Dietrine Review: Does Dietrine Really Work?

Dietrine is the carb blocker that claims...

"One Dietrine Capsule taken prior to a meal can block up to 1125 calories from fat and carbohydrate foods."

We'll see why that statement is ridiculous in a moment, but first, let's look at the primary ingredient in Dietrine—Phase 2™, or the patented form of white kidney bean extract (don't be fooled by the use of patented products; as detailed by Elissa in this blog post, the terms "patented" and "patent-pending" mean absolutely nothing when it comes to proving that a product actually works).

The active ingredient of white kidney bean extract is known as "Phaseolus vulgaris." Retailers would like you to believe there is a growing amount of scientific data that indicates this compound has the ability to inhibit digestive enzyme alpha-amylase.

Alpha-amylase is the enzyme required by the body to break starches down into the simple sugars that are easily absorbed by the body. What this really means is that to a degree, white kidney bean can effectively neutralize a percentage of the carbs you eat. That's if it actually does inhibit the enzyme, of course.

As an added bonus, it also seems to have a beneficial effect on blood triglycerides... which tend to be lower in people supplementing with this compound (there is not, however, any evidence that white kidney bean extract can block fat).

OK, now let's get back to Dietrine. The manufacturers of this product are pleased to parade several promising clinical studies without pointing out some of the obvious problems...

i) Not all of these studies are double-blind, placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed studies publiched in a reputbale journal.

ii) Many of these studies are performed with a very small control group, which can often lead to inaccurate results, and therefore inaccurate conclusions.

iii) Several of these studies appear to be sponsored (or influenced in some way) by the manufacturer of the phaseolus vulgaris "starch neutralizer", Pharmachem laboratories. While this not necessarily mean that the conclusions of the study are in error, it does mean that there is a rather large conflict of interest we cannot ignore. In other words, in order for these studies to be completely credible, they would need to be duplicated by an independent, third party source.

iv) Some results, although positive, were not statistically significant.

Personally, I'm more inclined to agree with the conclusion of this recent clinical study which concluded...

"Clinical trends were identified for weight loss and a decrease in triglycerides, although statistical significance was not reached. Phase 2 shows potential promise as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of obesity and hypertriglyceridemia and further studies with larger numbers of subjects are warranted to conclusively demonstrate effectiveness."

Dietrim also contains...

i) Chromium: useful for moderating blood sugar levels, although studies show its effects on weight loss are contradictory.

ii) Vanadium: Another blood sugar moderator, there are some studies that indicate that high doses (i.e., 100 mg/day) of vanadium can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics (see Diabetes. 1996 May;45(5):659-66, Metabolism. 1996 Sep;45(9):1130-5). Dietrine contains a mere 100 mcg of vanadium—not enough to provide much benefit.

Bottom line?

Dietrine is happy to cherry-pick the clinical data it presents to you... and represent their product as the alternative to diet drudgery. I'd don't like this approach because it instills a false sense of security in many people...

"Hey, I can eat more... I'm taking a carb blocker."

In fact, several people I know who have experimented with such products have gained weight, largely because of this false sense of security.

On top of this, their claim that Dietrine "blocks 1125 calories" seems to be pulled out of the air, because I don't see anything that justifies it.

In the end, while white kidney bean extract does show some potential as a weight loss aid, it is no miracle supplement, nor will it present dramatic results.

If you'd like to experiment with Dietrine, please let me make a suggestion; this is an expensive product (over $40). You can experiment with a carb blocker for much less money. For instance, the NOW brand Phase 2 carb blocker is available at trusted online retailer BodyBuilding.com for just under $16. The capsules are the same potency, and there are more servings too. If you want to experiment with chromium at the same time, that will cost you an extra $6.

For sllightly less more than half the cost of Dietrine, you can experiment with all the critical ingredients.

But remember... it's not a license to cheat!

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