Update 3/9/24. If you have not heard of Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen capsules (also called Zi Xiu Tang Beauty Face and Figure Capsules), this is a natural weight loss supplement where some websites actually encourage people to eat what they want! Even the educational pamphlet that accompanies Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen say: “No Diet Restrictions” and that people can achieve “excellent results” even while eating “high fat and high-calorie foods”. The power of Zi Xiu Tang is said to be due to bee pollen and the other ingredients in the supplement. But, things are more complicated than that. This is the second review I've written about the Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen. For more insights on the ingredients, see the original review of Zi Xiu Tang bee pollen. Also, read almost 1000 comments on this review and hundreds of comments on the other Zi Xiu Tang Reviews.
Read The Updates First
I posted these updates above the rest of the content so you would see them first. As you will see below, I originally felt Zi Xiu Tang was a laxative, that still did not fully explain the crazy amounts of weight people were experiencing with this product. I wondered if there might be something else behind these effects.
Unfortunately, the FDA proved my suspicions correct when they found a drug called sibutramine (also known as Meridia) in Zi Xiu Tang -as well as other bee pollen weight loss supplements. Sibutramine has been linked to heart attacks and strokes, so it was banned in the US many years ago.
Update 4/8/14. The FDA warns people to immediately stop taking Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen's weight loss supplements. It tested several Zi Xiu Tang products – including those that were said to be “genuine” and not counterfeit. The FDA found that some products contained not only sibutramine, an illegal weight loss drug but some also contained Phenolphthalein, a chemical that may increase the risk of cancer. See the FDA alert for more information.
Update. 10/24/12. The FDA has alerted the public that Zi Xiu Tang contains the illegal weight loss drug called sibutramine. They advise people to not take Zi Xiu tang. Click the link to see the FDA Public Notification on Zi Xiu Tang. It took the FDA 2 years to prove what I knew from the first day I reviewed Zi Xiu Tang. There was no way this stuff worked the way it did – if it only had the ingredients listed…
Update 6/26/12. I have written a review of ZXT Gold
Update 7/25/12. : ZXT Gold has been found to contain 2 drugs, see the ZXT Gold review for more information.
6/18/13 Update. Here is the review of Slim Trim U for more information.
At first, I could not explain the weight loss people were seeing with this supplement. One person who commented on my first Zi Xiu Tang review said he lost 13 pounds in 1 month!
Now I know why…
How Does Zi Xiu Tang Work?
Thanks to a friend who sent me a bottle of these so-called slimming capsules I can tell you that bee pollen is NOT the active ingredient in Zi Xiu Tang.
If Zi Xiu Tang works, it's because it's a laxative!
I know this is true because several of the ingredients in Zi Xiu Tang have laxative effects. I suspected this because many websites selling Zi Xiu Tang use the word “cleanse.” Cleanse is the alternative medicine term for laxatives.
Probably, the most famous ingredient in Zi Xiu Tang is senna. Senna is not a weight loss supplement; it is a laxative. The FDA also classified it as a non-prescription, over-the-counter laxative drug.
Several other ingredients as you will see also act as laxatives.
The problem with laxatives is the only weight they help us expel feces (poop) and water.
What Does Zi Xiu Tang Mean?
The supplement's name doesn't seem to refer to anything specific. When translated from traditional Chinese to English, the name means “self-show soup.” However, when translated from Literary Chinese, the word means “be.” Could this be a reference to bee pollen, the alleged key ingredient?
Zi Xiu Tang Ingredients Label
Even if you wear eyeglasses, you will find it very difficult to read the ingredients in Zi Xiu Tang. The bottle and box abound with decorative Chinese art and characters, making reading the ingredients very difficult.
The red lettering of the ingredients makes it doubly hard to read. I had trouble even when I held the bottle up to a lamp! So, to save you the trouble, I've listed the ingredients here.
Zi Xiu Tang Full Ingredients List
Here is the entire list of ingredients in Zi Xiu Tang.
- Bee Pollen
- Chinese Yam
- Barbary Wolfberry Fruit
- Lotus Seed
- Dietary Fiber
- Green tea
- Rhubarb
- Aloe
- Cassia
- Astrigillis
- Polygonum multiflorum
- Lotus leaf
- Gynostemme
- Radish seed
- Malt
- Mulberry
- Hawthorn,
- “Vitamins”
Tthe first 4 ingredients are not weight loss herbs. I've already covered these ingredients in my first Zi Xiu Tang review. Let’s now talk about all the other ingredients.
Zi Xiu Tang Ingredients and Side Effects
Senna. Senna is a laxative. Because Zi Xiu Tang contains senna, it’s possible that the same side effects from using too much senna may be seen in those who take Zi Xiu Tang. The side effects can include,
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping gas/bloating
- Flatulence
- Dizziness
Because of diarrhea, products like Zi Xiu Tang that contain senna may in extreme cases cause excessive loss of electrolytes. This can lead to muscle weakness and maybe heart problems. This is because electrolytes are needed for muscle contraction and the heart is a muscle.
People using heart/blood pressure medications should not use senna-containing supplements or products that have similar laxative effects.
To highlight what can happen with senna overdose, there is a case report of a woman who developed liver failure after long-term use of senna tea.
In this report, the woman was drinking a liter of senna tea that contained 70 grams (2.5 oz) of senna fruit. Even with this amount, it took 3 years before liver failure presented itself. This is worth mentioning because everybody is different, and people often think “more is better,” which isn’t always true.
Unlike the laxative effect of fiber, senna is a non-fiber laxative. It works differently to relieve constipation. One of the ingredients in Senna is a class of compounds called anthranoids, which exert laxative effects by damaging the cells of the colon. Because of this, some have speculated that long-term use of senna, may increase the risk of cancer
Because senna supplements have not been studied for long-term use, it is hard to say if this is true or not.
Senna products should be avoided in people who have
- Hemorrhoids
- Heart disease / Blood pressure issues
- Abdominal pain
- Bowel obstructions
- Pregnant or nursing mothers (for obvious reasons)
- Diabetics
In theory, long-term use of senna supplements may make it harder to defecate as the person becomes dependent on the product.
People who take Zi Xiu Tang may notice that the color of their urine looks pink or rust-colored. This is probably due to the senna (and polygonum multiflorum, discussed below) and is not dangerous.
Update: In 2010 Senna was apparently removed from Zi Xiu Tang. Some people report that their bowel movements are less while others report no change. See the comments for more information.
Cassia. Zi Xiu Tang also contains Cassia. While the word cassia is sometimes used to describe the spice, cinnamon, I don’t think this is how they are using the word because cassia can also be another name for senna.
Both of cassia and senna are listed separately on the Zi Xiu Tang label; cassia appears first, followed by senna. Both words are sometimes used together (“cassia senna”). Other names for cassia senna are Cassia acutifola, and Cassia angustifolia.
If cassia on the Zi Xiu Tang label refers to cassia senna, then this, too, is a laxative and likely works synergistically with senna to promote a greater laxative effect.
Green Tea. Zi Xiu Tang also contains green tea. Because green tea contains caffeine, it’s theoretically possible that the caffeine may slightly raise metabolism. This is likely why the Zi Xiu Tang says “increase metabolism” and “increase energy” on the front of the display box. The box does not say how much caffeine is in Zi Xiu Tang.
Rhubarb. Zi Xiu Tang contains Rhubarb which also has laxative effects. It may also have estrogen-like effects. Rhubarb may act synergistically with senna and cassia to cause a greater laxative effect.
Aloe. Zi Xiu Tang contains aloe as well. Aloe juice also has a laxative effect however the bottle does not say if Zi Xiu Tang contains aloe juice or not.
Astragalus. Like all herbs, there are many types of Astragalus. Often used to treat the common cold, this herb does not seem to have any laxative effect. As for astragalus side effects, in large amounts (about 1 ounce, which is likely more than is in Zi Xiu Tang) this herb may increase the immune system which, while good for some can also be bad for others like those with some immune system disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Polygonum multiflorum. This is an herb also known as Fo-Ti and Ho Shu Wu. Some research notes Polygonum multiflorum has a mild laxative effect. At least 7 case reports have noted liver problems including hepatitis resulting from use/misuse of this herb.
Other reports hint that Polygonum multiflorum might alter blood sugar levels (that may be bad for diabetics).
On a side note, Polygonum multiflorum may also be found in supplements designed to lower cholesterol; research suggests that extracts may lower cholesterol and increase HDL. More research is needed to confirm this.
Gynostemma. Some websites say this herb can both cause both weight loss and weight gain. In this respect, Gynostemma might be classified as an adaptogen. An adaptogen is a non-medical term used in some circles to describe how a supplement “adapts” to your needs. Websites also claim that gynostemma has laxative effects.
Radish Seed. I could not locate any weight loss effects of this ingredient.
Malt: I could not locate any weight loss effects of this ingredient.
Mulberry. This contains fiber which acts as a laxative.
Hawthorn. People who take medications for high blood pressure or a heart condition should not use hawthorn or supplements containing Hawthorn. Hawthorn does influence the way the heart pumps. This means hawthorn can interact with your heart or blood pressure medications.
Vitamins. Zi Xiu Tang lists “vitamins” but does not indicate which vitamins it contains.
Ingredients that are Laxatives
To recap, here are the ingredients in Zi Xiu Tang that are laxatives
- Senna
- Cassia
- Rhubarb
- Aloe (if it contains Aloe juice)
- Polygonum multiflorum
- Gynostemma
- Mulberry
For more info see my review of Zi Xiu Tang Side Effects
Who makes Zi Xiu Tang?
The company that makes zi xiu tang is said to be the Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology located in China. The strange thing is that I've never been able to find a picture of what this company looks like. Google searches turn up no pictures of the company. Even the website for the company – cn-zixiutang.com – does not show a picture of the company (the website no longer exists).
For more info on the company, see my review of the bee pollen weight loss supplement Slim Trim U.
Zi Xiu Tang Warning Label
If you read the label of Zi Xiu Tang you see this warning of who should not use the product (I'm quoting them verbatim):
“Not Suitable For:
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. People who suffer from either liver, kidney, Heart Disease, or High Blood Pressure. Adolescents, Elderly, Depressed people, or Anyone with bee or pollen allergies.”
Does Zi Xiu Tang Work?
There is little clinical evidence of weight loss effects for most of the ingredients in Zi Xiu Tang. If it really works, it may be due to laxative effects. Some websites that sell Zi Xiu Tang say the product does not contain sibutramine (weight loss drug), or other drugs like Rimonabant (weight loss drug), Phenytoin (anti-seizure drug) or Phenolphthalein (has laxative effects). This is perhaps a response to previous FDA action against bee pollen-containing weight loss supplements. Does it work as well without pharmaceutical enhancement? You tell me.
Does anyone know side effects of zixiutang and birth control?
Jen I dont think anybody knows the answer to that. I dot think anybody ever studied this.
Andrea
What I think you are not getting here is you are reading a label and assuming the only ingredients found in these pills are what it says on the bottle. They are putting this drug subutramine in it illegally without anyone knowing it is there and that is why it is working.
It definitely works to lose weight at a ridiculous pace and without any effort. It is so unfortunate that subutramine has been found to cause so many bad side effects because it really is the cure for obesity. You are taking these pills at a risk. It definitely works but zixiutang does not work at all if subutramine is not added to it.
Guaranteed that if you had the pills tested that are working miraculously for you , it will be discovered to contain this substance. It is such a shame that it causes so many other side effects because it really does work amazingly! No one is more disappointed than I!!!
Andrea, im sorry But i am 100% convinced there is something else besides the ingredients listed on the box that is causing the weight loss and appetite suppression. It is very rare for these ingredients alone to cause dry mouth, heart palpitations etc. (as reported by others). I wish there was a way we can send these capsules these distributors are selling to the FDA for testing. There is no such thing as a miracle pill.
k Guys,
Here is the scoop. The authentic product is manufactured by Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology Co., LTD. in China. They distribute the product to the USA by means of ONLY ONE distributor, zixiutangbeepollen.com/.
That distributor then has tens if not hundreds of “authorized re sellers” that sell to the public. The original formula, or “Classic” formula, is the one that works. It has two ingredients that the new formula does not, Cassia and Senna which are basically forms of a laxative.
I have been, in essence, selling, and taking this product for about 8 months now, and i have see it BLOW UP where i live. Literally placing orders for a hundred bottles every 2 months, just to friends and family.
I did research on each ingredient individually and found many benefits to many of the ingredients in addition to the negatives that people have to focus on, but do the research for yourself obviously. But everyone has different effects to the different ingredients.
For sure, if you have high blood pressure, history of seizures, I wouldn’t take this.. can we say DUH?? Lets be honest people, if you are going to take a manufactured product and expect it to be a miracle pill Americans seem to be on the never ending hunt for, and we want it to be “healthy” , that quest is just not realistic.
There is always going to be something in it that someone has an issue with. Overall, I have seen.. TONS of people loose weight with the Classic formula including myself. I lost 50 lbs in a modest 7 months with out changing my diet. I have tried so many different types of so diet products as I am sure you all have, and this is the only one that has ever delivered like this bottom line. Common sense people.. do the research and make the decision for your self.
Monitor your side affects and listen to your body. Believe me, there are worse ingredients in products that I am sure many of you have taken that deliver FAR less results. I love this crap.
Andrea, how do you know that the “classic formula” only has senna and cassia as their active ingredients? ultimately you are relying on the honesty of the company Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
Unfortunately I cant get a Google street view image of the address of Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. to see what the building looks like but I did look at google images to see if there are any pictures of the building. We will both agree that Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is an impressive name. With a name like that, I expect to see a big building with the name proudly displayed on the outside.
But, I cant find a single picture of Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. on Google images. Everything I see are for the most part, pics of zi xiu tang. Where is the actual building? For me, this is a huge red flag. In America you can give your business a fancy sounding name – even though it doesn’t exist outside of maybe a PO Box. Is this also the case with businesses in china? There are a billion people in China. How come none of them have snapped a picture of Guangzhou Zixiutang Biotechnology?
Joe and melissa,
I know what you mean. I spoke with a woman from newreflectionsnewyou.com and she gave me a story about her product zi xui tang classic not being recalled and theirs was 100% authentic blah blah blah… here’s the website for the classic formula, which is the same manufacturer and the same exact box she is selling http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm325537.htm I don’t know why she is trying to pull one over on her customers. Its pitiful!! And when asked about fda recall she simply states that she cannot discuss this due to confidentiality reasons!! Bulls**t!
Joe and all,
I too have been trying to reach out to the distributors still selling this product and promoting their business on Facebook. They did not take my opinions well and are convinced that their products are 100% authentic and do not contain this harmful ingredient.
I emailed a distributor (beepollendiet.com I think) and they are saying they called the FDA to find out what the recall was about. They are convinced the recall OnLY applies to the ultimate formula. Also, they think they are “covered” since the distributor name is listed in the FDA report as “zi xiu tang success” and not theirs.
I still cannot believe they are brushing this off!
Melissa, as I understand it the people who sell zi xiu tang must buy it first and then sell it. So, a lot of these companies probably have a lot of money involved. Sometimes this can cloud judgement. Ill call the FDA this week. Guessing they are closed today – tue because of the hurricane.
Joe I called 301-796-3400 and left a mesage. They returned my all the next day. All they said was that it was a voluntary recall and they did not have to pull their pills. She said the companies that did had more concern for their consumers than the others who did not pull them. I too think this is mind blowing!!
New reflections llc is on fb and still selling. Its still listed under a page and you do not have to ‘like’ the page to see comments. I actually noticed someone put a post about the fda on their and the administrator of the page deleted the post. Ha. Nice! All they are concerned about is making money.
anonymous, thanks for the number I will give them a call on monday and see what I can discover.
I took Zi Xiu Tang Beauty, Face & Figure for 3 1/2 months. The only side effect that I experienced initially was a very dry mouth. I also began to sweat excessively (forehead and upper lip). I did not attribute the sweating to the pills because since I’m 43 and overweight, I thought I was out of shape and nearing menopause.
In the last month (early September), I began to experience problems with my vision (blurry and sensitivity to light). I purchased reading glasses, but again, I thought that this was due to aging. During the past two weeks (mid October 2012), I have been experiencing a terrible headache (lower forehead in between my eyes) and my eyes have been hurting (pressure behind my eyes, blurry, a lot of blinking).
I made an appt. to see my general practitioner because I have been feeling like something is really, really wrong. The most recent experience was that my heart was beating really fast and I woke up in the middle of the night because of it.
I have been googling my symptoms and could not find anything. Then, I thought, “what if the pills are doing this to me?” and I began to do some research and came across this blog. I stopped taking the pills 2 days ago and my eyes are a lot better and my headache is light.
I checked the blog again today and checked out the link Melissa posted. I was shocked! I feel as if this blog saved my life! Thank YOU. I told 2 of my friends about this and emailed the links from the FDA and the recall information, but my friends do not want to stop taking the pills because they have not experienced any side effects. This blows my mind.
Joana, well at least you are feeling better and of that I am very happy! They will run out of zi xiu tang eventually since nobody will be able to sell it for much longer now that the FDA is aware of it. I was convinced from the start that zi xiu tang contained something other than what they said. it worked just too well – and those side effects (like the ones you said you had) were just too disturbing for me. I’m sorry I was right.
Great idea! I would paste it here but would Like to remain anonymous and my profile picture shows up in the corner. So I will not do that
anonymous, I completely understand. no worries. I tried to check her out on FB last night but have to friend her to see it. again no worries. She’ll be out of business soon enough.
Thank you Joe!! Great idea! May I post it here as well?? So people researching this may learn a little more… I also spoke with the fda reps today. They explained to me that this recall was voluntary. And anyone that recalled the product had a general concern for their consumers. Although it was voluntary.. anyone who buys from companies still selling this crap and ends up getting hurt can go and hold the LLC that sold it to them responsible!!
anonymous, really! So the FDA finds an illegal drug in a supplement that can cause heart attacks but then does not make people stop selling it? Im going to call the FDA on monday and see if I can get to the bottom of this. what phone # did you call to speak to the FDA?
Melissa- I too have purchased ultimate formula from athena. Not sticking up for her or anything but she did advise us to stop taking pills immediately before the fda reports ever surfaced on the website. She told us to do this on her facebook page. She was a distributor of the pills. She did not manufacture them. She was just as blind to this news as we all were.
We are all adults and take chances with any diet pill we consume. This happens every single day in the u.s. pills get taken off the market for the littlest things. It is however a shame what happened and we all did consume the drug. But blame should not be pit on one person. Especially someone who lost weight with a product and was just trying to help others do the same.
We all need to take responsibility for ourselves and what we put in our own bodies. The sad thing is there are still companies out there selling this crap!! I actually emailed a lady today at a company selling the classic formula (which has the same manufacturer as athena) and she claims to not have any idea what is going on and making excuses and stating on facebook that she has ‘the real stuff’ come buy from her.
I think that’s a bunch of crap! The zi xiu tang classic formula is the same manufacturer whether athena sold it or joe smoe down the road sells it. And I think someone needs to stop this woman! And any other company selling it.
People don’t even care that there’s an illegal drug in it. All they care about is that it worked and they are continuing to take it because it works. Kinda sad.
anonymous, in my personal opinion, anyone who still sells Zi Xiu Tang after learning of the FDA letter and saying “I have the real stuff” is irresponsible. Take a screen shot of her facebook page (its the “PrtSc” button on your keyboard, near the Delete button) and then paste it into MS Word etc. Then you’ll have proof to show the FDA of what she’s saying.
I also want to add I purchased mine from beepollenbyathena.com 2 weeks ago and guess what? Their website and fb page is down and they are not providing any explanation other than the fact that they no long carry ANY products because of issues with manufacturers. They are not even admitting the recall is an issue, nor did they make it a point to advise their clients to stop taking their products. I found this information out by a friend of mine! I hope these companies go out of business.
Melissa, its so easy to toss up a website these days and make it look professional. On my personal site I showed people how to do what I did to create this website in the hopes of helping people create their own sites to help others. Here’s the link
http://www.joe-cannon.com/install-wordpress-register-donain-name-tutorial-step-by-step/
The problem is that anybody can make a website about anything. I’m sure the people who ran these websites had no clue that zi xiu tang had this weight loss drug. They probably just found something that worked for them – and thought they could help others and make some money doing it. That said, now that the FDA has FINALLY discovered what I knew all along, most if not all of these businesses should be going away pretty soon I think. That’s not to say that others wont be taking their places…
Here is an official public notification from the FDA confirming these pills contain the dangerous ingredient, dated today, 10/24/2012. Now the speculation is over.http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm325537.htm
Melissa THANKS! Its nice to know I was right!
Mr Geek was right! These pills DO contain sibutramine! I tried it and felt terrible! Insane how these Chinese manufacturers are STILL getting away with this!
http://www.zixiutangsuccess.com/Home.html
Melissa, thanks for letting me know about this. I knew it! Nice to have vindication.
Dina, I completely agree with you! The pills I took two summers ago were, without a doubt, laced! I speak from first hand experience!
What people are not understanding here is that it does not matter what brand we are talking about. It is clear that the reason for the weight loss is not due to any natural substance! Any time any one of these zi xiu tang products worked it was because it had to have contained sibutramine and possibly phenolthalein as well. When it was not working it was because those pills did not contain those substances.
Dina, that has been my contention from day 1.
The problem is, there are so many different versions of zi xiu tang created by different companies, the FDA will have a hard time pin pointing which contains the substance. When they report something they report the name of the product and do the manufacturer .
Oh and by the way, it probably is the fake pills that are the safe ones because they do not work therefore they do not contain subutramine!!! It is the real ones that we need to stay away from!
Joe
I talked with the person that I have been buying it from all along. An extremely reputable company. They have decided to shut down their site and their business immediately after very recently testing the pill and found it to contain a substance that is not safe. According to them it has been sent to the FDA and certain batches are going to be recalled in a few days.
What we have been suspecting all along is almost positively true.
The bee pollen is being shipped from China and most likely sibutramine is the cause of extreme weight loss and the side effects from it. This ZI XIU TANG was too good to be true! If it really was so safe to take the entire population would be taking it and the cure for obesity would be found! Trust me many people are disappointed now because it really did work! However we all need to stop it immediately!!!!
Dina, thanks for that. Im still looking for an alert from the FDA on this and if/when I see it I will post it here and update my reviews.
I had a very bad experience with Xi Xiu Tang back in the summer of 2011. After about two weeks I started to experience heart palpitations, sweats, insomnia, constipation, you name it. I even got severe mood swings to the point of rage. I did loose weight easily but in a way that compromised my health.
These pills were messing around with my brain chemistry! After some research, I became convinced that the pills I took contained sibutramine.
My side effects were exactly the same described with taking this drug. All Xi Xiu Tang pills may not be the same but for those who may be considering taking these pills, I don’t think it’s worth the risk! Be very careful!