You might have heard about Leptigen in recent times as the popularity of this weight loss pill is growing rapidly. Manufacturers of this weight loss pill claim that Leptigen helps people lose weight, improves their overall health, boosts metabolism, and also helps them burn body fat. However, what does the research say about this? Is Leptigen really as effective as its manufacturers claim? Read on to find out more about what is Leptigen and can it help you lose weight.
What is Leptigen?
Leptigen is a weight loss supplement that has been developed and marketed by Dietspotlight. This diet pill claims to offer a safe and effective solution to weight loss.(1)
Leptigen is made up of four main active ingredients and is classified into the category of ‘fat burners.’ Fat burners are supplements that are manufactured with the intention to increase your metabolism to help you burn off more calories.
Leptigen claims to help with weight loss in the following ways:
- Promotes fat loss
- Boosts metabolism
- Controls the levels of blood sugar for better weight management
- Helps overcome a weight loss plateau
The recommended dose of Leptigen is two pills per day, to be taken at least half an hour before a meal.
What are the Key Ingredients in Leptigen That Can Help You Lose Weight?
The four active ingredients in the weight loss supplement Leptigen are:
Green tea extract (200 mg): This is an herbal extract derived from green tea leaves
Caffeine (75 mg): It works as a stimulant for the central nervous system
ChromeMate (100 mg): This is a combination of the mineral chromium (also known as chromium polynicotinate or niacin-bound chromium) and niacin (vitamin B3)
Meratrim (400 mg): This is a blend of two medicinal herbs: a fruit known as Garcinia mangostana and a flower known as Sphaeranthus indicus
There are no studies that have looked at the safety and effectiveness of the diet pill leptigen itself, but there are certain reviews that have been done on these active ingredients individually.
Whether or not these individual ingredients actually help in weight loss is what we look at below.
Looking at Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is derived from green tea and thus contains all the main active ingredients that are found in green tea.
Green tea extract helps increase the body’s metabolism and also makes it easier for the body to burn fat.
Researchers believe that the catechins present in green tea can work together with the caffeine present in Leptigen to boost the metabolic effects of Leptigen.(2)
However, studies that investigated the effect of green tea extract on weight loss have found mixed results. (3, 4) Some studies have found that green tea extract could help the body lose weight, but these results have not been conclusive.(5)
While this could also be partly because not everyone responds in the same manner to the effects of green tea, but the fact remains that more research is needed to conclusively prove the effects of green tea on metabolism.
For example, a recent study with 937 postmenopausal women administered green tea extract or a placebo pill to the participants every day for one year. At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that they found no difference in the body fat percentages or body mass indexes between both the groups.(6)
Looking at the results of these studies, the overall effects of green tea extract seem to be insignificant on weight loss. However, the positive effects may also only occur when green tea extract is combined with caffeine and at very high doses.(7)
It is also worth noting that while Leptigen contains caffeine, it also has a much lower dosage of green tea extract as compared to the amount of green tea used in any of the studies discussed here.
Looking at Caffeine
Caffeine is a common ingredient that is found in many weight loss supplements. Caffeine helps promote weight loss by stimulating the central nervous system and by increasing the levels of the hormone epinephrine in the body. Epinephrine is commonly known as adrenaline.
This stimulation increases the amount of energy the body burns and also instructs the body to release fat from the fat tissues. This makes the fat available for use, thus burning fat for energy.
According to research, caffeine may help increase the body’s metabolic rate by up to 11 percent, but only temporarily.(8, 9, 10)
A one year study, though, found that people who drank caffeine every day were only 0.4 kilos (0.9 pounds) lighter on average. (11)
This is likely because the metabolism-boosting effects of caffeine are only short-lived, and as people start having coffee regularly, they start becoming tolerant to the effects of caffeine.(12)
Additionally, the results of caffeine on the body’s metabolism and its impact on fat burning is known to be significantly less in people who are overweight or obese, as compared to those who do not have this condition.(13)
Looking at ChromeMate
ChromeMate is a well-known chromium-based supplement for weight loss that is also available as a standalone supplement. ChromeMate contains the essential mineral chromium, which has an important role to play in the breakdown of carbohydrates in the body.
Several studies have found that supplementation with chromium helps improve blood sugar control as well as insulin sensitivity.(14, 15, 16)
This has sparked the theory that chromium supplements such as ChromeMate help with weight loss by making it easier to burn fat, and by decreasing the insulin levels in the body.
A couple of small studies have suggested that chromium in the form of chromium picolinate may help prevent cravings and appetite in people who have carb cravings or suffer from a form of depression known as atypical depression.(17, 18)
Nevertheless, the studies done so far have shown that chromium supplements do not have any significant impact on body wat or body weight.(19)
Looking at Meratrim
Meratrim is the primary ingredient of Leptigen. Meratrim is also available as a standalone diet pill on its own. Meratrim claims to alter the manner in which the body metabolizes fat. Researchers claim that Meratrim can change fat metabolism in the body so that:(20)
- It becomes more difficult for fat cells to replicate
- Your fat cells will not pick up as much fat for storage
- It becomes easier for the body to burn stored fat
There are some studies that support these weight loss claims of Meratrim. A randomized controlled study found that people who are taking Meratrim successfully lost 5.2 kilos (11 pounds) and 11.9 cm (4.7 inches_ from their waistlines in a period of eight weeks.(21)
In spite of these results, though, it is important to remember that this was only a short term study, and at present, there are no studies that have looked at Meratrim’s weight loss effects in the long term.
Another factor to take into consideration is that the study was funded by the same company that makes Meratrim.
So while this does not invalidate the findings of the study, but there is still a requirement for an independent research group to replicate the results.
Side Effects and Safety of Leptigen
Researchers have not reported any serious side effects of Leptigen, and it appears to be relatively safe for everyone.
However, people who are sensitive to caffeine may experience restlessness, anxiety, an upset stomach, or even problems in sleeping.(22)
Pregnant or breastfeeding women and people with medical conditions should not try Leptigen without consulting a doctor.
Conclusion
The fact remains that there are no specific studies done on Leptigen itself, though the Meratrim has been shown to have promise for short term weight loss. This, therefore, means that Leptigen may help you lose weight.
However, keep in mind that weight loss supplements should not be used in the long term and especially without the consultation of your doctor.
- Work, H.D.L., Leptigen Review 2019–An Ordinary Diet Pill or Something More?.
- Westerterp-Plantenga, M.S., 2010. Green tea catechins, caffeine and body-weight regulation. Physiology & behavior, 100(1), pp.42-46.
- Phung, O.J., Baker, W.L., Matthews, L.J., Lanosa, M., Thorne, A. and Coleman, C.I., 2010. Effect of green tea catechins with or without caffeine on anthropometric measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(1), pp.73-81.
- Janssens, P.L., Hursel, R. and Westerterp-Plantenga, M.S., 2016. Nutraceuticals for body-weight management: The role of green tea catechins. Physiology & behavior, 162, pp.83-87.
- Wang, H., Wen, Y., Du, Y., Yan, X., Guo, H., Rycroft, J.A., Boon, N., Kovacs, E.M. and Mela, D.J., 2010. Effects of catechin enriched green tea on body composition. Obesity, 18(4), pp.773-779.
- Dostal, A.M., Arikawa, A., Espejo, L. and Kurzer, M.S., 2016. Long-term supplementation of green tea extract does not modify adiposity or bone mineral density in a randomized trial of overweight and obese postmenopausal women. The Journal of nutrition, 146(2), pp.256-264.
- Chen, I.J., Liu, C.Y., Chiu, J.P. and Hsu, C.H., 2016. Therapeutic effect of high-dose green tea extract on weight reduction: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clinical Nutrition, 35(3), pp.592-599.
- Astrup, A., Toubro, S., Cannon, S., Hein, P., Breum, L. and Madsen, J., 1990. Caffeine: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of its thermogenic, metabolic, and cardiovascular effects in healthy volunteers. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 51(5), pp.759-767.
- Acheson, K.J., Zahorska-Markiewicz, B., Pittet, P., Anantharaman, K. and Jéquier, E., 1980. Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 33(5), pp.989-997.
- Koot, P. and Deurenberg, P., 1995. Comparison of changes in energy expenditure and body temperatures after caffeine consumption. Annals of nutrition and metabolism, 39(3), pp.135-142.
- Lopez-Garcia, E., van Dam, R.M., Rajpathak, S., Willett, W.C., Manson, J.E. and Hu, F.B., 2006. Changes in caffeine intake and long-term weight change in men and women. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 83(3), pp.674-680.
- Ammon, H.P.T., 1991. Biochemical mechanism of caffeine tolerance. Archiv der Pharmazie, 324(5), pp.261-267.
- Bracco, D., Ferrarra, J.M., Arnaud, M.J., Jequier, E.R.I.C. and Schutz, Y.V.E.S., 1995. Effects of caffeine on energy metabolism, heart rate, and methylxanthine metabolism in lean and obese women. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 269(4), pp.E671-E678. Havel, P.J., 2004. A scientific review: the role of chromium in insulin resistance. Diabetes Educator, 30(3 SUPPL.), pp.1-14.
- Wang, Z.Q. and Cefalu, W.T., 2010. Current concepts about chromium supplementation in type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Current diabetes reports, 10(2), pp.145-151.
- Hua, Y., Clark, S., Ren, J. and Sreejayan, N., 2012. Molecular mechanisms of chromium in alleviating insulin resistance. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 23(4), pp.313-319.
- Anton, S.D., Morrison, C.D., Cefalu, W.T., Martin, C.K., Coulon, S., Geiselman, P., Han, H., White, C.L. and Williamson, D.A., 2008. Effects of chromium picolinate on food intake and satiety. Diabetes technology & therapeutics, 10(5), pp.405-412.
- Docherty, J.P., SACK, D.A., ROFFMAN, M., FINCH, M. and KOMOROWSKI, J.R., 2005. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving. Journal of Psychiatric Practice®, 11(5), pp.302-314.
- Tian, H., Guo, X., Wang, X., He, Z., Sun, R., Ge, S. and Zhang, Z., 2013. Chromium picolinate supplementation for overweight or obese adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (11).
- Stern, J.S., Peerson, J., Mishra, A.T., Sadasiva Rao, M.V. and Rajeswari, K.P., 2013. Efficacy and tolerability of a novel herbal formulation for weight management. Obesity, 21(5), pp.921-927.
- Stern, J.S., Peerson, J., Mishra, A.T., Mathukumalli, V.S.R. and Konda, P.R., 2013. Efficacy and tolerability of an herbal formulation for weight management. Journal of medicinal food, 16(6), pp.529-537.
- Wierzejska, R., 2012. Caffeine–common ingredient in a diet and its influence on human health. Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny, 63(2), pp.141-147.