Xenadrine, a not-so-reassuring history

XENADRINE is a weight-loss drug which is beginning to make its mark among weight-loss supplements, where it has already been present for years.

Its permanent presence online and in supermarkets has meant that we’ve all, at one time or another, seen it advertised somewhere online or in the media.

After all these years, it’s time to test Xenadrine and see whether it persists on the market because it’s really effective for slimming down, or whether it’s just another pill like all the others that populate supermarket shelves.

ADVANTAGES :

• Some interesting ingredients.

DISADVANTAGES :

• No indication of exact quantities of ingredients;
• No full details of the manufacturer on the website;
• Suspicious testimonials ;
• Shocking history.

Test Xenadrine

Let’s start with the website, where we find 4 variants of the product.

Let’s see what each formula claims to be able to do for you, and whether these products manage to deliver on their promises.

The different Xenadrine products are :
1. XENADRINE:
This is the main product marketed under the Xenadrine label.

This supplement is marketed as “Maximum Energy! Spectacular weight loss” and the manufacturer claims that it contains “powerful weight loss ingredients, thanks to Xenadrine”.

We found this description to be unfounded. Why not?

Because here’s the list of its magic ingredients:

Does this composition sound familiar?

It’s exactly the same composition found in Hydroxycut, another slimming pill we reviewed in one of our previous tests here.

We’ll come back to this point later, because it seems there’s something in common between these two weight-loss supplements!

There is no solid scientific evidence on the effect of Xenadrine.

The energizing effect is mainly related to the presence of caffeine.

2. XENADRINE INSTANT DRINK MIX :
The formula of this other product doesn’t seem to differ from the standard formula (alchemilla, wild olive extract, cumin and field mint), only the product packaging has changed, it’s in the form of 21 sachets to be diluted and drunk.

However, there is no clear indication of the exact composition quantities, so this is just speculation on our part.

It is therefore difficult to verify whether or not the manufacturer’s claims about its efficacy are well-founded.

3. XENADRINE CAFFEINE FREE:
This is the same formula as standard Xenadrine, but without caffeine.

As a result, the energizing effect is no longer an issue with this product variant.

As with the brand’s other products, there is no concrete evidence of the effect of this blend, but only claims based on clinical evidence (which we were unable to find) that it makes you lose weight.

4. XENADRINE XTREME:
As you can probably imagine, this formula is supposed to be the luxury pack. In fact, the manufacturer has dedicated an exclusive website to it.

At first glance, Xenadrine Xtreme seems to be aimed more at athletes and body-builders.

The ingredients are different from other formulas.

This formula contains much more caffeine, green coffee extract 200mg, sage leaf 150mg, L-theanine 100mg, Yohimbe 56.3mg and Rhodiola root. Rhodiola root 50mg.

All the effects attributed to this formula are linked to caffeine, which has a proven energizing effect.

That’s pretty much all Xenadrine Xtreme can do for you: energize you with high levels of caffeine.

You may choose to have more coffee instead – it’s up to you!

What Xenadrine says can do for you

Xenadrine’s core products don’t claim to help you lose weight just because they’re not legally allowed to do so.

Here’s how it works: there’s no evidence to support their weight-loss claims. All they can say is that certain ingredients in their products can help you lose weight.

These ingredients are exactly the same as those found in Hydroxycut: alchemilla, wild olive extract, cumin extract and spearmint extract.

This blend is based on a study which showed a possible relationship between the consumption of these combined ingredients and the possibility of moderate weight loss.

The study was conducted in Israel in 2010, as these herbs are used in traditional Islamic and Arab-Greek medicine.
(Source: Antaki Center for Herbal Medicine Ltd, Kfar Kana, 16930, Israel. Said O., Saad B., Fulder S., Khalil K., Kassis E. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011; 2011 : 874538. doi : 10.1093/ecam/nen067. Epub 2011 Jun 16).

The exact composition of the mixture used in this study is:
1. ALCHÉMILLE (60mg) ;
2. WILD OLIVES (50mg) ;
3. CUMIN (25mg) ;
4. FIELD MINT (20mg) ;
5. VITAMIN C (7mg) ;
6. CALCIUM (148mg);
This would amount to 310mg per tablet.

During the study, subjects had to take one tablet before each meal 3 times a day, for a total of 930mg per day.

Unfortunately, no product in the Xenadrine range appears to contain this proportion of active ingredients.

In our opinion, this is precisely why they don’t want to reveal the exact composition of their supplement.

Side effects Xenadrine

As these are highly concentrated caffeine mixtures, side effects linked to high caffeine consumption may be observed.

Previous versions of Xenadrine were banned from sale and withdrawn from the market following FDA intervention.

Testimonials from Xenadrine consumers

On the official website, you can find numerous testimonials from highly suspicious users.

The photos of testimonials even look as if they’ve been retouched to exaggerate weight loss.

Mentioned in very small type below each testimonial, it says that these individuals have been paid to take Xenadrine and to start dieting and exercising.

Does Xenadrine work?

What we have here is a weight loss supplement with paid testimonials and little information on its exact composition.

So it’s impossible to say whether it’s effective or not.

Our experience has taught us, however, that if the manufacturer deliberately conceals this kind of crucial information, the product is incapable of delivering on its promises or, worse still, is dangerous.

In this case, not even the manufacturer of Xenadrine itself dares to promise that it will help you lose weight!

History Xenadrine

We’ve left the best for last, because Xenadrine’s history is a troubled one!

The original owners of Xenadrine were Nutriquest Inc.

When the FTC banned the product from the market, it was bought out by Kerr Investment Holding Group, the brand’s current owner.

The product was marketed for the first time in 2005. The FTC then decided to take legal action against the owners for misleading advertising and false claims about the effect of its products.

As a result, the manufacturers were fined $25 million and prohibited from continuing to make public claims that their product could help you lose weight.

The range was then bought out by new owners who – so they say – changed the formula to make it more effective.

In a future article, we’ll look at the equally troubled and shocking history of Xenadrine’s new owners.

Buy Xenadrine

Xenadrine is available over the counter online via its official website.

It is also available in supermarkets.

One month’s treatment costs around 67 euros!

Xenadrine : Our Verdict final

Although Xenadrine is well known throughout the world – not least thanks to the aggressive advertising campaign launched and relaunched by its manufacturers – our investigation has shown us that it cannot be trusted.

There’s nothing to suggest that it’s really effective for slimming down, or that it can do you any more good than your usual cup of coffee.

Paid testimonials and the terrible history of its first and current owners have convinced us that we can in no way recommend it to our readers.