PatenTrim Review: Is PatenTrim Thermodrenix’s Little Brother?

Posted By Paul on Oct 8, 2012 | 10 comments

As I began reading the PatenTrim sales pitch, I got a very real sense of “deja-review”—haven’t I reviewed PatenTrim before?

After a little digging I realized… sure enough, I had. Except it wasn’t called PatenTrim the first time I reviewed it; it was called Thermodrenix.

With a couple of tiny exceptions, PatenTrim is Thermodrenix—or Thermodrenix is PatenTrim, however you want to slice it.

What’s the difference between the two products?

The main difference is the green tea content; Thermodrenix contains both the “regular” and de-caffeinated versions, while PatenTrim contains only the decaffeinated stuff. In place of the “regular” green tea, PatenTrim contains Chromate™.

What makes me think the two products are produced by the same manufacturer are the sales pages; they are very similar, often using the exact same wording in the ingredient descriptions.

Both contain lots of happy horsecrap about not using doctored “before and after” photos and both stress the importance of using ingredient dosages reflective of positive clinical studies. Neither one reveals a “brick and mortar” contact address or who is really behind the manufacturing of the products.

Like Thermodrenix, PatenTrim also offers a totally-ambiguous, non-quantified statement regarding the benefits of the product…

“A slimmer you in 7 days, guaranteed!

Believe it or not, this is probably a smart move. Since all the ingredients in this formula are backed by clinical data, it would be a pretty simple task to disprove any ridiculous claim.In a nutshell… manufactured claims are too easily dispelled, and realistic ones aren’t likely to entice the visitor (would you be excited by a product that promised to shed 10 pounds in 2 months, even if it were an accurate assessment of the product’s capabilities?).

That’s why they are using statements like this.

To be fair, it’s not that PatenTrim doesn’t offer benefits—should the ingredients on the label be an accurate representation of what’s in the bottle, it should offer some. It’s just that they aren’t exactly “rip roaring.”

In addition, PatenTrim is very expensive. You can experiment with the relevant doses of the better ingredients in this formula for less than half the cost of this product.

With that said, let’s have a look at the PatenTrim formula…

First of all, it’s important to recognize that despite all the talk of “clinical trials”, no peer-reviewed studies have been performed on PatenTrim; just some of the ingredients. As our scientific and technical advisor Elissa put it…

Most people would think, “proven ingredients = proven supplement blend” but this there are some unproven assumptions underneath this assessment.

For starters, when it comes to supplements, 1 + 1 does not always equal 2. In other words, if taking compound A results in X surplus pounds of fat lost; and taking compound B results in Y surplus pounds lost, taking A + B does not necessarily result in a loss of X + Y pounds. Ultimately, all the different pathways converge: so pushing the system from multiple directions doesn’t guarantee a superior result.

Likewise, it’s assumed that there is no conflict between the different compounds, and that there’s a linear relationship between short and long term results (i.e., a compound that results in – say – 5 extra pounds lost in a 6 week period, means 10 extra pounds should be lost in 12 weeks, 15 pounds after 18 weeks, and so on).

OK, now let’s take a closer look at the ingredients…

1. SuperCitrimax: A single serving of PatenTrim provides 1,400 mg of SuperCitrimax, meaning a full day’s serving (2,800 mg) correlates to the amount used in the positive clinical study (see J Med. 2004;35(1-6):33-48). That’s good.

Don’t get too excited though; if you check the study, you’ll see that individuals participating were restricted to 2,000 calories per day. They also walked 30 minutes per day, 5 days out of 7.

Total weight lost?

An average of 5.4% in bodyweight over the course of 8 weeks. A two hundred pound man would have lost 10.8 lbs., or 1.35 lbs. per week. That’s well within the realms—actually probably less— than what you can expect to accomplish on your own with a more rigorous training program and a slightly more restrictive diet.

2. ChromeMate™: A patented version of niacin-bound chromium, this is a pretty standard and cheap addition to many weight loss products. Although chromium polynicotinate is probably the best form of chromium to experiment with, evidence validating its weight loss characteristics are preliminary. Other forms of chromium have not fared so well in studies (see the full review for more information and clinical references).

3. Green tea: PatenTrim contains 1,000 mg of decaffeinated green tea, standardized for a critical catechin, EGCG. However, while studies have shown that while EGCG is beneficial to dieters, it really needs to be combined with caffeine and the other catechins naturally present in green tea to offer the greatest fat burning benefits (Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 26, No. 4, 396S-402S).

4. Forslean® (Coleus forskohlii extract): The patented version of coleus forskohlii, a cAMP stimulators. Camp is a “cellular regulator.” In other words, this compound is required to “spark” many intercellular processes. An increased concentration of camp can have such “total-body” effects as raised thyroid hormone levels and increased fat burning.

While the effects of coleus forskohlii and a corresponding positive effect on weight loss have been established in one study (Journal of Obesity Research August 2005, “Body Composition and Hormonal Adaptations Associated With Forskolin Consumption In Overweight and Obese Men”), the results were not overwhelming.

Another study was less positive (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2(2):54-62, 2005). It concluded…

“Results suggest that CF (coleus forskohlii) does not appear to promote weight loss but may help mitigate weight gain in overweight females with apparently no clinically significant side effects.”

5. Gymnema sylvestre extract: In the correct dosage, preliminary evidence seems to indicate this ingredient may affect blood glucose levels by reducing its absorption in the intestines. More evidence is needed to properly rate the effectiveness of this ingredient as a potent fat burner. It also may inhibit the ability to “taste” sweet or sour flavors. According to the PatenTrim web site…

“Gymnema, when combined with Super Citrimax, was extremely effective in helping subjects lose fat, decrease their appetite, and increase fat oxidation.”

Uh, not really. When you review the specifics of the study, you’ll see that it was performed with a combination of SuperCitrimax, 400 mg of Gymnema (there’s only 250 mg in this formula) and niacin-bound chromium, and compared to SuperCitrimax used in isolation. There was not a dramatic difference between results attained by the study participants using the combination of ingredients and those simply using SuperCitrimax.

PatenTrim should either contain a full 400 mg of gymnema (to make it compatible with this study), or it should simply leave out the gymnema altogether.

6. Bioperine: A common ingredient to many supplements, its role is to enhance the bioavailibility of certain supplements through increased absorption. See the full review for more details.

Alright, now that we’ve been through the ingredient list, what is the bottom line?

Frankly, it’s not that the PatenTrim formula is a bad one. SuperCitrimax is a helpful, but not earth shattering ingredient, and it’s present in the correct dosage. Green tea standardized for EGCG is nice, but would PatenTrim would fare better with regular, “caffeinated” tea. Gymnema and Forslean don’t add much to this formula, but they don’t detract from it either. It ain’t a revolution in a bottle by any means, but it’s not bad either.

So what are the problems with PatenTrim?

First and foremost, the price. $59 is an outrageous price for a product like this. For example, here’s what you could buy at a reputable online retailer like BodyBuilding.com for under $23…

• 1 Bottle (90 capsules) NOW SuperCitrimax: $12.32
• 1 Bottle (60 capsules) Primaforce Lean Green Green Tea Extract: $9.98

This would allow you to experiment with the appropriate doses of the more promising ingredients in PatenTrim, and still have over $36 left to take a friend out for dinner! At $35-$39, PatenTrim might be worth experimenting with, if you could confirm the retailer was genuine and that you would have a positive purchasing experience. But at this price, it’s not worth purchasing.

The second problem with PatenTrim?

Whenever supplement companies nearly fall over backwards in an attempt to convince me how honest they are, I get a bit worried. All it does, in my opinion, is raise doubts in my mind. But I’m a suspicious bugger, and I may be wrong. So here’s where you can weigh in and help…