Perplexing Plexus

Every few years a product comes along that claims to revolutionize weight loss. Typically, these products are sold by “Ambassadors” instead of in stores (I wonder why?) These ambassadors swell with enthusiasm over this new and exciting breakthrough. “Hurray”, cry the masses. Finally, something delivers results without efforts and a monthly supply will only cost the equivalent of a small car payment. Over the last year and half that product has been Plexus, after Plexus World Wide burst on to the scene in 2011 and has rapidly gained in popularity.  According to PWW’s website, there are ten reasons why a person should use Plexus to aid in weight loss. Number one states,

The Plexus Products contain Alpha Lipoic Acid, Chlorogenic Acid, Garcinia Cambogia, Whey Protein, Green Lipped Mussel, Aloe Vera, Bulgarian Rose Extract, French Lavender Extract, and Grape Seed Extract; proven ingredients that address key areas of vitality and weight loss.[i]

I am not even going to address the other nine reasons that the website claims for using Plexus. Let’s just stop right there. After all, if a person does not understand what she is putting into her body, why on earth would she do it? Due to a distinct lack of research, I am not going to address Green Lipped Mussel, Bulgarian Rose Extract, French Lavender Extract, and Grape Seed Extract. I will not speak, positively or negatively, to the validity of the claims about these particular ingredients. There simply is not enough scientific research to form any opinion about the quality or safety of these ingredients. In situations like this; buyer beware. 

In Plexus products the ingredient Cholorgenic Acid comes from the presence of Green Coffee Extract. I have written about GCE before, so for the sake of brevity, will not be discussing it here. If you want to know the details of my thoughts on this sham of an ingredient, click here. Of all the ingredients in Plexus, Whey Protein is by far the best researched, and my thoughts about it can be found here. I will say that the inclusion of whey protein is a positive. But it alone is not enough to justify using Plexus. I won’t be discussing whey protein any further today. I will focus on the qualities of Alpha Lipoic Acid and Garcinia Cambogia, as these two supplements are currently purported as being effective for aiding in weight loss.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is an antioxidant and naturally occurs within food such as yeast, liver, kidney, spinach, broccoli, and potatoes. It is thought that ALA works, in cases of medically diagnosed deficiencies, to restore Vitamins E and C to healthy levels. There is also some preliminary research suggesting that it may help repair damage done to the nervous system by diabetes. ALA’s connection to weight loss comes from two circumstances: within the body it does play a role in the break down and digestion of carbohydrates for use as energy by the organs. There is also a small amount of evidence that ALA does in fact increase weight loss if taken in a dosage of 1800mg per day for up to 20 weeks. However, these findings have only been verified in obese diabetics. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest a weight loss benefit for anyone who is not both diabetic and obese.[ii] Those who meet these qualifications should consult a doctor before considering ALA as there is the potential for negative interactions with some types of diabetes medicines. For the diabetic, the combination may lead to blood sugar levels becoming dangerously low. The bottom line with ALA is that any evidence or claims suggesting a link between use and weight loss is mostly anecdotal and has weak research verification. Buyer beware.

Garcinia Cambogia is probably a more recognized name associated with weight loss. Excellent, now, what is it? Unsure? It is a plant found in tropical countries, and its fruit contains the chemical compound hydroxycitric acid. At one time, concentrated forms for hydroxycitric acid were sold in a weight loss supplement called Hydroxycut. Hydroxycut did not use Garcinia Cambogia as one of the source ingredients for hydroxycitric acid. However, in 2009, the ingredients that contributed the hydroxycitric acid were removed from Hydroxycut following an FDA investigation that resulted from multiple complaints of seizures and liver problems, including rhambdomyolysis, associated with the use of Hydroxycut. Although not present in Hydroxcut, the FDA issued a warning against using Garcinia Cambogia as weight loss supplement, citing safety concerns, due to its similarity to those ingredients. At the moment, there is not enough research suggesting Garcinia Cambogia plays any prevalent role in accelerating weight loss.[iii] Buyer beware.

So, if all this is true about Alpha Lipoic Acid, Garcinia Cambogia, and Green Coffee Extract, then what can be attributed to the success stories purported by the manufacturers of Plexus? After all, is it not entirely possible that legions of stay-at-home moms, excuse me Ambassadors, could be smarter than the MDs, PhDs, licensed dietitians, and fitness experts like myself? What is going on? After all, Plexus did its research, didn’t they? There is this study they talk about. 

Beyond unsubstantiated claims about ingredients, herein lays another problem. Plexus only has one study; conducted and paid for by Plexus Worldwide Inc. For perspective, webmd.com references 163 reviews of ALA, 877 reviews of Garcinia Cambogia, and 172 reviews of Green Coffee Extract, from which it draws its conclusions and that I have sourced for this article[iv]. The study by Plexus Inc. has not been published anywhere. It is only referenced within various marketing tools used by Plexus. Hey, my friend Mr. Skepticism just walked into the room. He typically shows up when companies make claims about products and research, yet, are unwilling to publish it respected scientific journals for scrutiny by their scientific peers. As far as I am concerned, there are five keys to validating research. Failing this one is an immediate red flag surrounded by flashing neon lights.

So where is this weight loss coming from? I would suggest it’s the placebo effect; in the case of weight loss supplements a person takes a product, weight loss results, and the success is attributed to the use of the new supplement. This can happen even when the majority of evidence would suggest that nothing should happen. The suggested use of Plexus is to mix the powder into 11 to 17oz of water and drink in the morning before breakfast. If needed, the drink may be consumed later in the day or before every meal to help curb appetite.[v] Ironically, so can plain water; for a few decades now, dietitians and other licensed health professionals have been suggesting people drink 12 to 20oz of cool water before meals to help curb appetite. Cue the music from the “Twilight Zone,” it’s getting eerie around here. Both a weight loss supplement manufacturer and licensed dietitians suggest drinking before meals to help curb appetite? Did I mention that water is free at restaurants? Or that staying properly hydrated, especially around meal time not only helps to reduce caloric intake, but is a key component of the human body functioning properly to lose excess body fat? In my humble opinion, good-old fashioned H2O is the most underutilized nutrient when it comes to weight loss.

Weight loss is the result of creating a caloric deficit; the body is using more calories than it is consuming. It does not happen any other way. Could the use of Plexus aid in creating a caloric deficit? Sure, if it makes a person feel full faster resulting in fewer calories consumed, then yes, it may work. But does it work for the reasons that the manufacturer claims? That is doubtful. Is worth the $75-150 per month that some people admit to spending on the stuff? Not in my books. I think I will keep my money and go buy new clothes. Actually, I won’t. I am a guy. I’ll go buy a new fishing rod instead. Maybe next month I will give my 401K a little extra padding. Personally, there are far better uses for my hard earned money.

Anyhow, I suspect that a person could achieve the same result by drinking a glass of water and, most importantly, exercising enough will power and self-control to put down the fork, close the mouth, and back away from the food. Now, if I can find a way to bottle and sell that kind of will power, well, then there will finally be a weight loss supplement worth buying. But, what do I know? I have just lost 100lbs and kept it off for sixteen years. I did not hear of Plexus until about six months ago.

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[i] www.plexusworldwide.com/products

[ii] http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-767-Alpha+Lipoic+Acid+ALPHA-LIPOIC+ACID.aspx?activeIngredientId=767&activeIngredientName=Alpha+Lipoic+Acid+(ALPHA-LIPOIC+ACID)&source=2

[iii] http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/garcinia-cambogia-weight-loss?page=2

[iv] http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/default.aspx

[v] http://www.plexusreview.com/how-to-use-plexus-slim.html