Brazilian Slim, Chá de Bugre, BugreLife, Jungle Burn: Brazilian Weight Loss?
Apparently, the key to a beautiful Brazilian body is Chá de Bugre, the main ingredient in fat burners like TrimLife’s Brazilian Slim, BugreLife, Jungle Burn and others.
According to the advertising hype I’ve encountered, Chá de Bugre puts ephedra to shame, although no clinical studies are mentioned to validate this comment — in fact, no evidence of any sort is brought forth to support any of the advertising statements.
Supposedly, Brazilians have been using this for centuries — the key to their gorgeous bodies — hoarding the benefits of this miraculous plant to themselves.
Now, thanks to the kindness and good-hearted nature of a few weight loss manufacturers, you too can achieve the Brazilian body you’ve always wanted.
Hmmm.
According to FAQs.org, the status of the South American diet isn’t as great as these advertisements would make you think…
“A high percentage of South Americans live in extreme poverty. Parasitic infection, protein-calorie malnutrition, iron-deficiency anemia, iodine deficiency, and vitamin-A deficiency are common nutritional problems in the rural and urban areas in many South American countries. Heart disease, hypertension, and obesity are also on the rise.”
Wonder of wonders! Does that mean that all the beautiful Brazilian bodies you and I have encountered on T. V. are those of upper-middle class Brazilians who have the money to eat right and exercise? Don’t tell me that Brazilians who look good actually have to work hard, just like everyone else in the world?
It’s unfortunate, but the Brazilians do not have access to a miracle pill, hidden deep in the jungle, that allows them to eat, drink, and be merry…
… and look fantastic at the same time.
In fact, there’s really no evidence that Chá de Bugre does anything at all. Most web sites I’ve visited are referencing Dr. C.L. Cruz’s book, “Dictionary of the Plants Used in Brazil”, which recommends chá de bugre as an “excellent diuretic and weight loss aid as well as a good general heart tonic which can help stimulate circulation.”
Unfortunately, doctor or not, Dr. C.L. Cruz’s comments on Chá de Bugre mean relatively little without double-blind, clinical studies to validate his statements (we here in North America are all too familiar of doctors using their respected status to sell some useless weight loss product or another). And as far as I know, there do not seem to be any of those around.
One last thing…
I’ve been receiving a lot of unsolicited spam e-mail touting the benefits of Chá de Bugre and BugreLife. Sending unsolicited bulk e-mail is illegal in the US and other countries, so if you’re considering buying one of these products – beware! If the retailers are willing to break the law to market to you, just how credible do you think their product is? And what do you think their customer service is like?
And, since many of these Brazilian weight loss products are “As Seen On TV Products”, be very careful of the 7 day free trial most of these companies offer. They use this to sucker you into a recurring billing program, where you will receive a new bottle of the product until “you-know-what” freezes over (click here to watch our video of deceptive billing practices!)
Bottom line?
Until there is some real evidence that this product causes weight loss (derived from independent double-blind, placebo controlled studies), I would give Brazilian Slim, BugreLife, Jungle Burn and any Chá de Bugre product a miss.
Update: Although there is still no solid evidence behind Cha de Bugre, if you’re inclined to experiment, you do not need to take any risks with overpriced products put out by shadowy companies with questionable ethics. It’s available from reliable, budget-friendly retailers like Swanson, for as little as $9.00/60 servings.
