Have you heard of Zylotrim? It's a weight loss supplement I discovered at about 4 AM somewhere between reruns of Cops and Ice Road Truckers.
Because the Zylotrim claimed that it “was awarded two US patents” and was “clinically proven” to promote weight loss, I was intrigued. What follows is my review Zylotrim, based on what was listed on its website and what I could discover about its reported active ingredients. This is an updated review of Zylotrim with new information.
Zylotrim Ingredients
According to the products website, zylotrim’s active ingredients include “an all-natural compound derived from yam in Latin America”. What that ingredient is was not stated.
Because the TV commercial said that the weight loss effects of Zylotrim were supported by clinical research, I checked the National Library of Medicine. I did a search for Zylotrim (without quotation marks) and again with quotes (“Zylotrim”). In both cases, no peer reviewed studies of the product were discovered.
Some websites state that yams contain the hormone, DHEA. This is not exactly true. Yams don't contain DHEA but rather compounds that might in theory help us make DHEA. There is debate however as to whether the human body can turn these compounds (i.e., diosgenin) into DHEA. I mention DHEA because one study did appear to link DHEA to weight loss.
The problem with this study was that it looked at DHEA use in older adults. What about younger people? In theory it might help younger people too but there is no proof (yet) of this. Also, how much DHEA was used? In this study 50 mg of DHEA was used for 6 months.
If Zylotrim contains compounds derived from yams that – in theory – might raise DHEA levels, how much of these compounds does it have and how much DHEA does this equate to? Nothing is said about this on the Zylotrim website.
The real issue is that even if Zylotrim contained these compounds, where is the proof that you and I can convert them into DHEA? I was unable to locate any clinical studies that taking yam-derived DHEA precursors raised DHEA levels in people.
Yams do contain fiber and a fiber that has often been touted for weight loss is Glucomannan. I reviewed the evidence on glucomannan in my book, Nutritional Supplements: What Works and Why. Could glucomannan be the active ingredient in zylotrim? I dont think so because I don't believe yams contain glucomannan so this is pure speculation on my part.
If you want to know more about glucamannan, read my review on Glucosulin.
Zylotrim Research
I was unable to discover any research on the reputed active ingredient of Zylotrim in the National Library of Medicine. The website for Zylotrim also does not list the “clinical studies” it claims support the product’s weight loss effects.
My Thoughts
Personally, I'm skeptical about Zylotrim because I couldn’t find any peer reviewed research on its website or elsewhere to support what the TV commercial said about the product.
When viewing ads for health and fitness products, don’t be swayed by fancy words and phrases like :
- Clinically proven
- All natural
- Safe and effective
These words are vague and hold little weight to the scientific community. They are little more than marketing words to get you to buy something.
Instead, look for this phrase: “published peer reviewed research” This is a much more focused statement and means that the research was reviewed by other competent scientists before it was published in a medical or health journal. Read the Page Supplement Questions at the top of this website for more info on peer reviewed research and other topics about supplements.
Update: 12/4/10. If you go to the Zylotrim website, you may see that it is not working. When I checked the website, all I saw was “We are no longer accepting new orders for Zylotrim”. Current customers using Zylotrim were told to call a 888 number to get more information. As of 6/12/12 a sign on the Zylotrim website says “Zylotrim is no longer is business.”
what do you think?