Leptigen is a weight loss pill that aims to help the body burn fat.
Its manufacturers claim it helps people lose weight, boosts metabolism, and improves health, but you may wonder what the research says.
This article offers a review of the weight loss pill Leptigen. It explains what it is, how it works, and whether you should consider taking it.
This review is independent and is not associated with the makers of the product.
What is Leptigen?
Leptigen is a diet pill that claims to offer a safe, effective, and seemingly easy solution to weight loss. It comprises four active ingredients.
Like many weight loss supplements, Leptigen falls into the category commonly known as “fat burners.”
Fat burners are designed to boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories.
Specifically, Leptigen claims to help you lose weight by:
- promoting fat loss
- helping you overcome a weight loss plateau
- boosting metabolism
- controlling blood sugar levels for better weight control
The recommended dose is two pills per day, which are to be taken at least 30 minutes before a meal.
SummaryLeptigen is a weight loss supplement designed to boost your metabolism and make it easier for you to burn fat.
What’s in Leptigen?
The four ingredients in Leptigen’s weight loss formula are:
- Meratrim (400 mg): a blend of two medicinal herbs — a flower called Sphaeranthus indicus and a fruit called Garcinia mangostana
- ChromeMate (100 mg): a combination of niacin (vitamin B3) and the mineral chromium (also known as niacin-bound chromium or chromium polynicotinate)
- caffeine (75 mg): a central nervous system stimulant
- green tea extract (200 mg): an herbal extract from green tea leaves
Given that no studies have investigated the safety and effectiveness of Leptigen itself, this article reviews each of its active ingredients separately.
It then offers a summary of their weight loss effects, as well as a review of their safety and side effects.
SummaryLeptigen contains four active ingredients: Meratrim, ChromeMate, caffeine, and green tea extract. Each of these substances may aid weight loss.
Active ingredient 1: Meratrim
The main ingredient in Leptigen is Meratrim, which is also available as a diet pill on its own.
Meratrim aims to change the way your body metabolizes fat. Researchers claim Meratrim can alter fat metabolism so that (1):
- it’s more difficult for fat cells to multiply
- your fat cells won’t pick up as much fat for storage
- it’s easier for you to burn stored fat
Interestingly, there is some research to support the weight loss claims behind Meratrim.
A randomized controlled study found that people taking Meratrim lost 11 pounds (5.2 kg) and 4.7 inches (11.9 cm) off their waistlines in 8 weeks (2).
Despite these results, it’s important to remember this was a short-term study. Currently, no studies have examined Meratrim’s long-term effects on weight loss.
The study was also funded by the company that makes Meratrim.
While this doesn’t invalidate the findings, it’s something to consider until an independent research group replicates the results.
SummaryResearch suggests that taking Meratrim may help people lose weight. However, the research is limited and has not looked into its long-term effects on weight.
Active ingredient 2: ChromeMate
ChromeMate is a chromium-based weight loss supplement that’s also available as a stand-alone supplement. It contains an essential mineral called chromium, which plays an important role in breaking down carbohydrates.
Some studies have found that chromium supplements may help improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity (3, 4, 5).
This has led to the theory that chromium supplements like ChromeMate could help with weight loss by lowering insulin levels and making it easier to burn fat.
Interestingly, a few small studies suggest that chromium — in the form of chromium picolinate — may help curb carb cravings and appetite in those with carb cravings or a form of depression called atypical depression (6, 7).
However, the studies so far show that chromium supplements do not have any effects on weight or body fat (8, 9, 10).
SummaryChromeMate may slightly improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity. However, no consistent evidence shows that it aids weight loss.
Active ingredient 3: Caffeine
Caffeine is a common ingredient in weight loss supplements.
It works by stimulating the central nervous system and increasing levels of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline.
This increases the amount of energy the body burns and tells your body to release fat from its fat tissues to make it available for use.
According to some studies, caffeine may temporarily increase your metabolic rate by up to 11% (11, 12, 13).
Nonetheless, one 12-year study found that people who consumed caffeine daily were only around 0.9 pounds (0.4 kg) lighter, on average (14).
This may be because the metabolism-boosting effects of caffeine are short lived, as people become tolerant to its effects when they ingest it regularly (15).
Furthermore, the effects of caffeine on metabolism and fat burning might be less significant in people who have obesity, compared with those who don’t have the condition (16).
SummaryCaffeine is known to boost metabolism and increase fat burning in the short term. However, it does not seem to result in long-term weight loss.
Active ingredient 4: Green tea extract
Green tea extract contains the main active ingredients in green tea.
Like caffeine, green tea extract may increase metabolism and make it easier for the body to burn fat.
Researchers also think that the catechins in green tea could work together with caffeine and enhance these effects (17).
However, studies investigating how green tea extract affects weight loss have provided mixed results (18, 19, 20).
Some studies have shown that green tea could help you lose body fat, but the results aren’t conclusive (21, 22, 23).
This could be partly because not everybody responds to the effects of green tea.
One recent study gave 937 postmenopausal women green tea extract or a placebo pill every day for 12 months. At the end of the study, it found no differences in body mass indexes or body fat percentages between the groups (24).
Overall, the effects of green tea extract seem insignificant and may only occur with very high doses and when it’s used in combination with caffeine (25, 26).
It’s also important to note that while Leptigen does contain caffeine, it has a much lower dose of green tea extract than the amount used in any of these studies.
SummaryGreen tea extract may affect metabolic rate and fat burning in some people. However, the effects on long-term weight loss are mixed.
Safety and side effects
Researchers have not reported any serious side effects for Leptigen. Overall, it appears to be a safe supplement.
However, those sensitive to caffeine may experience anxiety, restlessness, an upset stomach, or problems sleeping (27).
People with medical conditions, as well as those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, should consult a doctor before trying Leptigen.
SummaryLeptigen and its main ingredients are safe for most people. It has no known serious side effects, although it may cause problems in people who are sensitive to caffeine.
So, does Leptigen work?
There are no studies on Leptigen itself. However, the Meratrim it contains has shown some promise for short-term weight loss.
This means that, in theory, Leptigen may help you lose weight.
That said, weight loss supplements and other quick fixes almost never work in the long term.
Changing your diet, exercising, and permanently adopting a healthy lifestyle are the key factors when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.
The bottom line
There is little research on whether Leptigen helps with weight loss, but some of its ingredients could, in theory, help people burn fat. Talk to a doctor or dietician before taking any new supplements and for information on healthy weight loss.