GNC Total Lean Advanced Metabolic Elite Fat Burner Review

Ben BA(Hons), PGCert

Contents show

First Look:

GNC are great at offering a myriad of well thought out and presentable products. The always look good and enticing, plus GNC are a massive brand so the confidence in the product for the consumer is right there from the beginning. Much of GNC’s products are also reassuringly expensive. However, as we have found, not all of their products are particularly good.

Ingredients:

L-Dopa Velvet Bean (Macuna Pruriens) – This is actually good for treating people with Parkinsons. There’s a mixed bag of results for testosterone but look mainly positive. Results have shown an increase in testosterone levels in infertile men, however, results are very limited for fertile men. It is effective to reduce cortisol levels – high stress levels can harm testosterone production.

https://examine.com/supplements/mucuna-pruriens/

Caffeine Anhydrous – The purest form of caffeine available. It stimulates the central nervous system (CNS), heart, muscles, and the centers that control blood pressure to give you an extra boost and hit that PB. This is found in Instant Knockout which is the best fat burner available at present.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-979-caffeine.aspx?activeingredientid=979

Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) – Whilst tested in rats extract of Zingiber Officinale significantly increased in the relative weight of the testis, the serum testosterone level, testicular cholesterol level and epididymal a-glucosidase activity. However, these rats were given 600mg per kilo of bodyweight daily. So that is a fuckload you would need.

http://www.asiaandro.com/archive/1008-682X/4/299.htm

C. Canephora Robusta (Green Coffee Extract) – Evidence from research has indicated that the consumption of caffeinated coffee can lead to some reductions in long-term weight gain, an effect which is likely to be due to the known thermogenic effects of caffeine intake.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/grp/2011/382852/

Cinnamon – Helps diabetics avoid blood sugar spikes and it also improves glucose use in the cell itself. It does contain a liver toxin called coumarin, which can be harmful in high doses.

https://examine.com/supplements/cinnamon/

Reishi Mushroom – Used for many things and it has no evidence backing any of the uses. Useless then.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-905-reishi%20mushroom.aspx?activeingredientid=905&

Capsicum – Capsaicin is known to boost metabolism, causing the body to produce extra heat and burn more calories for fuel. This is found in our favorite fat burner Instant Knockout. There’s 40,000 heat units present (HU) which is pretty darn hot.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/cayenne

Cordyceps – Evidence on tested rats to suggest this is a testosterone regulator rather than provide increases, however, only when injected as it has poor bio-availability.

https://examine.com/supplements/cordyceps/

Boswellia – Presently, it is not clear what the optimal dose is to balance safety and efficacy. The manufacturing of Boswellia products varies from one produce to the other and this makes it even more difficult for standardization to happen. Boswellia has not been thoroughly studied, and gaps still exist between our knowledge of the traditional uses of the resin and the scientific data available. Traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory for the joints.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3309643/

Piper Longum (Indian Long Pepper) – Can reportedly do many things, the evidence just does not stack up though.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-369-indian%20long%20pepper.aspx?activeingredientid=369&activeingredientname=indian%20long%20pepper

Eurca Sativa – Rocket Leaf extract possesses antisecretory, cytoprotective and anti-ulcer activities against experimentally-induced gastric lesions in rats. The anti-ulcer effect is possibly through prostaglandin mediated activity and/or through its anti-secretory and antioxidant properties.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507101824.htm

Chicory Root – Chicory is used for loss of appetite, upset stomach, constipation, liver and gallbladder disorders, cancer, and rapid heartbeat. No scientific evidence to support this though.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-92-chicory.aspx?activeingredientid=92&

Niacin – Higher amounts of niacin can improve cholesterol levels and lower cardiovascular risks. However, the jury is out on these real benefits.

https://examine.com/supplements/vitamin-b3/

Dose:

There is a 2 pills per day recommended dose although we are instructed to take them both at once. We prefer 4 pills spread across the day to evenly spread the nutrients out and prevent massive peaks and troughs. 4 pills are the doses of our benchmark products. A daily serving is a mediocre 2077mg.

Effects:

There are 3 active fat burning ingredients present, these 3 are well respected and found in some of the best fat burners available. However, and this is a big HOWEVER, because there are actually 12 ingredients present. Thus only a quarter of this product is proven to do anything remotely related to weight loss.

These 3 combined ingredients only amount to 500mg daily.

-Take a look at our Top 3 FAT BURNERS for something effective-

Negatives:

Well the most obvious is that three quarter’s of this doesn’t have any real direct effect on losing fat. That is disappointing which ever way you look at it. Especially the low combined dose of just 500mg, plus the 2 pills per day routine.

Shall I mention the cost of this inadequacy? $49.99. It seems your money is going in to their very presentable packaging that does a great job of reeling you in and then spitting you out with very little in terms of results.

Conclusion:

3 ingredients turned up to the fight against flab today, the rest came along and unfortunately you had to pay for their gas to get here, yet they did nothing to help you out.

Unfortunately it seems to be an all to common and reoccurring theme from GNC’s products that very little can be achieved using them.

It just misses a plethora or well known and proven ingredients such as Zinc, Cayenne and even Glucomannan as found in the strongest fat burner available.

I for one will be giving this a wide birth when it comes to cutting, I suggest you save your money and avoid it too.