Editor’s Note (June, 2015): Like its progenitor, Zyatrim, Zyatonix also appears to be discontinued.
Zyatonix, the “New Super Pill” that “Actually Kills Fat Cells!” appears to be nothing more than a rebranded and re-labeled version of Zyatrim—which now appears to be discontinued (the two product labels are identical, save for the name change).
Before I discuss the ridiculous claim that “Zyatonix causes cell death”, let’s first ask why a company would rename and re-market an already existing product.
From a marketing perspective, this makes no sense. Consider one of the most popular diet supplements ever; Hydroxycut. Muscle Tech / Iovate has a goldmine just in the “name” or the “brand” of this product. In other words, people will buy Hydroxycut on the strength of its name alone, because it is highly recognizable (not necessarily because it the best product). If you’re selling something, building a powerful brand is one of the most effective things you can do.
Rebranding a product makes absolutely no sense; unless your product sucked in the first place. Then you may have to rebrand if you’ve garnered a ton of negative publicity and no one will buy it anymore. Deceptive billing practices and unscrupulous marketing tactics can cause retailers to do the same thing. Rebranding allows you to avoid negative publicity—by presenting your product as a brand new offering when it is in fact not.
Either way, this is not something that fills me with confidence or inspires trust.
Anyhow, back to the claim that Zyatonix causes fat “cell death” or “apoptosis”.
First, despite the mounds of scientific-sounding mumbo-jumbo that you’ll find everywhere on the site (its role is no doubt to convince you that this product is on the cutting edge of scientific research) the retailers didn’t seem to be too interested in providing a listing of ingredients anywhere (I finally found a basic listing in the FAQ section, although the dosage is not revealed).
It also seemed a bit too convenient that the makers of Zyatonix “forgot” to include in their advertising material any of the supporting research that the ingredients actually work as claimed.
So what about fat “cell death?” Well, when I asked our scientific and technical advisor Elissa about it, here’s what she had to say…
Even if they had an “effective” ingredient, let’s face it, lots of things can trigger apoptosis on a cell culture sitting in a dish. Whether they do so when ingested orally in a non-toxic dose is an entirely different matter, and one that would need to be demonstrated by genuine clinical studies.
And…to push the “best case scenario” even further, a truly effective systemic agent capable of triggering fat cell death would not discriminate between “unnecessary” fat cells in a woman’s thighs…and equally unnecessary (from a body’s perspective) fat cells in a woman’s breasts. If the stuff really worked as claimed, female users would probably require breast implants.
Since there are no genuine clinical studies referenced to validate this claim (the “Research” on the web site link doesn’t actually link to any research—just more scientific sounidng mumbo-jumbo!) and since female users are not reporting the need for breast implants, we can assume this is nothing more than outrageous, unsubstantiated marketing spiel.
And what about the ingredients I did find? Well, although the amount of each ingredient is not listed (this is important; medicinal plants, food compounds and herbs that are typically found in weight loss products are much like pharmaceutical drugs; they need to be present in a potent enough dosage to have any effect—if we don’t know how much of each ingredient is included, we don’t know whether they will elicit an effect), here’s what Zyatonix contains…
1. Acacia rigidula: Apparently, there are “5 complex compounds” of the stuff included in Zyatrim. Acacia is a perennial tree native to Mexico. It’s especially interesting in that it is reported to contain a whole slew of alkaloids and amines — some previously thought to be only human inventions. A few of these compounds include nicotine, phenylethylamine, hordenine, methamphetamine and mescaline. It should be noted though that not everyone agrees that Acacia is likely to harbor such constituents.
Finding acacia in fat burners isn’t that uncommon. It is included in Lipo 6 X, and standardized for hordenine, a monamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). However, it’s pointless to speculate what if any value acacia offers to this formula, as we’re not informed what it is standardized for, and what dosage is present.
2. Methylsynephrine: A full review of synephrine can be found here. To summarize, its effects on weight loss are relatively inconsequential and largely over-exaggerated by retailers (and there’s no evidence to suggest methylsynephrine is any more effective than the regular synephrine).
3. Phenylethylamine HCL: You’ve probably familiar with this ingredient by now — it’s the “amphetamine-like” chemical commonly found in chocolate.
There’s no evidence that phenylethylamine (PEA) offers any benefit for weight loss, so I suspect many manufacturers include it for its “supposed” mood-elevating characteristics.
The problem is that phenylethylamine is rapidly metabolised by the enzyme monamine oxidase. This prevents all but the tiniest amounts from entering the bloodstream. That’s why the best PEA supplements (like Gaspari’s CytoLean, reviewed here!) also contain natural monamine oxidase inhibitors. Zyatonix could contain a MAOI, as it could be one of the compounds the acacia content is standardized for. Unfortunately, that information is not revealed on the web site.
4. Cassis Nomame Extract: included in weight loss products for its “ability” to inhibit the enzyme lipase which is required for the break down and deposit of fat. However, there’s very little clinical evidence to validate these claims. Check out this excerpt from this Pubmed abstract on “Nutraceutical resources for diabetes prevention”…
“There does not appear to be a natural lipase inhibitor functionally equivalent to orlistat, although there are poorly documented claims for Cassia nomame extracts.” (Med Hypotheses. 2005;64(1):151-8).
5. Theobromine: Derived from cocoa and similar in chemical to caffeine, this ingredient is no stranger to weight loss products. Despite that, it has a relatively insignificant effect on the central nervous system, and animal studies show it to be inferior to caffeine for fat burning (see Food Chem Toxicol. 1984 May;22(5):365-9). Frankly, Zyatonix would be better off with a decent dose of caffeine.
6. Yohimbe: A few studies bear out Yohimbe’s positive effect on weight loss (Isr J Med SCI 1991 Oct;27(10):550-6). However, its effects are not dramatic — although yohimbe is certainly an ingredient you can “feel” (yohimbe is a stimulant but some users notice feelings of cold / shivering / goose bumps) which is probably why many supplement retailers add it to their compilations.
At the the end of the day, what you have is an indeterminate amount of a relatively ordinary blend of ingredients, very few of which have much in the way of clinical evidence to validate their effectiveness.
Do I need to reinforce the fact that there isn’t a single study—in-house, peer-reviewed or otherwise— referenced on the web site to validate the “cell death” theory or any of the other claims made by the retailer?
Reputable retailers don’t hide their formulas. In fact, they are required by law to reveal the contents of their products. And while the makers of Zyatonix might argue they are not revealing their formula to prevent their competitors from “reverse engineering” their formula (ridiculous!), I would argue that anyone serious about copying any formula just has to buy the product and send it to a lab.
Zyatonix is expensive—nearly $40 a bottle for a bottle of 30 servings. For a comparable amount, you could purchase a product with some decent science behind it, as well as a solid, money-back guarantee.
Speaking of which – this product offers a 100% money back guarantee, as well, but I’d like to hear from you as to whether or not they honor it!
Is this something you should try? Frankly, the cost, the lack of forthrightness on the matter of ingredients and the lack of any clinical evidence to validate any of the claims makes this extremely difficult for me to recommend. However, I would love to hear about your experiences with Zyatonix…
July 7, 2009
I have tried Zyatonix & in the first day alone, I thought I was going to be sick. I’d been taking Lipo-6 and although it was working okay for me, I wanted to try something a bit more dramatic & effective. So, after reading the label, I decided to give it a try.
Since I’ve only taken 2 pills so far in the last 24 hours, I can only report from this short experience, but my symptoms include: fever/chills, sour stomach, feeling pukey, headache, jitters, anxiety, and dizziness. This is not something I’d likely continue.
On the positive side, I did only pay about $25 for a bottle of 60 caplets, purchased at Walmart. I usually only buy diet supplements from there because I know there will be no trouble returning it if I don’t like it. At least the cost is better than the advertised online price of $59! My advice? Give something else a whirl. With all the site reviews on this product, I think there’s enough lacking evidence of success with this pill. If I could stomach it, I would ride it out and see if this could really burn fat well, but I’m already calling in to work sick today, so this pill is getting much more costly by the minute!!
July 9, 2009
I used Zyatrim before it changed its name and I had nothing but good results. I used it for 7 months, lost over 25 inches overall & 30 lbs.
I didn’t exercise except I walked around a little more than usual. I liked it, but concerned about the name change, and am wondering if it’s really safe and am I gonna have health problems in the future from taking it so long?
Confused, but overall it did work for me.
July 9, 2009
One I would like to take to time to tell you that you dont know what your talking about everything you say about the diet pill zyatonix will only make people who actaully want to and can loose weight second guess the pill. when you call the number to get your free bottle they don’t put you on an automatic ordering list you pay $2.95 for the bottle and thats it’s.
They are not scammers they have been very decent to me and when you want more pills you call or go onine to order them no auto ship programms. I have 4 kids and have tried several pills too many to list, this pill works 2 pills a day and the weight comes off. I eat whatever and I dont have time to exercise and im still loosing weight. 1 month bottle lost 12 lbs and it’s fat thats going away. So before you sit here on your site determing things about pills you should get all your facts straight. I guess when you say I would be suprised thats what you get for thinking you know what your talking about.
Editor’s comments: Tasha, we’re glad to hear the retailers of Zyatonix do not add their clients to a recurring billing program. If you read our review, you’ll see that we do not say that they do, only that “free trial” offers typically work this way.
Regarding the statement “you should get your facts straight”, we welcome any clinical evidence you can provide to contradict any of the statements we make in our review. Frankly, whether or not a product works for you is NOT the same thing as a company’s right to make long-reaching statement’s about a product’s effectiveness with any clinical evidence to base those claims.
July 13, 2009
My husband and I starting taking Zyatonix and this is our second day. We hate it. We have not been our selves and have experienced headaches, chest pains, stomach aches, sweats, clammy hands and dizzyness, and now bumps all over our skin. I don’t suggest anyone take this pill!
August 29, 2009
I’m writing this review as I fight wave after wave of nausea from 1 dose of Zyatonix. I sent the company an email requesting drug interaction information. I have, as of yet, received no response.
I’ve not experienced the so-called “warm feeling”. I have nausea and an extremely severe headache. If I live through this episode, I will never take it again. Nothing beats eating right and plain old exercise. If you value your health, don’t take this product.
September 2, 2009
I have similar experiences as Billie Fogle and Chrysty. I feel like crap on this pill. They tell you you will feel warm and great but I felt like puking all morning and I am snapping at everyone. Instead of upping my mood, Zyatonix is making me very irritated and cranky. I absolutely hate the way this pill makes me feel and it’s only my 2nd day using it. I really wish I had read these reviews before shelling out $50 for this scam.
I feel like calling them back just to freaking chew someone out for outright lying about this pill.
September 11, 2009
Here is a full listing of Zyatonix Ingredients.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 2 Tablets
Servings Per Container: 30
—————————>AMOUNT PER SERVING
Apopadex I Proprietary Blend————>280mg
HOODIA GORDONII 12:1 EXTRACT (HOODIA-PURE[E])(CACTUS)
CITRUS AURANTIUM (FRUIT),
CASSIA NOMANE EXTRACT (PLANT),
6,7 DIHYDROXY BERGAMOTTIN (FRUIT),
YOHIMBE EXTRACT (BARK)(1MG YOHIMBINE ALKALOYDS), NARINGEN (FRUIT),
COMNIPHORA MUKUL (ROOT/RESIN),
DMAE BITARTRATE,
PILOCARPUS JABORANDI EXTRACT (LEAVES),
L-5-HYDROXY TRYPTOPHAN,
5-METHOXY TRYPTAMINE HCL
——————————–
Caffiene (ANHYDROUS)———————>75mg
—————————————–
Apopadex II Proprietary Blend———–>200mg
GREEN TEA RM7343 EXTRACT(LEAVES)
ACACIA RIGIDULA EXTRACT 80% EXTRACT leaves),
LEPTIN,
THEOBROMA COCOA EXTRACT (SEED),
PHENYLETHYLAMINE HCL.
—————————————-
OTHER INGREDIENTS: GELATIN, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, MAGNESIUM STEARATE, SILICA.
What could promote Apoptosis?
Editor’s comments: Jon, the apoptosis claim is addressed in the full Zyatonix review.
October 2, 2009
I’ve been taking Zyatonix for only about 3 days now. On the plus side I have lost weight! But I’m shakey and feel cold ALL the time! I’ive tried other wieght loss pills and didn’t feel this way… but then again I didn’t lose wieght with them either. So I’m torn. I love the losing weight part, but hate the shakes and possible health risks.
Editor’s comments: Shelby, the side effects you describe are likely due to this product’s yohimbe content (it makes me feel the same way). You can read all about yohimbe side effects here!
October 27, 2009
I just want to make sure that this is a safe product. Only concerned because the 1st few times I took it, I felt shakey etc. I love how it works and kills the appetite. i also started off with 2 right away because that’s what the suggested serving was but then cut it back to 1. Don’t feel so yucky but I noticed if I don’t eat within a 1/2 hour after taking it I get jittery. I will keep getting it from walmart because it’s way less expensive than what you sell it for.
These days we need to save money, not spend more if not needed. Most of us ca’nt afford $60.00 a month or even to come up with $150 for 3 bottles. You should lower your price. In the long run you’d probably end up selling more. Until then it’s Wal-mart for me…
Editor’s comments: Pamela, this is not “our” product. We do not sell or fulfill any products. So we can’t help you by lowering the price, sorry.
December 1, 2009
I have been taking Zyatrim/Zyatonix for a year now. I have definitely lost weight. It does make me shaky, sometimes cold. The only time it makes me nauseous is if I take it and then don’t eat. I have a very high tolerance for medications, which leads me to believe that this is a strong dosage. I have not experienced any detrimental side effects, but would definitely caution someone about the shaking/nervousness that it causes. I wish it was offered in a pill form instead of a capsule form that so that it could be halved, or a smaller dosage.
May 17, 2011
I have been taking this product for 3 days. If I don’t stop taking the pill I think I might die. This pill sucks. It makes me shaky and causes rapid heartbeat and dizziness. For the love of everything that is holy just exercise and do not take this pill. (unless you like rapid heartbeat, feeling dizzy, vomiting and stress).
March 13, 2012
2 days on this pill. No side effects whatsoever. It has definitely curbed my appetite tho. We’ll see if it works after a few weeks.
December 9, 2012
From Nigeria , just got this drugs for 20k and from the stories,feedback,testimonial I’m now scared. To take the pill and I hope it won’t turn out to be the ugly side of it .
January 7, 2013
I took these for several days did not lose any weight and when I returned them for a refund I was told that the I would be refunded except for shipping and handling on line it said my cost was 89.95. I got three bottles and returned all three bottles my card was charged 99.95. my refund was 49.95. I returned them for less than $5.00 I don’t think that the shipping and handling was 40.00 or 50.00 what a rip off
August 18, 2021
Thank you for sharing an article like this. Very informative and gives a lot of information. Hope to read a lot from you.