Hoodiarene is a diet supplement that combines the appetite suppressant qualities of Hoodia extract along with a fat burning formula called Z Plex. These days the effects of Hoodia have been discredited, so the name of this supplement does not inspire us with confidence.
Hoodiarene is said to be a powerful thermogenic, designed to give your metabolism a lift and fat burning boost. It is combined with Hoodia – once believed to be a powerful natural appetite suppressant. Hoodiarene contains stimulants including caffeine and synephrine so will not suit everyone.
Hoodiarene is made by Newton Everett Biotech an American company based in Arizona. The company produce a wide range of products relating to weight management, sleep problems, sexual dysfunction and more and these are available in both the USA and the UK.
Hoodiarene is part of their weight loss range, which includes Hoodia spray – an appetite suppressant you spray on your tongue and Advantrima – described as an extreme fat burner, and this product appears to combine both these features into one supplement.
Hoodiarene is marketed by Biovea an international online supplements retailer who also sell other Newton Everett products.
To use Hoodiarene take three capsules three times a day with meals for the first ten days. Then reduce the dose to one capsule three times a day if you feel it is too strong.
The Hoodia content suppresses your appetite so that you are less likely to over eat and the fat burning formula Z plex – which is largely a patented formula Advantra plus a few extra ingredients and vitamins, promote energy.
Advantra Z contains Citrus Aurantium, which has an androgenic effect. This means that it increases your adrenaline levels, which may make you, feel anxious and too wired to eat. Synephrine works as a natural ephedrine – which has a stimulant effect and there are some health risks associated with this ingredient. It can increase blood pressure and heart rate so is not suitable for everyone.
The advertising offers some information about ingredients but they don’t make it easy to understand. However, it all sounds nicely scientific and if you have any idea what sentences such as “The metabolic results of adrenoceptor activation also include effects on lipolysis and [metabolism],” really mean, you will probably find it full of useful information. For the rest of us, it appears that Hoodiarene is a stimulant combined with an appetite suppressant.
the Hoodia in HOODIADRENE® is a new, exciting and powerful nutritional supplement that will suppress your appetite like no other product
The advertising cites clinical references, but it is not that easy to wade through all the text and is simply not that readable. Hoodiarene appears to have written all their advertising in “small print” and it is as about as interesting as reading a mortgage agreement! By the time you get a third down the page, most people will glaze over – the Diet Pills team certainly did just that.
However, it appears that Hoodiarene suppresses your appetite and affects the processes of the brain by reducing appetite and boosting dopamine – a pleasure giving brain chemical,
Since there is increased availability of substrates (the free fatty acids which are released from the fat stores) for oxidation, the body has access to greater amounts of energy.
Hoodiarene is a diet pill that is said to work as an appetite suppressant and energy boosting fat burner. It contains the following ingredients in each serving of three capsules.
Hoodia Gordonii extract (400mg): According to the advertising is special extra strength pure Hoodia powder. Hoodia is a natural cactus type plant that seemed to be effective as an appetite suppressant when it was used by native tribesmen of the Kalahari Desert. It was once regarded as the wonder of weight loss but has been largely discredited. It is not proven to work for weight loss and has spent years in testing, without any results. Major pharmaceutical companies gave up on clinical testing due to its negative results. Source: The Big Hoodia diet pill scam
Hoodiarene also contains the following vitamins and minerals in moderate quantities. An orange for example contains around 75mg of vitamin C.
Ginger root: Often taken as a folk medicine for nausea and classified as a stimulant. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger
Quercetin: Is plant pigment and a flavanoid found in numerous plants and foods including green tea, onions and apples. Flavanoids are powerful antioxidants with many health benefits and Quercetin sometimes taken to improve endurance and performance. Source: Quercetin on WebMD
Cocoa extract (Containing 6% theobromine): Has a stimulant effect similar to caffeine and can increase heart rate and lower blood pressure if taken in sufficient quantities. Theobromine is found in all chocolate with dark chocolate having the highest levels. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobromine
Yerba Mate Extract: Is commonly consumed as herbal tea and has proven effective for weight loss with high levels of flavanoids and antioxidants. It has a stimulant effect due to the caffeine content but amounts contained in the supplement are not disclosed See our earlier article on yerba mate. Source: Yerba Mate on Ingredient Watch
DL-Methionine: Amino acid found in some proteins, which plays a vital role in cell formation. A healthy diet will probably deliver sufficient quantities of DL Methionine. One of the most common uses of this chemical is to counter the effects of Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) poisoning because it prevents damage to the liver. Source: Methionine on WebMD
Grape Seed Extract: This by-product from grapes has high quantities of vitamin E and polyphenols – antioxidants which include flavanols. There may be benefits to many health conditions and this substance is undergoing clinical trials.
Advantra Z: A trademarked ingredient used in many diet supplements and is a patented form of bitter orange extract. Bitter orange extract is effective for weight loss and is often used as an alternative to banned substance ephedrine. It can increase the heart rate and raise blood pressure and Synephrine – the active ingredient of bitter orange is sometimes used to treat low blood pressure. Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21480414
The exact quantities of some of the ingredients of Hoodiarene are not specified. Some of the ingredients do not appear to play a role in weight loss but you may notice a stimulant effect and the vitamins and magnesium promote good health.
However, the principle ingredient for weight loss is Hoodia and as this is now proven to have zero effect upon the appetite, this lets the supplement down.
The other problem is with the stimulant effect of the Z Plex formula. Advantra Z is used as an ephedrine alternative and can cause side effects of increased heart rate and blood pressure.
Hoodiarene has a high stimulant content and you may notice this effect especially if you are sensitive to stimulants. You may notice increased heart rate, sleep disturbances and jitteriness; alternatively, it may act as a pick me up. The advertised appetite suppressant effect that is caused by Hoodia is unlikely, but anything that contains caffeine and stimulants can suppress the appetite by putting your body into flight or fight mode.
The manufacturers do not provide any warnings apart from advising consumers to reduce the dose if weight loss is achieved too quickly. We feel that you are more likely to find the stimulant effect too unpleasant rather than the loss of too much weight.
Hoodia can cause side effects, including nausea, vomiting, skin disturbances such as itchiness and rashes. Hoodia was also found to affect heart rate, increase blood pressure levels and pulse rate. Its potential risks, side effects, and interactions with medicines and other supplements have not been studied and Hoodia’s safety is unknown.
Caution: Avoid Hoodiarene if you suffer from a heart condition or high blood pressure. Do not take if you are on medication without consulting your doctor. Avoid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Not one! Hoodiarene is now available via Amazon but as yet, no customers have left reviews. The advertising does not include customer testimonials and it appears that nobody is actually talking about Hoodiarene.
It may work a bit and some of the ingredients may help promote energy. The big problem with this supplement is that it is built around Hoodia and Hoodia has been shown to not work for weight loss (read more in our Hoodia diet pill scam article).
Some of the world’s major companies, including Unilever spent millions of dollars on the research and development of Hoodia as a weight loss supplement and it just does not work. It does not cause weight loss and the major companies have also been concerned about the potential health risks of this ingredient.
You can buy Hoodiarene direct from the Biovea website. Country specific versions of the website make it easy for international customers, but the price varies from country to country.
One bottle of 150 capsules (15- 16 days supply) costs £31.95 for UK customers, plus shipping costs, whereas in Europe the same bottle of pills costs 39.95€ – roughly the equivalent price. However in the USA, Hoodiarene is cheaper, and the same quantity costs just $39.95 (approximately £25).
Consumer Alert: Customers need to be aware that 150 capsules is only around 15 – 16 days supply. This means that a month’s supply will cost around £60 per month!
Hoodiarene has some good ingredients that will promote health but a few of the ingredients are a matter for concern. Advantra Z is a powerful stimulant that can have an effect upon heart rate and blood pressure and although some people like the stimulant effect of fat burners, they may be potentially dangerous.
More seriously, the effects of Hoodia remain unknown and it has been discredited for as a weight loss supplement. Considering that Hoodia is a vital component of Hoodiarene, plus the concerns about side effects, we have no choice but to reject this supplement.
Meratol is multi-action diet pill that claims to increase metabolism, reduce fatigue, boost alertness and endurance all in one pill! With lots of UK media attention making it one of 2011’s number one UK selling diet pill, we find out if Meratol is an effective weight loss supplement, an alertness pill or the result of clever marketing?
Containing the ever popular hottest ingredient (literally!) at the moment Capsicum Extract (found in red hot chilli’s), Meratol contains a total of 4 weight loss ingredients, they claim are clinically proven to help you eat less and burn more calories. Let’s find out if Meratol stands up to scrutiny!
Meratol is developed by Advanced Health who produces a number of very popular and successful weight loss supplements in the UK. Like most of their products they have a strikingly well designed and well written website that certainly impresses.
There is also a “Customer Support” page that gives both the UK and International customer service numbers, along with email address and web form. They claim they also provide 24 hour customer support with queries replied within 24 hours!
We contacted Meratol and requested a sample and as we have come to expect with Advanced Health they were all too happy to send one to us.
We did our usual searches for scams and rip offs and found no consumer reports of scams. We did find an upheld complaint made by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK. The ASA challenged previous claims on the Meratol website that suggested ingredients in the product could reduce the absorption of carbohydrates.
[we] had not seen sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim that the product could aid weight loss by reducing the absorption of carbohydrates we concluded that the claim was misleading.
Previously Meratol claimed it worked to block the absorption of up to 82% of carbohydrates consumed. With the ASA adjudication the claims have changed so that now Meratol claims it is the only supplement you need to:
Initially marketed as mostly an effective carbohydrate blocker the ASA adjudication means these claims have been removed. This means that references to reducing carbohydrate intake have been downplayed.
Even still, Meratol aims to address both sides of the dieting equation, increasing the number of calories burnt and reducing the amount of calories consumed. Such an approach has shown to be the most successful way to lose weight and recommended by health professionals.
Capsicum Extract (Capsimax plus blend, 90mg): Found in red hot chilli peppers and the reason why they are red. Used in a number of fat burners to boost metabolism as evidence has shown the rate at which calories burnt to increase by up to 12 times.
Cactus Extract (Cacti Nea powder, 66mg): A wild cactus extract that has been used for centuries as an effective natural appetite suppressant. A recent study has shows it may help to reduce weight gain by managing water loss according to study published in Phytotheraphy Research.
Brown Seaweed Extract (Ascophyllum nodosum, 316mg): Found in the sea and contains potent phytochemicals that are claimed to have numerous health benefits. Of most interest is the powerful iodine boost that brown seaweed extract can provide. Essential for proper weight control and thyroid function, decreased iodine levels may cause a low metabolic rate.
Prickly Pear Extract (Nopal, 200mg): The main ingredient in many fat binding diet pills as it’s a soluble fiber that works to make fat molecules too large to be digested. Evidence has shown that prickly pear can significantly reduce calories consumed from fats in the diet.
Caffeine (25mg): A common ingredient in diet pills, shown to increase mental alertness and neurologically provides the surge you need to maximize your training and fight workout fatigue. Only a small amount is present in this supplement.
It would seem that Meratol contains a number of good ingredients that have some scientific data to suggest weight loss is possible.
The effectiveness of such ingredients will depend on the amounts used and without a full ingredient profile this is impossible to tell.
It’s worth highlighting that the studies referenced were conducted using one of the ingredients in isolation. We are not aware of any research that has combined these 4 ingredients (and caffeine) together to prove positive weight loss results.
Consumers who have experienced positive and negative results whilst taking Meratol have not reported any side effects.
Concerns: If you are suffering from a heart condition, are pregnant or breast feeding you are advised to consult a doctor before taking this supplement.
Meratol consumers reviews have been somewhat mixed with reports of “minimal difference” and “bit of a disappointment for me” to “This product really does work you just take the tablets and then carry on as normal”.
Apart from the official website, which will of course only show the positive reviews, there tend to be more negative reports than positive ones!
There are references to 3 clinical studies to back up the weight loss claims made, these look to show the effectiveness of some of the ingredients in Meratol.
Whilst the studies do show positive results, no clinical studies have been undertaken using Meratol. The effectiveness of Meratol is therefore based solely on these few studies.
With this in mind, we would suggest that consumers may lose weight whilst taking Meratol but without any clinical data it is difficult to confirm one way or another!
Lauren Goodger, actress in UK reality show “The Only Way is Essex” (TOWIE) featured heavily in the UK media endorsing Meratol after she lost 1 stone in 4 weeks.
In an interview first featured in New! magazine (followed up by features in Daily Mail), Lauren revealed she had used Meratol with a diet and exercise programme to lose the weight.
I started at 11st 4lbs and now I’m 10st 4lbs, so I’ve lost a stone in four weeks. I was a size 10-12 and now I’m a healthy 10. Ideally, though, I would want to get down to an 8-10.
It’s worth keeping in mind that during this time Lauren had a personal trainer who kept her on a fairly intensive exercise and diet regime! This without doubt contributed a lot of the changes seen in many of the before and after pictures (see right).
Meratol is available directly from the official website and costs from £34.95 ($56) for 60 capsules. Better value for money can be had by purchasing the “Buy 4 get 1 Free” package, which reduces the cost to under £20 ($32) per bottle.
Prices on the website are displayed in pounds sterling, Euros and USD and a 24 hour order line is clearly displayed. There is also worldwide delivery.
Meratol has a slick looking website and has captured the media limelight in the UK thanks mostly to the upcoming celebrity status of Lauren Goodger, actress in the UK reality show “The Only Way is Essex”.
With the significant change in the claims for Meratol, the number of negative consumer reviews and uncertainly over ingredient amounts means that we unable to approve Meratol diet pills.
Advanced Health are behind some of the most popular and successful diet pills on the market; even still we believe Meratol falls short of our criteria and have no choice but to reject it!
@ abbigail, I was thinking about ordering it….it was over 2 years ago but what did you think of the product/results?