Update 1/20/20. Slim Trim U is touted as a “new solution” for losing weight “without excessive exercise in the gym” that will “swiftly reshape your body so that your trim figure from yesteryear can shine through.” As an added bonus, they also say that you'll get this with “No pain”. “No surgery” and “No risk.”
That is just some of the benefits said about the bee pollen supplement, Slim Trim U, on the Floyd Nutrition website, one of the distributors of this product. But, is Slim Trim U really a “new solution?” And does it have “no risks”? Hopefully, this review gives you a better understanding of Slim Trim U is and whether it's right for you.
Slim Trim U ingredients
According to the Floyd Nutrition website, Slim Trim U has these ingredients:
- Bee pollen
- Chinese yam
- Barbary Wolfberry fruit
- Lotus seed
- Dietary fiber
Other ingredients in Slim Trim U include
- Green tea
- Rhubarb
- Aloe
- Astragalus
- Polygonum Multiflorum
- Lotus Leaf
- Gynostemma
- Radish Seed
- Malt
- Mulberry
- Hawthorn
- Vitamins
I noticed that we are not told how much of each of these ingredients is in Slim Trim U. This makes analyzing any studies on the individual ingredients difficult. In other words, studies may use different amounts of the ingredients that are in Slim Trim U. As such, positive studies of Slim Trim U ingredients may not be “proof” that Slim Trim U itself also works.
Slim Trim U Weight Loss Proof
Now I want to go through each ingredient in Slim Trim U. I will search for each ingredient in the National Library of Medicine to see if there is any proof that any of these ingredients might help people lose weight. Let's start with the 4 main ingredients first.
1. Bee Pollen
Bee pollen has zero evidence it helps people lose weight. If bee pollen really helped people lose weight, how come I can't find a single study ―in humans or lab animals ―that bee pollen works? I challenge ANY bee pollen weight loss supplement reseller/distributor to show me the proof I seek. On websites, it's said that bee pollen raises metabolism (how fast we burn calories) however, I can't find any proof of this.
Tip. It's worth mentioning that metabolism increases slightly after we eat anything. The metabolism-raising effect of digesting food does not burn many calories though. Maybe only 5% of the calories used in an average day come from digesting/processing food.
2. Chinese Yam
Also called, Dioscorea alata. There is no evidence that Chinese Yam helps people lose weight. On the Floyd Nutrition website, they say that one of the benefits of Chinese yam is increased metabolism. If that's true, why can't I find any proof of this? Some websites also claim that another benefit of Chinese yam is “anti-aging properties.” I can't find any proof of this either.
3. Barbary Wolfberry Fruit
Also called Lycium barbarum as well as Goji, Goji berry and Lychee among many other names. In a small study published in 2011 titled Lycium barbarum increases caloric expenditure and decreases waist circumference in healthy overweight men and women: pilot study, it was noted that 120 ml (4 oz) of Lycium barbarum appeared to increase resting metabolic rate by about 10% over that of a placebo as well as decreased waist circumference after 14 days of use.
This is interesting however it was a small study (only about 15 people in each group) and the makers of Slim Trim U do not tell us how much Lycium barbarum it contains.
I see no evidence that Barbary Wolfberry increases testosterone levels.
There are many goji berry products on Amazon. I've linked to a product that is a liquid for those who want to try to replicate the results of the study above.
4. Lotus Seed
Also called, Nelumbo nucifera. I can't find any weight loss studies ever conducted on Lotus seed.
So, for the 4 main ingredients in Slim Trim U, it looks like the only ingredient with any proof is Barbary Wolfberry fruit ―and that proof is based on a single human study that involved only about 30 people.
Other ingredients in Slim Trim U
Now let's look at the weight loss evidence for the other ingredients in Slim Trim U
Green tea
Green tea is in a lot of weight loss products so I won't rehash it here other than to say that green tea does have some caffeine. Is caffeine the “secret sauce” in green tea as far as weight loss is concerned? I'm not sure. Some research that combines green tea and caffeine notes that green tea ―alone ―doesn't appear to help people lose weight.
Is there any caffeine in Slim Trim U? I don't know. I am all for drinking green tea (here is one of my favorites!), but as for green tea weight loss supplements, I think better research needs to be done before anybody can know for sure. Other products that contain green tea I've already reviewed include:
Rhubarb
Also called Rheum Officinale. While Rhubarb itself appears to have no weight loss proof, I did locate a small study in rats, titled Effect of an herbal extract Number Ten (NT) on body weight in rats. This was a study of a Chinese herbal supplement called Number Ten, which contained several ingredients, one of which was rhubarb.
Aloe
Aloe can have a laxative effect. For more on aloe, see my reviews of :
- Vemma (see review)
- Colon Flow (see review)
- Astragalus
I saw no studies conducted on Astragalus as it pertained to weight loss.
Polygonum Multiflorum
Also called many names including Fo Ti and Chinese Knotweed. This herb can act as a laxative.
Lotus Leaf
The scientific name for this herb is Nelumbo nucifera. Searching the National Library of Medicine for:
- Lotus leaf obesity
- Lutus leaf weight loss
- Nelumbo nucifera obesity
- Nelumbo nucifera weight loss
Revealed a test tube study titled Chemical constituents from Nelumbo nucifera leaves and their anti-obesity effects, several extracts from lotus were found to inhibit fat cell growth and inhibit pancreatic lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats. Theoretically, this might mean some constituent parts of lotus might help weight loss.
In a rat study published in 2010 titled Antiobesity and hypolipidemic effects of lotus leaf hot water extract with taurine supplementation in rats fed a high-fat diet, lotus leaf and taurine appeared to help rats from gaining weight that was fed a high-fat diet. How much was due to lotus leaf or taurine is not known.
Gynostemma
The science name for Gynostemma is Gynostemma pentaphyllum. According to a review at WebMd, another name for this herb is jiaogulan. In a 2012 study titled Heat-processed Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract improves obesity in ob/ob mice by activating AMP-activated protein kinase, an extract of Gynostemma (called actiponin) appeared to help mice lose weight. I can't find any human weight loss evidence.
Radish Seed
The scientific name for radishes is Raphanus sativus. I can't locate any weight loss studies on radishes or radish seeds.
Malt
Malt might add some fiber to Slim Trim U. I can't find any weight loss studies on malt.
Mulberry
The scientific name for Mulberry is Morus nigra. Mulberry may be a mild laxative due to its fiber content.
Hawthorn
The scientific name for hawthorn is Crataegus monogyna. I honestly don't know why hawthorn keeps popping up in bee pollen weight loss supplements because it does nothing for weight loss. I can't find a single study showing that hawthorn helps people lose weight.
Hawthorn can alter the way the heart pumps and this might be a problem for people with heart disease. I think this is important because Slim Trim U (like most weight loss supplements) is being marketed to overweight people, some of whom may have heart problems. Hawthorn is listed last in the ingredients list and that probably means there is not a lot of it in Slim Trim U. Still, I don't feel this is an appropriate ingredient.
Slim Trim U is also said to have some vitamins, but they don't tell us which vitamins it has. This makes discussing those vitamins impossible. It doesn't matter, though, because vitamins don't help people lose weight.
Ingredients With Weight Loss Proof
Here is a summary of the 5 main ingredients in Slim Trim U that have weight loss research. I've also summarized the nature of that research (mouse vs. people vs. test tube studies).
- Barbary wolfberry fruit. 1 small human study.
This is the only main ingredient in Slim Trim U with any published weight loss evidence.
Other ingredients with weight loss evidence
- Green tea. Conflicting human evidence
- Lotus Leaf. Test tube and rat studies
- Gynostemma. Mouse study
Slim Trim U vs. ZXT Gold
Now let's compare the ingredients in Slim Trim U to ZXT Gold, another weight loss product you may have heard of. The ingredients are listed in order as they appeared on the Floyd Nutrition website. The main ingredients are in blue.
|
Slim Trim U |
ZXT Gold |
| Bee pollen | Bee pollen |
| Chinese yam | Chinese yam |
| Barbary wolfberry fruit | Green tea |
| Lotus seed | Lotus seed |
| Dietary fiber | Dietary fiber |
| Green tea | |
| Rhubarb | |
| Aloe | |
| Astragalus | |
| Polygonum multiflorum | |
| Gynostemma | |
| Radish seed | |
| Malt | |
| Mulberry | |
| Hawthorn | |
| Vitamins |
Notice that the 5 main ingredients in Slim Trim U are almost identical to ZXT Gold. For more info, see my ZXT Gold review.
Slim Trim U vs. Zi Xiu Tang
Now let's compare the ingredients in Slim Trim U to Zi Xiu Tang, a bee pollen weight loss supplement that was sold before either Slim Trim U or ZXT Gold. The ingredients are listed in order as they appear on the Floyd Nutrition website. The main ingredients are in blue. For more information see my Zi Xiu Tang review.
|
Slim Trim U |
Zi Xiu Tang |
| Bee pollen | Bee pollen |
| Chinese yam | Chinese yam |
| Barbary wolfberry fruit | Barbary wolf berry fruit |
| Lotus seed | Lotus seed |
| Dietary fiber | Dietary fiber |
| Green tea | Green tea |
| Rhubarb | Rhubarb |
| Aloe | Aloe |
| Astragalus | Cassia |
| Polygonum multiflorum | Astrigillis |
| Gynostemma | Polygonum multiflorum |
| Radish seed | Lotus leaf |
| Malt | Gynostemme |
| Mulberry | Radish seed |
| Hawthorn | Malt |
| Vitamins | Mulberry |
| Hawthorn | |
| Vitamins |
As can be seen, both supplements share a lot of similar ingredients. In fact, if you look closely, Slim Trim U has almost all of the listed ingredients as in Zi Xi Tang. The only difference is that some of the ingredients are ordered differently in the list.
Now that I have shown you how similar Slim Trim U is to both ZXT Gold and Zi Xiu Tang, the question we have to ask ourselves is, how is Slim Trim U any different than these other products?
I'm sure some will say that the arrangement of ingredients makes Slim Trim U better, but I don't agree with this argument. The weight loss evidence for all of the Slim Trim U ingredients is weak at best with only one ingredient having a human study. If Slim Trim U is going to work, I think the only possible way it could help is by acting as a laxative.
Laxative Ingredients in Slim Trim U
Below are the ingredients in Slim Trim U that I feel might act as a laxative
- Aloe
- Polygonum Multiflorum
- Mulberry
Slim Trim U Side Effects
People allergic to bee pollen should avoid Slim Trim U.
Women with breast cancer should be cautious with Chinese yam. Some test-tube studies hint that Chinese yam may act like estrogen.
Polygonum Multiflorum and liver problems have been reported several times.
According to a review on Gynostemma at WebMd, this herb may be linked to birth defects. This herb also may interact with blood thinner medications.
People who took Slim Trim U and left comments on my review of ZXT Gold also reported these side effects:
| Diarrhea | Forcing themselves to eat | Chest pain | Dry skin |
| Dry mouth /cotton mouth | Needing less sleep / insomnia | Short of breath | Anxiety |
| “just don't feel right” | Altered taste for soda (not liking soda anymore) | Sharp pain in left arm | Sores on tongue |
| Feel “high/drunk” | Elevated blood pressure | Exhaustion | Loss of taste for fruit flavors |
| Moodiness | Rapid heart rate | Lightheadedness | Increased sex drive |
| Horrible nausea | Irregular heart rate | Blurred vision |
The strange thing is that people sometimes report side effects after several weeks of taking Slim Trim U. Why? I can only speculate. Could it take time for whatever is causing the side effects to build up in the body? Is it possible that some packages of Slim Trim U do not contain the ingredient/ingredients responsible for the side effects, while others do? Again, I am not sure. I present these side effects to give people a place to see what others have experienced.
The other strange thing is that looking at the ingredients in Slim Trim U, I can't find studies noting that the ingredients cause these weird side effects. This leaves open the possibility that 2 things might be going on:
1. The unique blend of ingredients in Slim Trim U leads to the strange side effects.
Or
2. There is something else in Slim Trim U that is not listed on the label.
As I reported in my ZXT Gold review, Canadian health officials have identified 2 hidden pharmaceutical drugs in this bee pollen weight loss supplement.
In the US, the FDA has likewise found evidence that Zi Xiu Tang contained a hidden weight-loss drug called sibutramine. The company that makes Zi Xiu Tang (Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology company) is the same company that makes Slim Trim U.
The FDA has likewise found evidence sibutramine in other weight loss supplements such as:
- Hokkaido weight loss pills (also see my (also see my review of Hokkaido pills)
In fact, according to this FDA video, the FDA has found hidden weight loss ingredients in over 100 different supplements.
Update: Slim Trim U Contains Hidden Drug Ingredient
On 5/5/14 the FDA alerted the public that it found Sibutramine in Slim Trim U.
What is Sibutramine?
Sibutramine (also called Meridia) is an illegal weight loss drug that was taken off the US market because of an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Some of the side effects of sibutramine do sound a lot like some of the strange Slim Trim U side effects people have reported to me. Some of those side effects include:
| Headache | Dry mouth | Back pain |
| Nervousness | Difficulty falling asleep | Fast heart rate |
| Chest pain | Nausea | Anxiety |
| Lightheadedness | Skin rash | Flu-like symptoms |
See the Sibutramine drug page for more all of the side effects.
Who makes Slim Trim U?
Various independent resellers sell Slim Trim U. When I posted the question “Who makes Slim Trim U” on the Facebook page of one of these distributors, I was told that Floyd Nutrition makes Slim Trim U. However, Floyd Nutrition is basically a warehouse in Harrisburg Pa. There are no laboratory facilities at this location that I am aware of. Even on one of their websites, Floyd states that they are a “distributor” of Slim Trim U. So, they don't make it.
The Floyd Nutrition website says that Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology Company, LTD makes Slim Trim U. This is the same company that produces Zi Xiu Tang bee pollen weight loss supplements. Let's now take a look at the Guangzhou company…
Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology Company
The name Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology conjures up images that this company is a huge pharmaceutical facility that does biotechnology research. But at their website, cn-zixiutang.com there are no pictures of the building. Why?
On the Contact page of their website, they list this address:
“11 Fuli Buliding, Pearl River New town, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China 510500.”
If you look closely, you will see the word building is spelled wrong.
Also, The building name appears like it is spelled wrong also. The website gives the address as “11 Fuli” but if you try to Google “11 Fuli Building” and look at the Google images for this location, you see pictures of ladies' handbags!
If, on the other hand, you Google “11 Fuji building” and look at the images, then you will see buildings. But which building is it? The most common building I saw was a strange-looking structure, which,
This is the Fuji Television building in Tokyo, Japan. Japan? But the ZiXiuTang Biotechnology company is supposed to be in China!
The location of the Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology company cannot be located.
With over 1 billion people in China, how come nobody appears to have ever snapped a picture of the Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology company? If anybody has a picture of this company, please let me know, and I will gladly update this review.
Does Slim Trim U work?
In this review, I've tried to point out that, Slim Trim U is nothing new. It's just a re-shuffling of the same ingredients that are found in other bee pollen weight loss products. To me, it just looks basically like the same ingredients with a different name on the bottle.
With the exception of a single, small human study on one of the ingredients, I see no proof that Slim Trim U helps people lose weight. Given that the FDA has found that the supplement contains sibutramine explain how it worked. Based on that, you should speak to your physician before using this supplement.