Formula 9 Fat Burner Review — Does Formula 9 Work?
Against a backdrop of writhing, fit bodies and rhythmic dance music, the announcer triumphantly announces the arrival of Formula 9, the most powerful fat burner ever.
Of course, TV commercials are hardly known for being understated, and Formula 9 is hardly the first fat burner that has claimed to be the “most powerful.” Nonetheless, it piqued my interest, so let’s take a closer look at Formula 9.
What’s in it?
1. Green coffee: an extract of green coffee known as GCBE is showing some promise in the weight loss world. It appears GCBE may inhibit weight gain by impeding fat absorption and the activation of fat metabolism in the liver. The problem? The study (BMC Comp Alt Med, 2006,6:9) determining this effect was performed on mice. As of this time, there are no studies validating green coffee extract’s weight loss effects on humans.
2. Caffeine: a useful thermogenic common in most fat burners, there is the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee’s worth of caffeine in Formula 9. If you have a sensitivity to caffeine, this is probably not the product for you.
3. Rhodiola rosea: an adaptogen like ginseng, this ingredient may help mental focus as well as energy and stamina.
4. Amino acids: Included in this formula are L-Alanine L-Valine, L-Methionine, L-Cysteine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Glutamine. Known as the building blocks of protein, amino acids offer a myriad of different benefits. However, dosages generally need to be quite significant to illicit any sort of response. In the dosages present in Formula 9, these ingredients do little more than provide “label dressing.”
5. Green Tea: one ingredient that shows great promise as a fat burner, a full review of green tea can be found here! Combining green tea with caffeine (as is done in this formula), increases its potency even more! (Obes Res. 2005 Jul; 13(7): 1195-204)
6. Forsythia suspensa Vahl: In a search of PubMed, I was unable to find any evidence that this ingredient offers any weight loss benefits.
7. Coleus forskohlii: is a herb from the mint family, its roots have been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for ages. The active compound of Coleus forskohlii, called “forskolin”, has been used traditionally to treat asthma, overweight, hypothyroidism, and high blood pressure. It has also been shown to help prevent the formation of blood clots by preventing platelet aggregation.
What’s exciting for dieters and bodybuilders is the effect forskolin has on adenylyl cyclase, and enzyme required for the conversion of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) into another compound called cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).
Now, I know this is about as boring as it gets, but the compound camp is required to “spark” many intercellular processes. An increased concentration of cAMP can have such “total-body” effects such as raised thyroid hormone levels and increased fat burning. Unfortunately, there is relatively little clinical evidence documenting this ingredient’s weight loss effects in humans at this time.
So what’s the bottom line on Formula 9?
Well, the combination of green tea and caffeine is a good one, but the effects of other ingredients are far from proven. If you’re interested in experimenting with this Formula 9, keep in mind its relatively high caffeine content, and remember…
No product, not even a prescription diet drug will do much for you unless you make the appropriate changes to diet and lifestyle.
