Multivitamin Diet Reviewed

LAST UPDATED: September 2018.

Author: Ben has been reviewing, testing and using supplements for around a decade. He has a Bachelors degree and is a keen weight lifter while also playing rugby.

This review contains references to studies that are cited at the bottom of this page.

First Look

This fat burner and weight management product is very far removed from the ‘pharma’ or hardcore bodybuilding supplements that are on the market.

In fact the way this product is design makes it look quite ‘cutesy’ and almost looks like a candy. Notably this is aimed at young females, and it looks so harmless that anyone who may have been put off by supplement beforehand most definitely wouldn’t be put off by this.

You would not be criticized for suggesting that this would fit nicely in between the toiletries, and it would make an ideal unplanned purchase.

Exactly how Forza would like it.

This is probably not a product many people would spend researching beforehand, its price position is cheap enough to make it compulsive especially if there was an event or vacation looming and it does not look risky or in one bit harmful.

TL:DR – Video Review

Who’s Forza?

Forza themselves seem to position their products that could be bought along with some glossy magazines and a bottle of fake tan, and many of the brick and mortar stores that Forza supplements feature in are filled with ladies beauty and styling products.

The Forza website is also aimed at women who want to lose weight healthily. The featured models are healthy looking and attractive, not stick thin waifs short of a few hot dogs.

Forza have many different products available, but they’re not all pills. There are shakes (meal replacements) that seem to be marketed as ‘fun’ SlimFast shakes plus there’s weight loss pan cake and mug cake products too.

Some of their products have reviews available which is reassuring.

What Can this Product Do?

Forza say that this contains 4 key vitamins and nutrients which should help with your diet.

They also say that it will help maintain normal thyroid and blood sugar levels.

So, let’s see if it can live up to expectations.

Ingredients: Analysis

Vitamin C

I always base reviews upon an analysis of the ingredients, this means finding reputable clinical trials and studies online through thorough research and investigation.

However, vitamin C is such a widely popular and acclaimed nutrient that it is difficult to separate what is good information and what isn’t.

However, there is scientific proof that those who have adequate vitamin C levels oxidize 30% more fat (that is use fat for energy) when performing exercise than those who have low vitamin C.

As a result, due to increased obesity awareness and the associated health risks vitamin C is a cheap and easy way to help combat obesity. [1]

Vitamin B6

There’s plenty of studies and information surrounding B vitamins and weight loss.

This is because B vitamins help with energy production which can help you get round the running track a little further.

B6 is a water soluble vitamin which means it cannot be stored and needs to be topped up daily through foods or supplementation.

Yet it is vital to help process carbohydrates and protein for energy.

Studies have also revealed that B6 has a link with serotonin production which can control mood as well as appetite.

Plus a study on 50 obese subjects saw that those fed a diet high in B6 lost more fat mass compared to the group who had less B6. [2] [3] [4]

Iodine

Iodine is important because it is required for healthy thyroid function. That is because iodine is essential for producing the thyroid hormone which regulates metabolism.

If you have a deficiency of iodine this can lead to hypothyroidism. This is where the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormone, thus condition can lead to weight gain as well as producing many other adverse health effects.

However, the issue here is that a lot of Western countries such as the U.S or U.K do not suffer from a popular deficient of iodine.

The recommended daily amount of iodine is 150ug. In some rare cases too much iodine may cause hypothyroidism if that person has any pre-existing thyroid disease. [5] [6] [7]

Chromium

This trace metal was identified in the 1950’s as being necessary for glucose metabolism. And it has also been used to help improve insulin sensitivity, however, there are conflicting results.

A study unearthed from BMC notes that after 16 weeks of chromium supplementation there were no effects on insulin sensitivity.

I found an article from Cochrane.org that found there were some significant weight losses by using chromium but the article also criticises the numerous studies that were available for review. Lambasting quality of evidence and the length of the trials.

Whereas a review of chromium’s effects are described as a small part of the puzzle towards achieving weight loss.

In essence, by itself there is very little effect or benefit, but as part of a much wider programme of nutrition and exercise it can help. [8] [9] [10]

 PROS – The doses are transparent with vitamin C and B6 both being effective nutrients to help reduce fat mass.

 CONS – There’s a low number of total ingredients, plus contradicting study results regarding chromium and iodine for effective weight loss.

Dose

The instructions state that we should take 1 capsule per day.

That only provides us with 4 ingredients and a total of just over 200mg.

That is low compared to the best weight management products on offer.

Pros

This supplement only contains four ingredients but, if we’re being optimistic, each ingredient could potentially help us manage our weight or even work towards losing weight.

Let’s start with B6 and vitamin C.

Both have positive reviews and studies backing claims that they can contribute to weight loss or that if a person is deficient in this vitamins that person is likely to be overweight.

Sometimes people are searching for some magic and rare element only found in Narnia, whereas it is usually the ones we are most familiar that can be beneficial.

In fact, a casing point is with the other two ingredients: chromium and iodine.

These two are most likely less known by the layman.

Yet, both chromium and iodine cause the most debate over how effective they are.

Chromium for instance has wildly different clinical trial studies. Some have proven positive while others negative. So not necessarily the most reliable.

Iodine on the other hand is required for a healthy production of the thyroid hormone.

However, for some, having too much iodine in their diet (plus western countries are unlikely to have a population deficient in iodine) may actually cause the opposite effect.

Cons

Let’s start with the obvious.

As previously mentioned when analyzing the ingredients chromium was described as being a very small part of a much larger picture towards effective weight loss.

And, that would include ingredients.

As a result, having just 4 ingredients and a very low daily dose captures that statement very well.

Especially as many other fat burner products would contain over 8 ingredients and much higher doses.

Then there’s chromium. While it has proven some positive effects for weight loss, the clinical trials have been criticized for being too short and the evidence being lean.

While I am not saying chromium has no place in a fat burner supplement, I am lamenting the lack of other, supporting nutrients such as caffeine or glucomannan  which would have produced a better product to assist with your diet.

Customer Reviews

Forza are usually quite good at displaying customer reviews and feedback, even if it is not very positive. This is a good way to garner trust.

However, there aren’t any reviews available on their website for this particular product.

All is not lost though because I went over to Amazon and found some there…

Overall this has been awarded a mediocre 3.3 out of 5.

The first review is negative with the customer stating that they had experienced stomach cramps and diarrhea.

Others mentioned that the actual content per each ingredient is really low, too.

On the other side of the coin one review highlighted that it comes with a booklet explaining how dieting works and that Forza clearly mention that this is not a slimming product.

There is one review mentioning they like the brand so bought this product as well.

Conclusion

So what is this product? And who is it aimed at?

Based on the website and the design of the package I would say the target market is younger females. The pink coloring and the almost cartoonish graphics make this a prime compulsive purchase for people out shopping for clothes or beauty products.

There’s nothing wrong with that, either.

However, there are a lack of ingredients in terms of the number of ingredients and the content of what is included.

This is a big disappointment. Forza are almost trying too hard to create a product that will have no negative effects on some people that these will not have any benefit effect on anyone.

It’s too vanilla to make a big impact.

Even the customer reviews do not offer a great deal of promise and that’s not surprising considering the included ingredients.

This omits many of the very best and beneficial ingredients that can stimulate fat burn such as green tea and cayenne.

References

[1] Strategies for healthy weight loss: from vitamin C to the glycemic response. Johnston CS. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Jun;24(3):158-65. Review. PMID: 15930480

[2] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b/

[3] Vitamin B6 status improves in overweight/obese women following a hypocaloric diet rich in breakfast cereals, and may help in maintaining fat-free mass. Rodríguez-Rodríguez E, López-Sobaler AM, Navarro AR, Bermejo LM, Ortega RM, Andrés P. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Oct;32(10):1552-8. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2008.131. Epub 2008 Aug 5. PMID: 18679411

[4] http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1413008/

[5] http://www.btf-thyroid.org/projects/iodine/advice-about-taking-iodine-supplements

[6] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/underactive-thyroid-hypothyroidism/

[7] Consequences of excess iodine. Leung AM, Braverman LE. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2014 Mar;10(3):136-42. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2013.251. Epub 2013 Dec 17. Review. PMID: 24342882

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