sent me were either on glucomannan itself or studies that were already included in my review.
nowhere in my review does the word “guarantee” appear so you can’t say I was wrong about a 30 day guarantee if I never said it in my review.
In my opinion, you sent me no information to prove that I was wrong.
As I have said in another comment you submitted, I will be glad to post your entire private email to me, here, so people can see it. Then they can judge if I left anything out and also decide if what I wrote was inaccurate.
All you have to do is tell me to post it and I will.
Hey Joe
I’ve gone through and read everyone’s post here. I can understand the skepticism that many people have. I too was very skeptical. I looked at all the testimonials for months, all the recipes that were being shared with links to purchase, links for joining groups, ect…
On July 1st, I saw a photo of myself that someone had taken during a Relay for LIfe event. I’ve always strongly dislike having my photo taken. This photo was of someone I didn’t recognize anymore. I couldn’t believe I had completely let myself go.
I’ve had a rough few years. In July 2009, my Mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She passed away in November 2010. During my Mother’s illness, I filed for divorce. I can honestly say after my Mom passed away, I hid from the world. I stopped exercising, stopped eating most days. Yes, I was depressed. I’m still dealing with losing my Mom.
Getting back to the photo. It really was horrible to see what I had let myself become. My doctors have been scolding me since a few months into her illness about not taking care of myself. That photo brought me into reality. A reality that I was ashamed of what I had let myself become.
I cried for an hour or so and then turned on my notebook. The first thing I saw was a healthy recipe with a link for a support group and a link for ordering Skinny Fiber. I immediately messaged the person that had posted the recipe. I wasn’t friends with them. I got an immediate response. She sent me a list of all the ingredients. The next day, I called my pharmacist to see if there could be any interactions with the medications I’m currently taking and I sent an e-mail to my doctor with the list of ingredients. My doctor called me and we discussed everything. I firmly believe in having a great relationship with your primary care physician. I hold nothing back from them. It’s the only way they can fully understand me and what’s going on with me. My doctor said….what’s the most that can happen if you try it….you might lose some weight and inches and you might not. You’ll never know unless you try.
I went back onto facebook, hit the link to purchase. I received my product on July 11, 2013. I immediately sent an e-mail to customer service and ask them what I needed to do to return the product. I got a response in less than one hour with all the information I needed if I wanted to return. They also let me know in the e-mail that they had canceled any further shipments. I was completely surprised by the immediate response as well as the fact that the company had already canceled any further shipments.
The next day I started on this new journey. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen. What did happen…..I took the two capsules as suggested about an hour before I ate with about eight ounces of water. An hour later, I still wasn’t feeling hungry but I ate a small amount. A few hours later, I did some juicing and used that as my snack. When it was almost time for my next meal, I took two more capsules and again eight ounces of water. An hour later, again not really hungry but I had another small meal. Later that evening, I snacked on some fruit. I’m really into drinking infused water and typically drink about one and a half gallons a day. Drinking plenty of water is key to aiding in any weight loss plan anyone tries.
I started back on an exercise routine. By the end of the first week, I had lost six pounds. A week later, I was down 14 pounds. At the end of three weeks, a total of 21 pounds. I sent an e-mail back to customer service and ask them to re-activate my account and I became a distributor. One month into using Skinny Fiber and I was down 23 pounds. I have no idea how many inches. I just know my clothes are too big.
I’m part of many groups and none of the distributors I’ve seen make any medical claims. There are however, testimonies from customers only, that Skinny Fiber has helped them with some of their medical conditions. The majority of these medical issues would be helped without Skinny Fiber as long as the person was eating healthy, exercising and cutting down calories to help lose weight. So yes, weight loss is a key factor in many of the testimonies about health benefits.
Many distributors post recipes that are healthy and some that aren’t so healthy. Not everyone that we’re friends with is dieting. In moderation, it’s nice to be able to treat yourself to something not so healthy.
I’ve not seen anyone claim that Skinny Fiber is a miracle pill. We all know that we didn’t add on the pounds in one day and a little pill isn’t going to take it off in a day, two, three, a week, a month or a couple of months. It takes changing the way you eat, how much you eat and exercising. Skinny Fiber helps change how much you eat. It has helped me boost my metabolism. Which gives me more energy to exercise more. Which ends up helping me lose more weight. We all know when you see progress, it boosts your confidence thus helping you work harder to achieve greater success.
In my humble opinion, most people that say Skinny Fiber didn’t help them, it’s because they weren’t ready to make the change necessary in their daily habits. Skinny Fiber is just one part of the process. If you aren’t willing to put in the work and dedication required to live a healthier life, it isn’t going to give you the results that some people are seeing. Yes, it will cut down how much you eat. It’s up to you to eat the healthier foods. I can take Skinny Fiber continue to eat foods high in fat, carbohydrates, sugar, calories and more than likely I will probably not lose weight or I might even gain weight. If you don’t hydrate your body, it’s not going to help either.
So yes, Skinny Fiber is a tool that is helping me get healthy again. It’s not a miracle pill. It’s just a supplement that is helping me on my journey to becoming a better ME. A better me will help me live a happier, healthier fun filled life.
With Skinny Fiber, you get a 30 day EMPTY BOTTLE money back guarantee. Are you getting this same guarantee with the powdered products you are referring people to on Amazon? By the way, the product sold on Amazon or E-Bay is NOT sold by Skinny Body Care. You can only get Skinny Fiber through a distributor. Distributors aren’t allowed to sell Skinny Fiber on Amazon or on E-Bay. The products people are purchasing on Amazon or E-Bay are not Skinny Fiber. Someone has produced a label that looks like Skinny Fiber and put it on a bottle. In the bottle, you will find tablets not capsules like you get from Skinny Body Care. How do I know this to be true…..because I ordered one from Amazon and from E-Bay. You can chose to believe or not.
I’m still doing my 90-Day Challenge and I’m doing it with success because I have an amazing support team cheering me on and it’s because I have decided I want to live a healthier life. It’s all about choices.
I’m not pushing the product on anyone. I’ve only posted my testimonial on my timeline. I let my results speak for me. If someone asks me about it. I explain upfront that it’s not a miracle pill but with hard work and dedication it can help. It’s a tool to help you be successful with your weight loss journey. For me, the help is priceless.
Kimberly, thanks for your testimonial and I’m really glad you have found something that is working for you. I’m really glad you are getting support from others too, something I think is very important, no matter what weight loss path one chooses.
WOW. That is all I have to say about this. I can tell you my experience. I am a Skinny Body Care customer. The before and after pics are of other distributors and their customers. The product works if taken properly with lots of water but if people aren’t going to change their eating habits and life style their isn’t a product out there that is going to work.
We have a wonderful team that is very supportive. If you ask a distributor a question we will move heaven and earth to find the answer for you. I personally have lost 3 inches in my first week and I am into my fourth week and lost another 3 inches. I have more energy and feel great. Everyone has their only story and journey, the result will vary as we are all different.
Unless you have been on the product and seen your own result I don’t think anyone should judge. Different products help different people and I find that people that don’t even NEED to lose weight are the biggest judges.
Yes it is pricey but I tell you this. Its a small price to pay when you are faces with, diabetes, heart disease, gastric bypass surgery, and a whole host of other things that will cost YOU and TAX PAYERS thousands of dollars to fix.
I personally will keep taking my Skinny Fiber products that happen to be all natural, and save myself and my family some heartache in the long run!
Joy, thanks for your words. I will say I’m not judging anyone. I am just reviewing the product. I am however being judged by SF sellers.
So much information is twisted in these posts. The initial article is very poorly researched and basically just written from material anyone can google. In my opinion the writer is trying to make a name for himself by trashing companies and handing out advice he may not be qualified to give, pandering to the already skeptical people who think things are too expensive because they cannot afford them.
I have been involved in Health and wellness for 17 years and I can tell you from experience that once you resign from any MLM company you have already seen your last paycheck. The smart thing is to resign the day after you receive it. There is no obligation on the part of the company to pay future checks because your volume is going to roll upline on the next pay.
I started taking Skinny Fibre because from my nutritionist viewpoint I saw no harmful ingredient in it and indeed many beneficial ingredients. I have been taking it for only one week and had amazing results with inches and pounds lost with the added benefit of more energy and feeling of well-being.
The people are genuine and the testimonies are real and I for one plan to distribute these products because I know they will do more good than harm. Of course you can gather up the individual ingredients and swallow them for a lower price but there is synergy in the formulation that is hard to emulate and there is also convenience.
When you say expensive, I would ask you “compared to- what?” Another major company I know plans to launch a weight-loss system next month that is $495.00 for three months compared to the $179.00 for 6 months that I pay with Skinny Fibre. And for the skeptics out there let me say that just because you found someone who gives you in print what you want to hear does not make it right.
I have stumbled across the naysayers for 17 years who have poo pooed all of the dietary supplements that I have ever taken but I am 66 and my husband is 83 and both of us are in wonderful health and not on any pharmaceutical drugs. I think that speaks for itself.
Heather, you say my review of skinny fiber is poorly written but you show no examples of where I was wrong.
If you care to discuss the research, I am willing to talk about it.