Isatori FlashPoint Sublingual Fat Burner Review
FlashPoint is the newest fat burner offering from iSatori. And while Isatori may not command the same brand familiarity as some of the largest supplement manufacturers (i.e. BSN, Muscle Tech, EAS) it is building a strong reputation for developing solid, well-researched, quality offerings. It’s not surprising, therefore, that Isatori’s products are some of the few that we actually recommend, based in no small part on their solid formulations and “quibble-free” satisfaction or your money back guarantee.
Obviously then, I was looking forward to checking out FlashPoint, especially because of its unique delivery format. Unlike typical weight loss supplements which are served up in capsule format, this is a “sublingual” fat burner. In other words, instead of swallowing a capsule, you place a Flashpoint tablet under your tongue and let it dissolve.
The ingredients are then absorbed through the sublingual and buccal glands, by-passing the digestive system, and apparently, begin working very quickly (there are, of course, issues with delivering ingredients in this manner, as some may be absorbed incompletely or erratically. However, I’ll save that discussion for later in the review).
Flashpoint is advertised to start “working” in 33 seconds. I certainly didn’t find it to be that fast when I tried it (I could “feel” the product “kick in” after about 2-3 minutes) but I have a strong tolerance to stimulants and at 240 lbs., am probably a slightly larger person than the typical FlashPoint user.
The taste is pretty good too—a lot better than I expected. The “melt tabs” are slightly fruity and sweet, not too bad at all. Regardless, the sublingual delivery system appears to work well, and is dramatically faster than typical capsules.
So how’s the formula measure up?
Good question. A 3-capsule serving of “melt tabs” contains a 280 mg blend of the following ingredients…
1. Caffeine anhydrous: Not surprising to find this here—caffeine has a well established record as a mild thermogenic, and does deliver mild weight loss results (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97). It also cheaply and effectively addresses the most common complaint of dieters; lack of energy.
2. Phenylethylamine (PEA): While not displaying any thermogenic properties, PEA is an “amphetamine-related”, mood-elevating chemical naturally present in foods like chocolate and was once thought to be the reason people were “chocoholics.”
Unfortunately, PEA is too rapidly metabolized by the enzyme monamine oxidase (MAO) to be of much use. That’s why most products focused on squeezing the most from PEA also contain natural monamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI’s), and to its credit FlashPoint does include one ingredient which may act as one (I’ll get to it in a moment).
PEA has been successfully used as a treatment for depression at the relatively low dose of 10-60 mg, but treatment is accompanied by the drug Selegiline, which acts as a MAO-B inhibitor.
I was also curious to determine whether delivering this ingredient in sublingual form and by-passing the digestive system would make it more effective in elevating mood. For this I turned to our resident in house scientific and technical advisor Elissa, who had this to say about the sublingually-delivered PEA, and the issue of sublingual delivery in general…
“The deal here, is that there are MAO isoforms in both the liver and brain/nervous system. So there’s a naive appeal to the notion of a sublingual form, as – presumably – it would by-pass first pass metabolism and breakdown in the liver. It would still get broken down eventually, of course, but perhaps more slowly. BUT…
… this is potentially offset by the fact that sublingual/buccal absorption may not be complete (as the Merck Manal notes: “most drugs cannot be taken this way because they may be absorbed incompletely or erratically.”
In short, there are a lot of factors that weigh in on how efficiently something may penetrate through the oral mucosa. Sublingual delivery is often affected by the flow of saliva, as well, so that – depending on how rapidly the carrier dissolves – a certain amount of the drug may end up being swallowed anyway (which sort of defeats the purpose).
See this link for some data on salbutamol, another substituted phenethylamine used as an asthma drug. Likewise, this discussion of sublingual epinephrine (another phenethylamine derivative) noted that it took 40 mg of the sublingual form to produce serum concentrations equivalent to 0.3mg of the IM injected form – an indication that it’s a pretty inefficient way to deliver it.
So, I’m skeptical that sublingual administration is really a viable option… but then again, I’d be happy to change my mind… all it would take is some “clinical proof.”
Obviously, Elissa is not convinced there’s any reason to believe delivering PEA in sublingual form makes it any more effective, nor is it necessarily the best way to deliver any of the ingredients.
3. Hordenine: A biogenic amine found in a number of plants, including barley and several species of cacti. It’s alleged to be beneficial for fat/weight loss, due to its ability to stimulate the release of norepinephrine, although there is no research to confirm this claim.
This ingredient is also included in many formulations that contain the aforementioned phenylethylamine for the reason that it may increase its effectiveness. According to the most credible research I’ve seen, hordenine isn’t a MAOI per se, but a highly selective substrate for MAO-B.
What does this mean in plain English?
It means that the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of phenylethylamine is really, really attracted to hordenine, meaning that if the two compounds are both present at the same time, it will prefer to act upon hordenine, allowing the PEA to slip into the bloodstream intact. That’s the theory anyway. How well it works in the real world is a matter of some speculation.
4. Synephrine (citrus aurantium): Synephrine has been a common ingredient in weight loss supplements since ephedra became illegal, mostly because it is a “chemical cousin” to ephedra and was once thought to demonstrate many of the same weight loss benefits.
For instance, an early study stated that…
“Citrus aurantium may be the best thermogenic substitute for ephedra”.
And while anecdotal reports suggest it may offer mild appetite-suppressing qualities, follow up studies have not been kind to synephrine. for example, this more recent one states…
“There is little evidence that products containing C. aurantium are an effective aid to weight loss.”
For more on the current status of synephrine, see the full synephrine review!
5. Evodiamine: a compound derived from the Chinese fruit Evodia Rutaecarpa. It’s claimed to burn fat by increasing the body’s production of heat, as well as reducing the body’s ability to store fat.
Although a preliminary animal study shows promising results, to date there’s no evidence showing evodiamine works in people.
6. Yohimbine HCL: The standardized extract of the bark of the African Yohimbe tree, there is some data showing yohimbine is a somewhat effective weight loss supplement (see Isr J Med Sci. 1991 Oct;27(10):550-6) likely because of its action as an alpha 2-receptor antagonist. Evidence also validates its “lipid-mobilizing action.”
So there you have it; the new FlashPoint in a nutshell.
As you now know, there are some possible issues with the sublingual delivery system and some of the ingredients in general.
That said, I like FlashPoint. I found the product to deliver a pretty potent punch—and I never graduated past two melt tabs (a full dose is 3).
I especially like products that deliver a full dose in 3 caps/tabs; this allows the user to tailor the dosage according to his/her needs and tolerances.
Although my own experience is anecdotal, I could certainly feel the caffeine and the “cold shivery feeling” I got makes me think the yohimbine/evodiamine combo is getting delivered effectively. I may have been a little more focused too, but I can’t be sure about that.
Just for fun, I also passed out samples to a few friends and got responses ranging from “it’s OK” to “holy crap, where can I get some of this stuff?” I’m looking forward to receiving more feedback, so if you use this product, please don’t forget to leave your own feedback and comments.
Should you experiment with FlashPoint?
If you like a product that delivers anywhere from a gentle boost to an intense wallop of extra “energy”, and you’re a fan of Isatori’s other weight loss offerings like MX-LS7, Lean System 7 (LS7) or Curvelle, you’ll probably enjoy this product.
Plus, and this is the really cool part—Isatori offers and honors a full, “no quibble” satisfaction or your money back guarantee when you buy their products direct. That means they eliminate the majority of risk from your purchase, should you decide to experiment with it (at most, you’re out the cost of shipping should you decide to return the product). It’s also one of the reasons I feel comfortable recommending their products—you can always obtain a refund if you’re not happy.
