I need to begin this review by pointing out there are two very different products distributed under the Zotrim brand name. The first one is a drug for treating urinary tract infections. The second one is a natural supplement designed to help people to lose weight. The two products are made by different companies and have no connection whatsoever.
This review is for the diet pill called Zotrim, not the prescription drug.
What is Zotrim?
Zotrim is a herbal supplement for weight-loss. It’s an established product that’s been available since 2001. Many people know the name “Zotrim” because it used to be available in many pharmacies. There was a time when it was available in Supermarkets too. Now you can only buy it online.
Although Zotrim is marketed in a way that makes it more attractive to women, there is nothing to stop men using Zotrim too. It’s also suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Zotrim is primarily an appetite suppressing diet pill for people who need help controlling their hunger. It has little caffeine in the formulation so it should be good for providing extra energy too, but the product is pretty limited in what it can do.
However, the manufacturer says Zotrim has outperformed prescription weight loss drugs in clinical trials. If this is true, the product has extra credibility.
Many diet pills contain ingredients that have proven virtues, but diet pills that are tested and proven to work are few and far between. Unfortunately, the Zotrim website does not provide a link to the study or say who conducted it or where. Without this vital information, the claim about beating prescription drugs is only hot air.
I’ve checked a lot of credible sources and cannot find details of any studies that put Zotrim head-to-head with any prescription medications at all.
A Look at the Company Behind Zotrim
The first time I wrote a Zotrim diet pill review was in 2013. Back then the product was marketed under the Natures Remedies brand name. Things have changed. Zotrim is now manufactured and distributed by Swiss Research Labs.
Despite the name, it’s not a Swiss company. Swiss Research Labs is based in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are in Nottingham.
The change in ownership is not unusual. People often build up companies or brands and then sell them when they have earned a good name. The product itself has not changed. The Zotrim ingredients are the same.
Zotrim: The Promised Benefits
According to the official site, Zotrim is a “clinically-proven appetite suppressant” that offers the following benefits:
How Does Zotrim Work?
Zotrim is an appetite suppressant. It’s designed to help you to lose weight by making it easier to stick to your diet. It achieves this by delaying gastric emptying. That’s a fancy way of saying it retards the discharge of food into the intestines. Because the food is help in the stomach longer, it feels full for longer. This concept is not rocket science so a further explanation of the theoretical benefits is unnecessary.
Hunger is one of the worst things about trying to lose weight. As soon as you make an effort to control your portions sizes and avoid snacking between meals, your stomach retaliates by initiating hunger pangs.
Hunger pangs are unpleasant. They can put a major dent in your day and weaken your resolve. Lots of people find it hard to control their hunger but don’t want to give in so they go looking for diet pills and other supplements that can help. Zotrim is just one of many options available. Some people say that it helps them. Other people say it does not help at all.
Things to Bear in MindLike other weight management products, Zotrim is a supplement. It’s important to understand what a supplement is and never to see any form of supplement as a magic pill. The word “supplement” refers to something you get or use in addition to something else. For instance, Some people work two jobs to “supplement” their income. Diet pills and other weight loss supplements, supplement the efforts you are already making by controlling your diet. In this case, it’s important not to see Zotrim as a product that provides an excuse not to try and eat healthy foods. The pills will work best if you use them alongside a healthy diet that contains nutritious foods that are low in fat and sugar. |
Zotrim: List of Ingredients
The Zotrim diet pill formulation contains unspecified quantities of the following six ingredients:
- Guarana
- Damiana Leaf Extract
- Yerba Mate
- Caffeine
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B6
How Good is Zotrim?
This is the part of the review where I take a closer look at the abilities of the diet pill ingredients and see if they can enable Zotrim to do the things it’s meant to do.
Bear in mind the manufacturer’s website fails to provide any inclusion rates. The site is the only place anyone can buy the product so customers who do so will be buying blind. Low doses may provide little or no benefit. Overly high doses of certain ingredients may entail a danger of side effects.
Fortunately, although some customer reviews state the product did not help them at all, side effects don’t appear to be an issue. That’s a very good sign.
Guarana
Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a species of climbing plant that is native to the Amazon basin. The berries the plant produces contain bean-like seeds. The “guarana” ingredient that’s used in supplements is a powder that’s made from the ground seeds.
Guarana is a very popular supplement ingredient. Apart from being included in many weight-loss formulations, it’s often used in sports supplements and is the key ingredient in certain brands of energy drinks.
The berries are a similar size to that of a coffee bean and, like coffee beans, guarana berries provide the stimulant caffeine. However, guarana berries contain around twice as much caffeine as coffee beans do.
Several other natural ingredients contain caffeine. The thing that makes guarana a little special is the way it releases caffeine into the body. It does so more slowly than other ingredients do. This makes it good for providing long-lasting benefits. It also reduces the likelihood of caffeine-related side effects such as headaches and jitters.
Although caffeine often gets a lot of bad press, when used in moderation it’s unlikely to cause the average person to experience side effects. Problems are more likely to arise when manufacturers use too much caffeine and/or combine it with other stimulants.
According to the FAQs on the Zotrim website, each serving (3 pills) provides 75 mg of caffeine. The site says that’s similar to what you would get by drinking a cup of coffee. In actual fact, a cup of coffee often provides a little more than that. The amount pf caffeine in Zotrim should be fine for most people. Of course, if you normally have a problem tolerating caffeine, Zotrim will not be a good option for you.
Caffeine offers several key benefits. One of the main things it does is boost energy. This makes it useful for preventing diet-related fatigue. Caffeine is a mild appetite suppressant too. It boosts mental focus and concentration as well.
Research shows caffeine is also good for supporting weight-loss. It achieves this by increasing metabolism and thermogenesis. However, a lot of the research available involves doses of 100 mg of caffeine or more. Here’s a link to a study conducted at King’s College, University of London: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
And here’s a link to a study conducted at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2333832/
Damiana Leaf Extract
Damiana (Turnera diffusa) is a species of shrub that’s native to Central and South America. It has small, yellow, aromatic flowers that develop into fig-like edible fruits. The damiana used in supplements comes from the leaves, not the flowers or fruit. The leaves and stems are also the key ingredient in damiana liqueur.
Damiana is associated with many health benefits, but is generally best known for its alleged abilities as an aphrodisiac.
Although it’s believed the chemicals damiana provides may affect the brain and central nervous system, there is very little evidence to support the alleged abilities of damiana in any regard. Its reputation is mostly based on hearsay, not scientific facts.
Diabetics need to be particularly cautious about consuming damiana because there are interaction issues with many of the medicines commonly used for managing the condition. It also appears to influence blood sugar levels.
Reliable sources state damiana is “likely safe” when consumed the amounts commonly found in foods. However, doses of 200 grams or higher may produce symptoms similar to those attributable to rabies of strychnine poisoning. (Learn More at WebMD)
Yerba Mate
Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a South American plant. The leaves are used for brewing a caffeinated drink called mate.
The traditional way to serve mate is in a small gourd. The leaves are not removed, you drink mate by sucking up the liquid via a small metal straw.
These days, it’s possible to buy mate tea bags and bottles of mate iced tea.
Fans of the drink claim it invigorates the body in a similar way to coffee while providing the health benefits associated with tea.
Research supports yerba mate’s value in several areas:
- Boosts energy and mental focus
- Enhances physical performance
- Prevents infections
- Improves immune function
Some studies suggest the antioxidants yerba mate provides may also protect against heart disease. Unfortunately, the research is animal-based. However, studies involving human volunteers suggest yerba mate may reduce cholesterol.
There is also evidence to support using yerba mate for fat loss. The participants in one 12-week study lost 1.5 lbs (0.7 kg) thanks to yerba mate. However, they were consuming 3 grams per day. Zotrim is unlikely to provide that much yerba mate per day. (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-benefits-of-yerba-mate)
Caffeine
More caffeine.
Although Zotrim contains two other sources of caffeine (guarana and yerba mate), this is not a cause for concern. The manufacturer states each dose of Zotrim provides 75 mg of caffeine. That means the three forms (combined) provide this amount and, as already mentioned earlier in this review, 75 mg is not a particularly high amount.
A lot of diet pills are stimulant driven. Zotrim is not one of them.
Vitamin B3 + Vitamin B6
B vitamins serve several important roles in the body. One of the things they do is help the body extract energy from food. That’s why B Vitamins are present in so many energy drink formulations.
The presence of these two B vitamins in the Zotrim formulation should help prevent diet-related fatigue.
How to Use Zotrim
The normal dose is three capsules and you take three doses per day. However, the manufacturer suggests new users begin with a dose of two capsules three times per day and stick to it for a couple of weeks. This will allow plenty of time to check for tolerance issues.
As with any other diet pill, you need to take Zotrim with a drink. If you don’t like plain water, you can use iced tea or any cold drink you enjoy. Needless to say, it will be counterproductive if you choose a drink that is high in calories.
The best time to take Zotrim is a few minutes before meals. It will help make your stomach feel full and allow you to be satisfied with smaller portions of food. If you do not intend to cut back on food, you are wasting your time. You need to work with the supplement and trust it to do its job.
Words of WisdomIf you are pregnant or nursing a child, please don’t take any kind of supplement without getting clearance from your doctor first. If you have an existing medical condition of any kind at all, it would also be unwise to use supplements without checking with your doctor first. Certain supplement ingredients can present interaction issues when combined with medication. It doesn’t matter if the medication has been prescribed by a doctor, a dentist, or another medical professional. If you are taking medication, don’t use it with supplements without asking a doctor first. *Information on the Diet Pill Ninja website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. |
Does Zotrim Cause Side Effects?
The manufacturer says Zotrim has a strong safety record but points out the caffeine in the pills will make it a poor option for people who do not tolerate stimulants well.
However, each serving only provides 75 mg of caffeine. That’s less caffeine than you’d get by drinking a cup of coffee. If you are okay drinking coffee you will probably be okay with Zotrim but it may be best not to mix the two or use Zotrim alongside other sources of caffeine.
The manufacturer is also honest enough to admit a few customers have reported experiencing feelings of nausea. A reaction of this nature could indicate hypersensitivity to caffeine or a reaction to one of the other ingredients in the formulation. I’m not a doctor so I’m not qualified to say.
If you are thinking of using Zotrim and have worries about its suitability, the best thing to do is ask a doctor for advice.
Marketing and Distribution
Zotrim used to be available via health food stores, pharmacies, and many retail establishments. There were also many options for buying it online. This is no longer the case. If you want to buy Zotrim now, the official website is the only place to go.
Does Zotrim Have Honorable Customer Reviews?
The Zotrim website showcases some customer success stories but it’s a biased source. There is no facility for customers to add their comments. All the reviews on the site are hand-picked and cannot be relied upon to provide a balanced picture of the results the average person is likely to attain.
In my opinion, the reviews on the site are probably genuine and they certainly suggest Zotrim has helped many people to lose weight. However, it’s also important to be able to know how many people say the product does not work. Manufacturer’s websites rarely post negative reviews.
Fortunately, it’s still possible to read the reviews customers have left on Amazon. The Holland & Barrett Website has a few reviews too. The reviews on both sites suggest Zotrim may be a hit and miss product that works well for certain individuals but offers poor results to others.
Let’s look at the Holland & Barrett reviews first. There are only three. Two customers rate the product highly and one says it let him down.
Amazon has 97 customer reviews for Zotrim. With a rating of 3.2 out of a possible 5 stars, the vibe is more positive than negative but only slightly so.
Next, let’s take a look at a couple of Zotrim diet pill reviews. One is positive, the other is negative. Both were written by Amazon Vine customers.
Vine customers get free products from Amazon in exchange for their reviews. This may sound a little suspicious but everything is above board. Manufacturers have no direct contact with Vine reviewers.
Amazon invites customers to become Vine Voices based on their review rank, which is earned by writing high-quality, helpful reviews. A Zotrim review written by a Vine Voice should be unbiased.
A 5-Star Review
A 1-Star Review
A Look at the “Proof” Zotrim Works
The official website makes a lot of claims about clinical evidence that proves Zotrim works but some of the claims for the diet pill are not adequately supported.
Let’s take a closer look at the claims.
“Zotrim outperforming prescription drugs in tests.” If it has actually done this, it’s a main selling point. It’s disappointing to see the official site fails to provide a link or any other information that would make it possible to locate and check the details of the tests.
I searched online and could find to reference to any tests of this nature.
“Zotrim Helps You Eat Less.” The results of this study are easy to find online. It was was conducted at the University of Liverpool and details of it are available via a number of different sites.
The results of the study suggest a combination of yerba mate, guarana, damiana, taken in tablet form, three times per day, can produce a “robust short-term effect on caloric intake.” In real speak, the scientists are saying the combination was successful in suppressing appetite.
A small-print disclaimer at the bottom of the study points out the investigation was funded by Natures Remedies Ltd. The disclaimer also states one of the researchers (Jason C.G. Halford) has acted as a consultant for the company.
Although the study is supportive of the claims the manufacturers make for Zotrim, bearing in mind the connection with the manufacturer it’s hard to see this study as unbiased. If you want to view further details of the study you can do so at ScienceDirect.com. Here’s a link to the correct page: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666312004709?via%3Dihub
“Zotrim Makes Saying No To Snacking Easy.” Information about this study was a little harder to find but the claims being made appear to correspond to the study data.
https://www.researchgate.net/Effectiveness-of-a-herbal-supplement-Zotrim-for-weight-management.pdf
“Zotrim Helps You Get More Active.” The study is about the abilities of caffeine, not the things Zotrim can do. The formulation contains caffeine, and will provide certain caffeine-related benefits, but the amount of caffeine Zotrim provides will not be the same as that used in the study.
“Zotrim Increases the Beneficial Effect of Exercise.” This claim does not fully hold water either. The study was on Yerba Mate, not Zotrim, and the participants were given 1,000 mg of Yerba Mate per day. The Zotrim diet pill formulation is unlikely to provide anywhere near that amount.
This study is also available online. I’m not sure if Zotrim really is the most researched weight loss product available but if there is a competing product that has been studied in more detail I have not encountered it yet.
The Best Place to Buy Zotrim
At the time of this review, the Zotrim website was the only place to go. A 30-day supply of pills costs£49.99 (€59.99/$59.99)
This is a lot more than Zotrimcused to cost when it was available elsewhere. The Holland & Barrett price was less than £12 per box. Some online suppliers were charging double that amount but £24 is still cheap compared to the present price. The formulation is the same now as it was a few years ago. How can the manufacturer justify such a huge increase in price?
Customer Service
Contacting the manufacturer is easy. There are several ways you can do it.
- Telephone
- Online form
- Contacting the company by mail
- Via online chat
Guarantee
The manufacturer promises a 100-day Weight-Loss Guarantee. That sounds great, doesn’t it? It’s not as good as it appears. The small print states the guarantee does not apply if you only purchase a one-month supply.
The Refund Policy also makes it clear that returned products must be unopened with their seals still intact.
That means if you were to order two bottles of Zotrim and get on free if you used the first bottle and were unhappy with the results, you could get a refund for the second bottle if you returned the two unopened bottles (one of which you got free).
But what about the bottle you used? You may be able to claim a refund for that too, but the way the refund policy is worded does not make this clear.
Zotrim Review: Diet Pill Ninja Conclusion
Unfortunately, I cannot find any proof that Zotrim has ever outperformed prescription medication but the product does appear to have performed well in several studies. That’s no guarantee it will do the same for you.
Customer reviews suggest Zotrim is capable of helping certain people to lose weight. They also suggest it doesn’t work for everyone.
I read all the reviews I could find. Needless to say, there are a few less helpful comments such as five-star reviews that simply say things like “great” and one-star reviews with short comments like “don’t waste your time.”
However, plenty of people make it clear they felt less hungry while using Zotrim and state it helped them to lose a little weight. Unfortunately, nearly as many customers make it clear they still felt hungry while they were taking the pills and didn’t lose any weight.
The fact that there aren’t many people reporting side effects is certainly a point in Zotrim’s favor but the only way to find out if it will work for you is to buy it and see. If it was still possible to pick up a box of Zotrim for less than £25 it may be easier to see this as an acceptable risk. At the time of this review, a box of Zotrim was retailing for twice that. It’s a gamble. Especially bearing in mind the less than crystal clear terms of the guarantee.
Phen24: A Good Alternative to Zotrim
Phen24 is a 24-hour fat burning system that consists of two diet pills. You use Phen24 Day every morning and follow up with Phen24 when you eat your evening meal.
Both formulas suppress hunger and accellerate fat burning. However, Phen24 Day boosts energy, to help you avoid fatigue. Instead of boosting energy, Phen24 provides an ingredient that calms the mind and improves sleep quality.
There is nothing to lose by trying Phen24 because the manufacturer offers a 60-day/night gurantee.
CLICK HERE TO BUY PHEN 24 OR LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW IT WORKS
