Plexus Slim Review of Ingredients and Side Effects

Plexus Slim is billed as an “affordable weight management product” that boasts “no ill side effects” based on “extensive clinical research.” Impressive, but does PlexusSlim work or is it a scam?  And does it really have no side effects?  I was tipped off to Plexus Slim by one of the readers of this website.  After looking at its ingredients, I wanted to write a review of Plexus Slim because of the words used to describe the product and because Plexus Slim seemed to have ingredients that I have never heard of before.  Let’s see what we can discover about this weight loss drink.

 

Who makes Plexus Slim?

According to the Better Business Bureau, the company that makes Plexus Slim  - Plexus Worldwide Inc. –  was started in 2005 in Arizona.  The address of the company is 7440 E. Karen Dr. #400, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.

The “#400″ in the address makes me think the company is located in a strip mall.  If anyone lives close to this address can you confirm this? Can you take a picture and send to me?

The BBB gives Plexus Slim a rating of “A” as of 10/14/11 and has no complaints against the company.  Plexus Slim World Wide is not a BBB accredited company as of 10/14/11.

To buy Plexus Slim it looks like you either have to buy it from the company or through a PlexusSlim distributor.  They call Plexus Slim distributors “Ambassadors“.  On the Plexus Slim website they have a calendar of Plexus Slim events.  These events serve not only to sell Plexus Slim but also to recruit new Ambassadors.  Plexus Slim has a multi level marketing aspect to it.

I’ve said before I have no problem with MLM.  If the product is reputable, MLM allows people to make an income which can be significant.

 

 Plexus Slim Ingredients

According to PlexusSlim.com the product has these ingredients.  A proprietary blend of :

Polydextrose.  This is a type of soluble fiber.  In theory this might help weight loss since it has no calories and is a type of fiber.  Polydextrose might cause gas and bloating.

Citric acid.  I can’t locate any weight loss evidence for citric acid.

Beet root.  If Plexus Slim uses the entire beet root, the fiber content of the beetroot might help foster some weight loss because it adds bulk to the stomach contents.  That said, I can’t locate any evidence that beetroot helps people lose weight.

 

Grape skin extract.  Grape skin contains phytonutrients such as proanthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins which act as antioxidants.  This is nice, but does grape skin extract help people lose weight? I can’t find any proof that it does.

Be cautious if you take medications.  Some components of grape skin might interfere with medications such as Coumadin (a blood thinner) and many others.

 

Lo Han extract.  When I Google “Lo Han” everything I saw- other than the stuff about Lindsay Lo Han – says it’s a sweetener.  I tried to find evidence that Lo Han helps weight loss but could not find any.

One problem is that Plexus Slim uses “Low Han Extract”.  Exactly what “extract” of Lo Han does Plexus Slim have?  They don’t tell us.

 

Stevia.  This is a sweetener.  It’s added to many low calorie foods. Maybe it might help weight loss by helping people limit calories but I honestly don’t think so.  Research suggests that drinking low calorie beverages does not send the signal to the brain that we are full.  As such, we still feel hungry.

There are MANY low calorie foods and beverages on the US market, yet Americans are not slimmer than they were, say, in the 1980s.

 

Natural flavors.  They don’t tell us what these natural flavors are.  I doubt any of them play a role in weight loss.

 

The Plexus Slim website also lists these ingredients :

Chlorogenic acid .  One study published in 2010 noted that chlorogenic acid helped weight loss and increased fat burning when in rats that were fed a high fat diet (37% of calories from fat).

This is interesting even though it’s a rat study.  As far as I can tell, chlorogenic acid has never been tested in humans to see if it helps people lose weight.   Another rat study also noted that mulberries (which contain chlorogenic acid) helped weight loss.   But was it the chlorogenic acid – or all the other stuff mulberries?  As far as I can tell, these appear to be the only chlorogenic acid weight loss studies conducted so far.

 

Citrin K (garcinia cambogia).  Garcinia cambogia is found in MANY weight loss supplements because of some research that it might reduce appetite and help weight loss.  Right now, I think all anyone can say is maybe it works or maybe it doesn’t work.

The Plexus Slim website does not tell us how much garcinia cambogia it has.

 

Here is a study where 500 mg of garcinia cambogia did not help people lose weight.  I mention this because if the garcinia cambogia in Plexus Slim is going to work, I’d guess that it would have to be more than 500 mg.  For more on Citrin, see my review of Lean and Fab where I discuss other issues related to garcinia cambogia.

 

Alpha lipoic acid.  This is an antioxidant and it helps it turn carbs into energy.  It can also help regenerate other antioxidants, which is pretty snazzy.

There are a few studies of alpha lipoic acid and weight loss.  In one study, published in 2011, alpha lipoic acid was randomly given to 360 obese people for 20 weeks.  Half got a placebo and half got alpha lipoic acid (either 1200 mg/day or 1800 mg per day).  Those getting alpha lipoic acid lost more weight than those who got the placebo.  Basically, over the 20 weeks, people lose about 2% of their body mass.

In another study, published in 2011, 1127 overweight people were given 800 mg of alpha lipoic acid a day for 4 months.  This study noted that alpha lipoic acid, at the dosage given, helped people lose about 8% of their body weight over 4 months.

So if you were 200 pounds, alpha lipoic acid might help you lose about 200 x .08 = 16 pounds. That is a significant amount.

A possible  problem with this study was that it doesn’t appear that there was a placebo group.  I was also unable to determine (because I only read the summary of the study) if people combined alpha lipoic acid with eating fewer calories (I think they probably did).

 

A third study from 2010 noted that  alpha lipoic acid increased metabolic rate in older, lab mice.  In theory this might help weight loss.  It was also noted that alpha lipoic acid might reduce muscle loss in older mice as well.

I am not aware of any human studies of alpha lipoic acid helping metabolic rate or muscle loss.  Still, if corroborated, the results of this mouse study are interesting .

Alpha lipoic acid, also appears to lower blood sugar.  Because of this, alpha lipoic acid might interfere with insulin and other diabetes medications.  Diabetics, talk to your doctor before using Plexus Slim.  People who take synthroid for hypothyroidism (low thyroid) likewise should talk to their doctor. Alpha lipoic acid seems to reduce thyroid hormone levels.

 

Oxypregnane steroidal glycoside.  This is a pretty fancy name but you have heard of this stuff before.  Plexus Slim doesn’t tell you that this this ingredient -  “Oxypregnane steroidal glycoside”  – is just a fancy way of saying Hoodia!  Here is a  study that proves that both names mean the same thing.

I think the makers of Plexus Slim call it Oxypregnane steroidal glycoside because they are trying to make the product sound different and special.  In reality it’s just plain old hoodia gordonii.

The other fancy name for hoodia is P57AS3 – you have probably seen this listed in other supplements as “P57“.

 

I’ve already reviewed hoodia and weight loss.  Other supplements that I’ve reviewed previously that contain hoodia include the Hoodia Patch , Thin Gloss Lip Gloss and  Healthe Trim.

 

For at least 10 years, hoodia gordonii has been in more weight loss supplements than you can shake a stick at -  but there is no good proof that hoodia supplements help people lose weight!  Until its proven to me, I say save your money on hoodia.

 

In 2011 researchers looked whether Hoodia gordonii would help people lose weight.  They used 50 overweight people in this study. People were randomly given either hoodia or a placebo.  The study lasted 2 weeks.  The people in the study were allowed to eat as much as they wanted from a menu provided by the researchers.  At the end of the study hoodia did not cause any weight loss.

While no serious side effects were reported, researchers did note that people who got hoodia had higher blood pressures and heart rates compared to people who got the placebo.  Hoodia also seems to cause elevations in bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. What caused these changes I do not know.

 

As I reported in my book on supplements hoodia gordonii seems to share some chemical similarity to a class of heart drugs called cardiac glycosides.  In fact, if you Google “Hoodia and cardiac glycosides”, you’ll even see a lot  of people who promote hoodia gordonii saying this.

If you have heart or blood pressure issues please see your doctor before using Plexus Slim or any hoodia supplement, just to be safe.

 

Chromium.  While the makers of Plexus Slim does not specifically spell out the type of chromium the product has, they do say “amino nicotinate”.  This again is fancy talk for “chromium nicotinate”.

You may have heard Dr. Oz talk about chromium polynicotinate on TV .  I reviewed what Dr Oz had to say about this form of chromium and I am guessing that this is why Plexus Slim includes chromium nicotinate over chromium picolinate.

 

How much does Plexus Slim cost?

One of the slogans for Plexus Slim is “At last, an affordable weight management product.”  I guess that depends on how you define “affordable”.  On the Plexus Slim website they have different prices depending on whether you want to buy it just once or be billed each month automatically.  If you want to buy Plexus Slim one time only, its $84.95.  If you want to be billed automatically at the 15th of each month, Plexus Slim is $79.95/ month.  Either way, both prices are a LOT of money.  Based on the tiny differences in price, I don’t see why anybody would choose to have Plexus Slim Auto shipped to them.

 

Does Plexus Slim have any side effects?

If you look at the Q and A page  of the Plexus Slim website (question 7) where it’s asked: “Will Plexus Slim interfere or react with any medications or other supplements?” the makers  say: ” No. Extensive clinical research has demonstrated no ill side effects with any medications or other supplements.”

Ummm, where is all the “extensive clinical research” on Plexus Slim?  As far as I can tell Plexus Slim has NEVER been tested to see if it interacts with any medication or health condition.  The makers of Plexus Slim never say this fact.

That’ said, I disagree 100% with their bold claim that Plexus Slim does not interact with any medication or health issue.  If the makers of Plexus Slim really did look at the “extensive clinical research” they would know some of the possible side effects that I’ve already listed here.  Why don’t they mention it?

I would be extra cautious about Plexus Slim if you have any problems with your heart, blood pressure, kidneys, liver, mental disorders, diabetes or digestive problems.  I would not recommend Plexus Slim if you had bariatric surgery either.  To their credit, the makers of Plexus Slim do say to see your doctor first if you are pregnant.  I agree with this.

 

The Plexus Slim Accelerator

This is another product sold on the Plexus Slim website. The word “accelerator” is a tip off that this product is a stimulant.  At $39.95 for a 30 day supply,  I say it’s an overpriced stimulant too!

The Plexus Slim Accelerator contains trace minerals (they don’t say which minerals), calcium and magnesium from seaweed (both are useless for weight loss) and vitamin B6 (useless for weight loss).  The accelerator also has a “proprietary blend” of:

• Dark Chocolate – won’t help weight loss, unless it has caffeine

• Natural Caffeine – natural or not, it’s caffeine!

• Green Tea Extract – probably has caffeine or EGCG

• Vanadium Chelate. Fancy name for Vanadium. It won’t help weight loss.

• B-Phenylethylamine HCl – might act as a neuro chemical.  Avoid if you take antidepressants.

 

The Plexus Slim Accelerator also has an inexpedient called GeranaX. Other names for this are, 1,3 Dimethylamylamine or “DMAA”.  The name “GeranaX” is a made-up word.  In other words, the name GeranaX holds no scientific meaning. Let’s discuss GeranaX a little more.

The ingredient GeranaX  seems to act like ephedra or bitter orange (synepherine) which are potent stimulants.  As such, it may raise blood pressure and heart rate to dangerous levels.  Here is a case report of a 21 year old man who suffered a stroke after taking 2 DMAA pills.

Remember DMAA is another name for Dimethylamylamine (GeranaX)

Di methy amyl amine “looks” like amphetamines (“speed”).  This is why question 6 of the Plexus Slim Q and A page mentions that this ingredient may cause a positive result on a drug test for amphetamines.  Here is a study showing that dimethylamylamine causes false positive drug tests for amphetamines.

I recommend that all people -healthy and not healthy – avoid the Plexus Slim Accelerator.

 

 

Plexus Slim Bio-Cleanse

This is a laxative.  Always remember, the word “cleanse” means laxative.  The Plexus Slim Bio Cleanse supplement lives up to its laxative name because it contains magnesium, which is indeed a laxative.  Remember “Milk of Magnesia.”  Either way, laxatives don’t cause any weight loss other than mostly water (and of course, poo).  The Plexus Slim website lists 2 prices for this product – $29.95 or $39.95  -both of which are too pricey for me.

Will Plexus Slim work?

Honestly, I’m not sure since Plexus Slim itself has no published proof that it works or is safe for everybody. That means we have to look at the research on the ingredients.  Of all the ingredients in Plexus Slim it’s alpha lipoic acid and maybe garcinia cambogia that have most of the weight loss proof. I think they are the active ingredients in Plexus Slim.

That doesn’t mean Plexus Slim works because the product may not have the same amounts of these ingredients as researchers used.

Personally, I would forget overpriced Plexus Slim and get a bottle of alpha lipoic acid and try it for a month and see if it worked.  Whatever you try, see your doctor before you experiment Plexus Slim -  or its ingredients because of possible side effects.

What do you think?