Universal Nutrition Animal Cuts Fat Burner Review

Ben BA(Hons), PGCert

Contents show

Universal Nutrition Animal Cuts First Look:

I have already reviewed the sister testosterone booster product to this and unfortunately it did not turn out to be particularly effective regardless of taking about 10,000 pills each day.

Like the testosterone booster we are handed a large tin full of bags in which are housed multiple colored and sized pills, like something a very sick person would have to administer themselves each day.

However, all of these pills conjure up images of something special, almost an occasion that you are hardcore, and elite. On another tier compared to your comrades in the gym.

Yet there is a difference between a look and actual results in a fat burner supplement.

Ingredients:

Apple Pectin – Possibly effective at lowering cholesterol..possibly.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-500-pectin.aspx?activeingredientid=500&activeingredientname=pectin

Jojoba – Used for many things but mainly hair and skin. No real evidence of it offering any benefits though.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-618-jojoba.aspx?activeingredientid=618&activeingredientname=jojoba

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

Gymnema Sylvestre Leaf Extract – A study on rats, published in the December 2013 issue of “Drug Research,” found that this herb may prevent weight gain when used over the long term while consuming a high-fat diet. Further human studies are needed to confirm whether these findings apply to humans.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-841-gymnema.aspx?activeingredientid=841&activeingredientname=gymnema

Magnolia – Magnolia plants tend to be significantly cancer protective, and show protective effects on the liver and the brain via fighting inflammation and oxidation. They have also been linked to anti-depressant and anxiety reducing effects.

160-330 mg for a 150lb person
220-440 mg for a 200lb person
270-550 mg for a 250lb person

https://examine.com/supplements/magnolia-officinalis/

Panex Ginseng – This form of Ginseng is the most highly researched. There’s lots of evidence which suggest cognitive function, mood and immunity is increased, however, although there is evidence for better erections and an increase in testosterone production for infertile men there is also evidence contradictory evidence also.

https://examine.com/supplements/panax-ginseng/

Phosphatidylserine – Supplementation could improve the memory functions of the elderly with memory complaints.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2966935/

Bacopa monnieri – This improve attention, cognitive processing, and working memory.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/606424/

6, 7, dihydroxybergamottin (DHB, Grapefruit) – Fat mass appears to be reduced more in groups consuming grapefruit relative to placebo.

https://examine.com/supplements/grapefruit/

Choline BiTartrate – Choline is mostly used for either its cognitive boosting properties or as a liver health agent, able to reduce fatty liver buildup. It may also be a stimulant although this is based on anecdote. Requires around 250-500mg per day for cognitive benefits. Choline does not offer any significant benefits for aerobic capacity, fatigue or training capacity.

https://examine.com/supplements/choline/

Ashwaganda – Studies have shown that treatment with Ashwagandha root extract resulted in a higher level of testosterone and a concomitant increase in serum levels of LH among infertile men having sub-optimal testosterone levels.

It’s difficult to see if the same result would be found with guys who do not have any fertility issues. So the question is, are you infertile? If you’ve been banging your missus (or even your mistress, we shouldn’t be even talking if you have smashed your sister) unprotected and have miraculously not had a sprog you probably are infertile…sorry to break that to you, bro.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863556/

Celery – It is often touted that eating celery helps lose weight because the digestive process uses more calories than provided by the celery.

However, it seems when mixed with chicory and barley it is beneficial to lower blood cholesterol and liver disease.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3113355/

Buchu – The most useful use of buchu is for treating STD’s, not that there is evidence to support its use.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-180-buchu.aspx?activeingredientid=180&activeingredientname=buchu

Burdock – Many uses, none of which have conclusive evidence to prove the effectiveness.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-111-burdock.aspx?activeingredientid=111&activeingredientname=burdock

Juniperus Communis (Juniper) -Taking juniper by mouth long-term or in a high dose is LIKELY UNSAFE as it can cause kidney problems, seizures, and other serious side effects.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-724-juniper.aspx?activeingredientid=724&activeingredientname=juniper

Nettle Root – Good for reducing inflammation and an enlarged prostate but has no effect on testosterone.

https://examine.com/supplements/stinging-nettle/

Dandelion – There’s many uses for dandelion, however, there’s no real evidence to suggest it works for any of them.

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

Salvia officinalis (Sage) – This helps with memory retention.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500558

Olive – Olive oil is widely used in many foods and its ability, like avocado, to reduce the bad (LDL) cholesterol is fairly well known. These are great to have in your diet.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/all-about-olive-oil

Coffee Bean – For weight loss, chlorogenic acid in coffee is thought to affect how the body handles blood sugar and metabolism. This is found in our favorite fat burner, Instant Knockout.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1264-green%20coffee.aspx?activeingredientid=1264&

Black Tea – Preliminary studies in people show that a black tea supplement can boost metabolism and increase blood pressure. Changes in blood pressure can be a concern. However, a small increase may be helpful for people who have dizziness due to low blood pressure when they stand up.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/black-tea-uses-and-risks

White Tea – It is generally regarded that any form of tea is good, and white tea has even more concentrated antioxidants than even green tea plus more anticancer properties. White Tea is supposed to stimulate the metabolism and help burn calories but I can find no real science behind these claims anywhere unless it is a website trying to attract more traffic.

Green Tea – well known to have many powerful health benefits. Clinical studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help burn fat. One study found that the combination of green tea and caffeine improved weight loss and maintenance in people who were overweight and moderately obese. Some researchers think that substances in green tea known as catechins are responsible for the herb’s fat-burning effect.

http://news.psu.edu/story/310179/2014/04/02/research/research-suggests-green-tea-exercise-boost-weight-loss-health

Oolong Tea Extract – Insufficient evidence to say that it will help with weight loss but seems to be positive for mental alertness and performance.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1099-oolong%20tea.aspx?activeingredientid=1099

Rasberry Ketone – Whilst touted as a miracle weight loss supplement and sometimes for lean muscle mass it is important to keep in mind that there is no reliable scientific evidence that it improves weight loss when taken by people.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1262-raspberry%20ketone.aspx?activeingredientid=1262

Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) – Shown to be hypocholesterolemic, hepatoprotective, central nervous system stimulant, diuretic, and to benefit the cardiovascular system.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18034743

Kola (Centella asiatica) – A legendary plant in China and Indonesia that as been used for many ailments, and may be good for syphilis, however, nothing to do with reducing fat.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/gotu-kola

Paullinia Cupana (AKA Guarana) – Studies note that 75mg guarana (9mg caffeine) was able to enhance cognitive scores related to memory and reaction time with a subsequent dose-response study noting that 75mg was more effective than higher (150-300mg) and lower (37.5mg) doses.

https://examine.com/supplements/paullinia-cupana/

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

L-Tyrosine – Tyrosine is taken for depression, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the inability to stay awake (narcolepsy), and improving alertness following sleep deprivation. It is also used for stress, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS).

https://examine.com/supplements/l-tyrosine/

Capsicum – Capsaicin (Cayenne) 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.

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

Bitter Orange (Citrus Aurantium) – At present, Citrus aurantium may be the best thermogenic substitute for ephedra. However, more studies are needed to establish this definitively.

Bitter orange is possibly unsafe when taken as a supplement for a medical purpose such as weight loss. Bitter orange, particularly when taken with stimulants such as caffeine or caffeine-containing herbs, increases the risk for high blood pressure, fainting, heart attack, stroke, and other severe side effects.
There are reports that bitter orange can trigger headaches, including migraine and cluster headaches, in some people.

Bitter orange can cause sensitivity to the sun. Wear sunblock outside, especially if you are light-skinned.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12939122

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

BioPerine (Piper nigrum) – The extract of piperine, called BioPerine® in the patented form, has been clinically tested in the United States. BioPerine® significantly enhances the bioavailability of various supplement nutrients through increased absorption.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9619120

Quercetin Anhydrous (Apple extract, 3, 4, 5, 7-pentahydroxylflavone) – Has anti-oxidant, anti-artherogenic, and anti-carcinogenic properties. Quercetin is also neuroactive, with some of the same abilities as Caffeine but less potent. It increases the bio-availability of resveratrol. Doses of up to 25mg per kg of body weight is advised.

https://examine.com/supplements/quercetin/

Dose:

There’s a mixture of pills in each pack and we are instructed to take 1 pack upon awaking and another 4-6 hours later. You run this for 3 consecutive weeks and then take a week off before commencing the cycle again.

The only real downside to this is that it would more ideal to gradually spread the doses out over the course of the day to ensure our body is always topped up with nutrients.

Each pack is 4250mg which means you get 8500mg per day! That is massive!

Effects:

If we scale this right back for its fat burning attributes only 6 ingredients from a huge list are effective for weight loss.

The problem is we don’t even know exactly how much this tallies up to in terms of weight because the ingredient breakdown is hidden within a proprietary blend.

However, I estimate it to be around 1500mg per day of the useful ingredients.

Strangely there are a couple of ingredients that are used to combat STD’s, not that they’re effective though.

Negatives:

There’s so many ingredients present that are just not beneficial to fat burning plus it is all hidden within a proprietary blend.

That as well as the huge amount of tablets that need to be taken twice per day.

Citrus Aurantium appears time and time again yet it can cause some unwanted side effects that are unnecessary when there’s excellent fat burners on the market without it.

Universal Nutrition Aniaml Cuts Fat Burner Conclusion:

Like the testosterone booster from Universal Nutrition, this is absolutely loaded with ingredients and pills to take.

Like its testosterone booster brethren much of it is not really related to the task in hand.

I appreciate that it isn’t bad to have different ingredients that can help lower cholesterol or stress and increase cognitive function but I would rather buy a product that is 100% committed to the cause of fat burning, hence buying the product in the first place.

For all of its bulk it is missing far too many decent, well regarded ingredients such as B12, B6, Zinc and Glucomman to name a few.

This will not be that effective in comparison to the best fat burners on the market.