Posted By Paul on Nov 23, 2012 | 2 comments

USP Labs’ Recreate is advertised as a “scientifically-formulated fat burner that supports fat loss in 23 separate pathways.” USP Labs’ products are often fun to review, since they tend to deviate from the typical ingredients common to your average weight loss or body building supplement (see Elissa’s reviews for Jacked and Anabolic Pump P/Slin). So it often takes a little more work to “decode” the ingredients label and bring the claims under the scrutiny they deserve.

So what’s in Recreate?

A single capsule offers up a 700 mg serving of the “Recreate Blend” which consists of the following…

1. Caralluma fimbriata: Usually, this ingredient is included in weight loss products for its appetite-suppressing characteristics. There has been one positive published study performed on Caralluma (see Appetite. 2007 May;48(3):338-44. Epub 2006 Nov 13). Its conclusions, however, where hardly earth shattering…

“While there was a trend towards a greater decrease in body weight, body mass index, hip circumference, body fat and energy intake between assessment time points in the experimental group, these were not significantly different between experimental and placebo groups. Caralluma extract appears to suppress appetite, and reduce waist circumference when compared to placebo over a 2 month period.”

At this time, the benefits attributed to Caralluma tend to extend far beyond what the current data justifies. Still, this is one ingredient that warrants further investigation.

2. Arabian Coffee Bean: Since we’re not told what the extract is exactly, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume its a source of chlorogenic acid. It has demonstrated weight loss effects in animal studies, but to date, but the only human-based data is a small – and somewhat questionable – study.

3. Olive Leaf: Is olive leaf extract effective at boosting thyroid levels? Who knows. One small animal study (see Phytother Res. 2002 May;16(3):286-7) appears to indicate a thyroid-stimulating effect. Whether this result is “translatable” to humans, and whether an appropriate dosage is included in Recreate is unknown.

There is certainly no credible data to indicate this is the case.

4. Caffeine: A common ingredient in the majority of diet pills on the market, caffeine is a decent thermogenic with demonstrated benefits for weight loss (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97), although some data indicates it offers greater benefits to lean individuals that those who are overweight (see Am J Physiol. 1995 Oct;269(4 Pt 1):E671-8).

It provides users with a “boost” of energy with sometimes makes goals like regular workouts a little more easy to attain.

5. Forslean: The patented version of Coleus forskholii extract, an Ayurvedic medicinal plant and a source of forskolin, an ingredient that has modest, but not earth-shattering effects on weight loss.

For instance, one study (which was funded by the Sabinsa Corporation who holds the patent) did not find any significant changes in lean mass or fat, although the researchers did conclude that ForsLean “…may help mitigate weight gain.”

Another study, (Journal of Obesity Research August 2005, “Body Composition and Hormonal Adaptations Associated With Forskolin Consumption In Overweight and Obese Men”) found that forskolin was helpful, but did not yield over-whelming results.

6. Weak Jumby Pepper (Microtea debilis): This cleverly disguised ingredient refers to something called cirsimarin which is derived from a small creeping herb called “Microtea debilis.” One small, in vitro animal study concluded…

“… our results demonstrate that cirsimarin exerts strong lipolytic properties being 20 times more potent than caffeine to stimulate lipolysis, at least in part through cyclic nucleotide preservation.”

Here’s what our scientific and technical advisor Elissa has to say about “in vitro” studies…

“… you’re using animal cells, of course, but not within the natural environment of the living animal.  So in a real sense, it’s a step down on the credibility scale, with respect to making predictions about what the compound might do in an animal ingesting it. For instance, “in vitro” studies may demonstrate an effect in cell cultures, but how something performs after exposure to stomach acid, first pass metabolism in the liver and extensive dilution in plasma is a different story altogether.”

So it’s one heck of a reach to apply this positive results to humans.

And, as with the aforementioned olive leaf extract, it’s also impossible to tell what sort of dosage is included here, and whether it corresponds to that of the clinical study.

OK, so there is the USP Recreate formula in a nutshell. How does it measure up?

Well, what you’ve got is 4 ingredients with demonstrated, modest effects on weight loss in humans (caffeine, Caralluma, Forslean, and – perhaps – coffee) and 2 ingredients (olive leaf and Microtea debilis) whose inclusion in Recreate is based entirely on small amounts of animal-based study data.

Could these ingredients prove to be helpful? Of course.

But in the meantime, until some credible human-based data is presented, the jury is definitely out.