Xenitol

We take an in depth look at Xenitol to find out more.

Xenitol Review

Xenitol is a weight loss supplement that according to the advertising will work as a carb blocker, fat binder, and fat burner all rolled into one. In addition, the advertising claims that it will improve mood by helping to increase serotonin levels.

Xenitol contains legume protein also known as bean extract, which may help block carbs. It contains Chitosan – a natural material derived from shells and seafood skeletons which is believed to bind fat. Nexgen claim that this supplement also works as a fat burner and we guess this is down to the Garcinia Cambogia extract contained in the formula.

There are additional ingredients too, most notably Cascara Sagrada a powerful laxative which is not mentioned in the product advertising. This is surprising because it is well known for creating a strong laxative effect so it is highly likely that this will be what you notice most about this supplement. Other ingredients include aloe vera, cider vinegar and Gymnema Sylvestre – a plant which reduces the taste of sugar when the leaves are chewed in natural form.

There is nothing much here that we can see will really increase your metabolism and cause the fat burner effect or come to that, help increase serotonin levels, although some people claim that Garcinia Cambogia does have this ability.

In fact, one of the major drawbacks with this supplement is that it contains unproven ingredients, which do not really stand up to clinical scrutiny.

Garcinia Cambogia has been hyped for weight loss but lacks true evidence that it works because it has mainly been tested on animals. Chitosan performed indifferently as a fat binder. In one extensive clinical trial, the results proved that an adult man would need 7 months to lose 1lb of fat by taking this ingredient alone.

An added problem with Xenitol is that this supplement lacks full ingredients information. Although the ingredients are named, the exact profile is masked by the fact that this formula comes in the form of a proprietary blend so you cannot see exactly how much of any ingredient you are taking.

Proprietary blends are well known in the supplement industry. This is when a supplement producer names the ingredients in the formula but does not provide an accurate breakdown of quantities so you cannot see how much of anything you are taking, just the sum total of combined ingredients.

We have covered the issue of proprietary blends in a previous Watchdog investigation.

Xenitol is made by Nexgen Biolabs. We have covered Nexgen supplements in previous investigations but have yet to approve one of them. Nexgen supplements are well known for being strong and containing high levels of stimulants.

Previous Nexgen supplements include Xentrafen a strong fat burner and appetite suppressant, Jet Rush– a supplement designed for “hardcore speed freaks” and an energy boosting supplement and Phen RX – another stimulant based diet pill.

Xenitol does not have the stimulant firepower of many other Nexgen supplements, but may still cause unpleasant side effects, mainly related to the laxative content.

What Does Xenitol Claim To Do?

According to the Xenitol advertising, this supplement can help keep you on your diet when you give into the temptation of a fattening meal.

You try to follow a strict diet, but then those few high carb/fat meals ruin your weight loss efforts. What if you could help block the absorption of those high calorie meals?

Sounds good and of course this has happened to everyone. According to Nexgen the answer is Xenitol a…

Revolutionary new product

And..

the most powerful weight loss aid that blocks the body’s absorption of fat and carbohydrates from food while burning fat and suppressing appetite.

According to the Xenitol advertising, this supplement has five key features:

• Help Prevent the Absorption of High Carbohydrate/Fat Meals
• Provides All Day Fat Burning and Appetite Suppression
• Helps Block Cholesterol Absorbed from Foods and Lower Cholesterol Levels
• Promotes Fat Burning on Stubborn Problem Areas
• Supports Reduced BMI (Body Mass Index)

None of these claims are backed up with evidence and the way that the ingredients work is never explained.

So What Is Xenitol and What Are The Ingredients?

Xenitol is advertised as a multi purpose diet pill that covers all aspects of weight loss. Each serving is equal to two capsules. Each two capsule serving contains 1500mg of active ingredients per serving.

• Legume Protein Concentrate (Phaseolus vulgaris): This bean extract is well known as a carb blocker in the supplements industry and some clinical testing has suggested that when taken long term it may help reduce body weight and fat mass. Fibre helps increase feelings of fullness and because it can delay gastric emptying, it can keep hunger pangs at bay. Bean extract (Phaseolus) inhibits the enzyme Alma amaylse which the body uses to digest carbs. When this function is inhibited, it may have the result of preventing carbs from adding to body weight and instead pass them through your digestion as waste.
  Source:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14871659
• Chitosan: In molecular terms, Chitosan is a polysaccharide – a type of carbohydrate composed of D-glucosamine and D-glucosamine and is a naturally occurring sugar found in crab and shrimp shells. Chitosan may have medical benefits but clinical testing suggests that it only works in combination with a diet and achieves minimal weight loss. There is some evidence that it may cause feelings of satiety. It may lower cholesterol too but the fat binding aspect does not seem to be effective according to human testing. One clinical test carried out on 12 adults concluded, ‘The fat trapped was clinically insignificant. For men, it would take more than 7 months to lose 1 pound of body fat. For women, no fat was trapped.’
  Source:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15635349
• Cider Vinegar (as powder): Popular home remedy for everything from head lice to diabetes. However, none of the medical claims have been scientifically proven and it can cause heartburn because of its high acidic content.
• Garcinia Cambogia: The active part of Garcinia Cambogia is Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) which is supposed to block fat and suppress the appetite. According to studies on rats, HCA inhibits an enzyme, which produces fat, called Citrate Lyase making it hard for the body to produce fat from carbohydrates. Other animal studies show that HCA increases serotonin levels so may lead to reduced appetite and food cravings. The trouble is the same results have not been observed in humans and there is no evidence that Garcinia does anything at all.
• Gymnema Sylvestre (herb powder): Natural Australian herb that is unique in reducing the taste of sugar when the leaves are chewed. Research into this herb is ongoing. The preliminary results have been positive but it requires further testing for supplement use.
  Source:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12663610
• Cascara Sagrada: Natural extract that has a very strong laxative effect. It is classified as a stimulant laxative and can cause dehydration and your potassium levels to drop. All medical advice is to take for no longer than two weeks.
  Source:http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-773-CASCARA.aspx?activeIngredientId=773&activeIngredientName=CASCARA
• Aloe Vera (200:1 extract): Often marketed for a support to digestive health but there is no scientific evidence to say it actually does anything.

So What Does All This Mean?

It is hard to predict what this supplement will do when we do not know the full contents. Our major concern is with Cascara Sagrada. This is a violently strong laxative so it seems likely that you will be spending an increased amount of time in your bathroom. This doesn’t make much sense when one of the key features of this supplement is the fibre from the Chitosan and bean extract staying in your stomach for longer and promoting feelings of fullness.

Many of the other ingredients lack clinical proof. Gymnema Sylvestre for example reduces the taste of sugar when taken in natural form but has not been evaluated for use in supplements. Garcinia Cambogia may be a name on everyone’s lips but has not proved to be the miracle for human weight loss as it is claimed.

Does Xenitol Have Any Side Effects?

There may be side effects. A lot of customers have complained of stomach cramps and diarrhoea,

If you enjoy running to the bathroom a couple of times a hour then this pill is for you.

Some customers have complained that it has caused acid reflux and gastrointestinal effects such as vomiting,

I’m physically sick after taking this! I feel so nauseated. I bought this because of all the wonderful 5 star reviews.

Potential side effects include:

• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Stomach cramps
• Acid reflux
• Muscle cramps
• Dehydration
• Risk of lowering potassium levels
• Gas
• Constipation
• Allergic reaction

Any Xenitol Reviews From Customers?

There are over 770 positive reviews on Amazon but beware, there seems to be something strange going on with these positive comments. Many of the 770 positive reviews have been left in batches on the same day by customers who have never previously reviewed products or have an Amazon proof of purpose. Some have positively reviewed other Nexgen supplements too. Searching through the positive reviews it is hard to find one that looks genuine.

Customers have complained about fake reviews. Many have based their buying decisions on the high number of positive comments and feel cheated. As one customer pointed out:

Do your homework and read the reviews, click on the reviewers and read the reviews of their other products. I guarantee you will find fishy things. Remember, it will say if that reviewer actually purchased it. That’s the best way to determine a fake review as another Amazon shopper mentioned to me. Also, why would so many people that didn’t purchase this product from Amazon take the time to write a review about this product?

We looked into this and have to agree with this customer. Nexgen Biolabs have past form in using this dubious practice. Another Nexgen supplement Xantrafen is also available on Amazon and like Xenitol has hundreds of dodgy looking positive feedback comments. This practice does not even work in the products favour. It is possible that hiding among the hundreds of fake reviews there are some genuine customer feedback comments.

There are plenty of negative comments, which look genuine. These include:

Just a laxative…nothing great as described.

This seems to help more with maintaining weight than losing. For instance, I took it when I ate Thanksgiving dinner and it did seem to help me from gaining as much as I normally would have after stuffing myself like that. It’s ok, but I don’t know that it’s really worth the money. I finished the whole bottle, didn’t lose a pound, but didn’t gain either.

Product sucks! Never lost any weight.

Not all feedback is bad. We found one verified customer who reported,

Works, but makes you very poopy/gassy. Beware.

Another reported,

Seems to work… And not as crazy as Alli. So far very happy with results!

So Does Xenitol Work?

Xenitol may work a bit but it is a basic weight loss method to eat and then lose weight via a laxative. There is some evidence that bean extract does block carbs, but very little to prove that Chitosan will bind fat.

It is possible that this formula has never been tested in combination and the ingredients may cause gastrointestinal side effects. We cannot see the added aloe vera, cider vinegar and Garcinia bringing much to the weight loss table either.

If a company has to go to the lengths of inventing over 700 positive reviews in order to generate sales, it seems unlikely to work in the way as described.

Where Can I Buy Xenitol?

You can buy Xenitol direct from the Nexgen website. One bottle of 60 capsules (30 servings) will last only 15 days if used as recommended and costs $39.99.

If you are a member of the discount website Living Social, you can get a price reduction. Shipping costs are not provided.

You can also buy Xenitol from Amazon.com via various sellers, including Nexgen Biolabs.
One bottle of 60 capsules (30 servings) costs $35.00 and includes free shipping to US addresses. Xenitol is not available direct to UK customers.

What About A Guarantee

You are not offered a money back guarantee.

Watchdog Verdict

We are not very impressed with Nexgen Biolabs Xenitol. This supplement is unlikely to help support weight loss or work in the way as described by the advertising. The ingredients profile lacks basic information about the quantities of each ingredient per capsule and we feel that the major effect will be as a laxative, provided by the addition of Cascara Sagrada.

Will a laxative help you lose weight? Maybe but it is not healthy or an effective way to achieve long-term healthy weight loss. In addition, this supplement is expensive. A month’s supply is $70 at least, which is a lot to pay for a laxative.

We are never impressed with companies that use fake feedback as a marketing tool and sadly, this is not the first time that Nexgen Biolabs have used this strategy. Nexgen are well known for dubious marketing practices as well as providing supplements containing unknown quantities of potentially dangerous ingredients. This one is no different. It is an easy decision. We reject Xenitol.