I'd never heard of it, but with the dozens upon dozens of different 'diet nostrums' being released on a regular basis, I'm not all that surprised.
It wasn't at all hard to find links on the stuff (mostly sales links) with a Google search. It appears that the company is using the currently-popular "weight gain through stress/cortisol" ploy that so many other 'weight loss' products use.
Looking at their 'official' website, it looks as though they're also playing the old game of having a "patented proprietary formula" to make it sound like what they're selling is something special. Having a patent on something doesn't mean the stuff WORKS.
The "Phellodendron amurense" extract that they refer to is a tree known as the Amur Corktree - a common ornamental plant - which according to the
Nature Conservatory and UC Davis is considered an invasive species in the US. I haven't found anything saying that the extract is effective for weight loss (which doesn't really surprise me). I did find
this page which states in part:
Quote:
Amur Cork Tree is used as a remedy for meningitis and as an eyewash for conjunctivitis. It is also useful in treating acute diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, vaginal infections, acute urinary tract infections, enteritis, boils, abscesses, night sweats and skin diseases. Amur Cork Tree is used intramuscularly for upper respiratory tract infections. This tree is also used to lower fevers, reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and treat bloody urine and kidney problems.
And as a warning:
Quote:
Amur Cork Tree has strong actions and should be used with caution. It is not for use by pregnant or nursing women. Safety in young children or those with severe liver or kidney disease is not known.
As far as Magnolia officinalis - aka Magnolia Bark - you can read Supplementwatch's review
of it here. Even though there are new "claims" of possible weight loss links, a claim (as in claims made in marketing these diet pills) is QUITE a bit different from actual proof in the form of peer-reviewed studies, IMO.
This bit on their website got my attention:
Quote:
Is Relora® FDA Approved?
Relora®, like all dietary supplements, is regulated by the FDA under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.
What BS THAT is...the DSHEA basically ties the FDA's hands - the FDA DOES NOT 'regulate' these products. But I guess the Relora people couldn't just say the truth ('No') when they could use doublespeak instead, along with referring to studies on their site but not giving ANY information or abstract other than what they want to use to sell their product...