Product Review: NeuroTrim

Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving! I was able to fly back home to Chicago and spend time with the family, which was wonderful. On our way home from the airport, Kevin and I spotted an interesting new product that we thought would be fun to review for you. Apparently it’s going to be the next big thing, so lucky you; you get the inside scoop early! Have you ever heard of neuro drinks? It’s an entire line of drinks that are supposed to be specifically created to alter your neural function to meet different needs. There’s one to make you happy (NeuroBliss), one to help you sleep (NeuroSleep) and even one to improve your sex life (NeuroGasm). Nice. We picked up the one that is supposed to help you lose weight (NeuroTrim)

The Claim: The drink claims to help reduce your appetite by supplying you with a “better” form of fiber, Amorphophallus konjac or LuraLean. They claim that this fiber will expand in your stomach or intestines because it attacts more water, therefore making you feel more full. It also claims to help you live longer because of the green tea and resveratrol. According to the directions, you need to drink one bottle before every major meal…. and of course, maintain healthy diet and exercise habits.

The Verdict: Ok, first, there is no research out there that supports this claim that I could find. Most of the products don’t have research, especially those not approved by the FDA, but still, there is nothing to support the claim that this drink will help you lose weight. I did look up the supplement Amorphophallus konjac alone and there are no studies that confirm it aides in weight loss. However, there is some research to suggest that it may reduce cholesterol levels. Here is a nice review article of the fiber if you’re interested.  The drink also has reveratrol, which has been shown to reduce oxidative damage. In mice, resveratrol is incredibly promising, but human studies so far have been a bit dissapointing. Reveratrol is the component of red wine that reduces your risk of heart disease. It certainly won’t hurt to take it, but it may not be as helpful as we once thought. The one good thing is that it is only 35 calories per bottle, so if you do decide to drink 3 of these per day, you won’t be adding a ton of calories. But, honestly, you’d be better off just having 48 ounces of water with lemon or perhaps some diluted fruit juice if you want something to fill up your stomach before you eat. It would be way cheaper, plus, the taste of this stuff is… ehhhh.

Bottom Line: As long as you can stomach a bit of caffeine (it has about 50 mg), this stuff won’t do you much harm, but you’d be better off saving your money for food you enjoy and going for a nice walk after dinner!

Have you ever tried this? Is there any diet product you’ve tried that you actually thought was effective?

-Sara