The Voice - Dear Consumer's Voice

Dear Consumer's Voice

I saw an advertisement on TV for “Slim Coffee” that claims it can help me lose weight by burning fat and suppressing my appetite. Can this be true?

No.

I’m tempted to leave the answer as simple as that but I suppose we all deserve an explanation.

Products like the so-called “Slim Coffee” are marketed as appetite suppressants. They are loaded with stimulants which may have some ability to suppress your desire for food. If you look at the website for Homemark who market this product from South Africa you can see what this drink contains. It’s 75% instant coffee mixed with extracts of guarana and citrus aurantium, all of which are stimulants. The web site also states that the product is unsuitable for pregnant women, children and those who are sensitive to caffeine.

The most interesting thing claimed is that “rapid results are scientifically proven”. It’s always suspicious when a supplier claims that something is scientifically proven but neglects to say when, how and by whom.

The bad news is that all of these products have only inconclusive evidence to support them. On the contrary citrus aurantium, otherwise known as bitter orange, contains a drug called synephrine which is known to cause a range of heart problems, increased blood pressure and even strokes. If you already have disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure or a heart condition they could pose a serious threat to your health.

However even if you did decide to start drinking this stuff and it failed to kill you and it did actually suppress your appetite it’s still useless. All the scientific evidence shows that the moment you stop taking appetite suppressants the weight just comes straight back again.

Face it. There are no miracle cures. There is only one way to lose weight and not put it back on again. Eat and drink more sensibly and take some exercise.