Almost ten years ago when we were in practice in Boulder, Colorado we started looking for a good weightloss supplement to help our patients on low-carb diets lose a little more quickly.  We evaluated a lot of supplements on the market that were supposedly weight loss accelerators – chromium, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), ephedra, phenylpropanolamine, pyruvate and a few others – with out a lot of success.  The ephedra and, to a lesser extent, phenylpropanolamine unquestionably helped people lose weight, but were fraught with side effects.  Pyruvate showed promise, but was pretty expensive.  Our partner found a couple of medical papers using a combination of supplements, some of which individually didn’t work all that well but in combination seemed to show promise.  We cobbled together from healthfood-store supplements a sort of beta-prototype of this combination and used it on a number of our willing patients.  The vast majority, all of whom were on low-carb diets, tolerated the supplement and felt it made them lose weight better.
Happy with these results MD, our partner and I decided to take the next step and get an actual product made.  We did, and let patients try it.  Again, the patients liked the supplement and though they lost weight better on it.  Although we, too, thought the patients did better, we couldn’t really say because we hadn’t compared the supplement with a placebo in a controlled fashion.  We decided to take that next step.
We contacted a clinical lab that does testing for a fee (a substantial fee, I might add) and talked to the director of the facility, who was pretty discouraging.  He told us that he would be happy to take our money and test our supplement, but that we shouldn’t get our hopes up.  He related that his company had tested scores of nutritional supplements and had never found one that really did much.  And that he figured ours wouldn’t do well against placebo either.
We arranged for the plant that made our product to make a placebo that looked and tasted the same.  We sent it along with a large check to the clinical testing facility to do the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.  In an interesting side note, the guy who ran the lab told us during our first call that he wasn’t going to do the test unless we used a low-carb diet as the control diet.  He hadn’t a clue who I was, so he wasn’t saying this for my benefit.  He had found in all his testing that neither the control arm nor the study arm ever lost any weight unless both were on low-carb diets.  We, of course, agreed.  In fact, we wanted it tested by people using low-carb diets because that was our target audience.
We helped set up the test protocols and turned the lab loose on the study.  The lab was in Bangor, Maine, and none of us ever set foot in it while the test was going on.  The study was a 6 to 8 week study (I can’t remember which because I don’t have the study with me) looking at a number of parameters, including weight loss.
I was in the Harvard Coop when I got the call from the lab director that the study had been completed and the double-blind codes broken.  It was a memorable call.  He started out by saying: “Well, I’ve got some good news for you and some bad news for you.  Which do you want first?”
Being the eternal optimist, I said, give me the good news.
He said:  “You have got a phenomenal product.  It works like nothing we’ve ever seen.  It works better than some drugs we’ve tested.”
The people on the supplement had lost almost double the weight (71 percent more, to be exact) than those taking the placebo.
As you might imagine, I was thrilled. But not all that surprised based on our reports from our own patients.
“So what’s the bad news?,” I asked.
The bad news, he told me, was that we didn’t have what he thought was a commercial product.  He said that he had to practically horsewhip some people to keep them on it.  He said he thought it didn’t matter how efficacious a supplement was if people wouldn’t take it.
He had a point.  And, admittedly, the first primitive version of our product was pretty rough.  The product, which we later named Pentabosol,  is a powder that you dissolve in water (cold or hot like a tea) and drink.  The early study version mixed about like sand mixes with water.  You had to put it in the water, then swirl the water in the glass while you drank the stuff.  And it didn’t taste all that great.
We went through a couple of manufacturers before we finally found one who figured out how to make Pentabosol so that it actually mixed into the water and tasted good.  The ultimate version is a lemon lime sort of flavored drink that is reminiscent of Country Time Lemonade (at least it is to me).  You take a serving of it on an empty stomach in the morning and at bedtime.  It has no ephedra, no stimulants, and no real side effects to speak of.
We ended up marketing it successfully and have sold, I would guess, close to a million cans of it.  Due to circumstances that arose in 2003 (circumstances worthy of a long post all on their own), we decided to quit promoting Pentabosol so heavily and turn our attention to another supplement for brain health that we had just gotten through an extremely expensive and lengthy clinical test.
With that preamble, let me now make the call for help.
If anyone reading this post has used Pentabosol and lost any significant weight, we would love to use you as a testimonial.  We are cranking up the promotion of Pentabosol again and really need some good before and after photos.  If you are willing, contact me via the comment section and leave your email.  Your email won’t be posted and your comment won’t be posted if you tell me not to.  If you’ve had experience with Pentabosol and would simply like to comment about it, be my guest.  I’ll post all comments.  The good, the bad and the ugly.
To give you an example of what I’m talking about as far as before and after photos, here are some before and after photos of our faithful assistant Kristi, whom we rely on for just about everything.  If Kristi took a powder, our operation, such as it is, would be dead in the water.  I hope she doesn’t read this or she’ll be whining for a raise.
Here are a couple of photos of Kristi and her husband taken not too long ago.  In fact, the one was taken at our place in Tahoe.
kristi-1
kristi-2
Kristi decided to go on a low-carb diet and take Pentabosol religiously, and here are the results.
kristi-3
kristi-4
These changes didn’t happen overnight, but they did happen.  And, based on what we found in our study, they happened more quickly than on diet alone.
Kristi accompanied us on our trek to Expo West that I wrote about in the last post.  In one of the photos I posted, you could see a woman in front of a vegetarian booth.  If you wondered how I brazenly took that photo, here’s how I did it.  I had MD and Kristi pose in front of and off to the side of the booth, and I pretended to take their photo.  The photo I posted earlier had Kristi and MD cut out.  Here is the actual photo in it’s entirety.  As you can see, Kristi is still thin.  And even has a little more to lose.  She went from a size 14 to a size 6.
kristi-and-md
So, once again, if you’ve used Pentabosol and lost weight and are game, let me hear from you.  Thanks in advance.
Note: Pentabosol has been reformulated to switch from an artificial to a natural sweetener and is now being marketed as Metabosol.

123 Comments

  1. Is pentabosol available in Australia?
    Kristi looks great.
    Not at this time. We have had a lot of requests, though.

  2. Kristi actually does need a raise. While we’re discussing money. I don’t remember giving you permission to use photos of me. We’ll talk about that later after you and Kristi get done discussing her raise!
    Gosh, sorry. I didn’t realize that was you. I’ll get it changed right away.

  3. Dr. Mike: I considered buying Pentabosol several months ago. I Googled it and found reviews on several sites that were not very enthusiastic. However, I did not think you would promote a product without a good basis, so I used the contact form on the order page to ask for background/studies/proof or other information to establish the effectiveness of the product. I did not retain the emails or responses so I can’t quote directly, but I said something to the effect that it seems unlikely that Dr. Eades would promote a product without a basis, so tell me about the basis. I received a feeble response, and emailed a followup and received no response. My faith was shaken, but was restored when I read about the study. It would have been helpful to me to read about the study in the area where Pentabosol is sold.
    On a related administrative matter, Pentabosol is advertised for $64.95, but I could find no indication of the number of doses in the can. I consider that in my purchase decision.
    If you need advice on how to improve any other part of your life-let me know!
    Sam
    A can of Pentabosol is one month’s worth.
    One of the problems we had in promoting Pentabosol was the underhanded techniques many people use to promote their products on the internet. One of the most common is to create a site purporting to evaluate and rate weight loss supplements. Once the site is created, these people then give negative reviews to most products and positive reviews to others. The others, to which they give the positive reviews, are their own supplements, but they never reveal this fact. It’s clever, but dishonest. As far as I know, Pentabosol is the ONLY weight loss supplement that has been clinically studied as it is sold. Many supplements have had individual ingredients studied, but not the final product, yet they advertise as being ‘clinically tested.’ It’s a real jungle out there. Having said all this, my purpose in writing the post was not to sell Pentabosol, but to gather testimonials from anyone who might have had experience with it.

  4. Wow, no testimonial from me, but I’ll buy some and let you know how it turns out. You’re the only doctor I trust and whose supplement I would take!
    Thanks for the vote of confidence.

  5. I would certainly like to see the actual findings of the trial you conducted. Particularly the age range of the subjects, gender, how long they had been on a LC diet etc. You have had posts before on the fact that it is harder to lose weight the second time around on a LC diet. I wondered whether any of your subjects were on a LC diet the second time around and what their results were with all the above demographics.
    A second question I have about your clinical trial would be, “what other supplements were subjects taking at that time?”
    Third, why haven’t you written a blog about this clinical trial before? You share a lot of other people’s clinical trials, just wondered why you did not include yours.
    I would be interested in trying your product but am not sure it will help me at all. All I have to go on is your statement that a lot of your patients did well on it. And that is just an observation (and I know how you feel about observational studies). Do you have any other evidence besides a picture of one person that will help me make a decision to buy? (I hve before and after pictures too but I was not on your product, just on LC. So what makes her picture different from say Michael Moore’s pictures and he was not on your product?)
    Sorry, Dr Mike, but you have taught us not to go on testimonials alone. Those are anecdotal and not clinical trials.
    It may have escaped your notice, but I wasn’t trying to promote Pentabosol or sell it in the post. I don’t really care whether you purchase it or not. That wasn’t the purpose. I was simply trying to recruit testimonials from readers who may have tried it and had success.

  6. maybe I should try it to help me lose that last 15… btw, I cut way way down on coffee and even cut way way down on booze (no more drinking on “school nights”), and I have actually lost about 5 pounds, so far, without making any other changes. Thanks!

  7. Hi Dr Eades,
    Is it available in the UK?
    I tried ordering on the PP site but it doesn’t seem as if they are set up for international ordering, is that correct or am I doing something wrong? Also how much maltodextrin is in it, it can sometimes do a number on my blood sugar. I’m a type 2.
    Thanks for all the good work you do.
    Glenice
    Sorry, but it isn’t available in the UK at this time.

  8. Hi Dr Mike,
    This sounds very interesting. I’m gearing up to wean my son in a month or so, and at that point aim to go back on very strict low-carb in order to try and lose the 30 pounds I now have on me that I didn’t when I got pregnant! Pentabasol sounds like the kind of thing that could help me do that.
    Only thing is, on your products page, it just says ‘pentabosol’ and the price, but not how many servings there is in that one canister. I don’t live in the States but will be visiting soon, and so I can order while I’m there – but I’ve no idea how much to order. Could you tell me how many days worth of Pentabasol that canister contains?
    Thanks!
    Deborah
    A can contains enough for one month.

  9. Hi Dr. Eades,
    Did you test blood parameters too? Any information on cholesterol particle size, or is that test too new?
    We tested a number of different parameters. Subjects on Pentabosol lowered lipids and had a number of other positive changes. I don’t have access to the study where I am right now, so I can’t tell you exactly what those changes were. I wasn’t really trying to promote Pentabosol in the post, so I didn’t lay out all the info on the test.

  10. Hi Dr Mike, Pam agai. I went to your Pentabosol website (very impressive) looking for the answers to the questions I posed above so I was scrolling through the FAQ section.
    I found a question that said: “I have not lost weight after being on Pentabosol for 2 to 3 weeks.” The reply was to create a calorie deficit.
    My question is: If I create the calorie deficit, how will I know whether the weight loss was due to the calorie deficit or the Pentabosol?
    Yours is an expensive product so I would like a little more information before I put out that kind of money.
    Thanks again.
    Again, I’m not really trying to promote the product in this post or even on our site. We have it there because we get so many requests from people who have used it previously. It is expensive, but it’s expensive to produce. If you had to put something comparable together from supplements you would by at a health food store (as we did for our patients years ago before we produced the actual product), it would cost you in the neighborhood of $150 per month.

  11. Hi Dr. Mike,
    I’m curious, though, what is IN this weight loss supplement? I’m an avid label reader and wouldn’t be comfortable recommending this without knowing more about it. I’m sure with all the money you put into developing it that you can’t tell me much (understandably), but a “weight loss powder” just doesn’t sound all that healthy or natural.
    I’m very much into traditional foods, and think that they are the way to good health, so I’ve always been leery of “protein powders”, “weight loss supplements”, or anything similar. Yet I’ve come to trust you and would love to hear your thoughts.
    Also, I know that really any supplement falls into this “unnatural” category, traditionally people didn’t get their vitamins from a pill, but from nutrient rich foods. However, I do still take vitamins as my “insurance” against the empty soil many of our foods come from these days.
    I absolutely love your posts, thanks so much.
    Kelly
    Sigh…If I put up a list of ingredients it will simply create more questions than it answers. And I’m really not trying to sell the product via this post. The product does contains sucralose as a sweetener because it is mixed in water to make a sweetish drink, so it is not ‘all natural.’ When we do gear up the promotion, we’ll talk about the ingredients, all of which are listed on the label.

  12. What was the brain supplement that you worked on in 2003 while you set the diet product aside?
    It’s called Lucidal, and it’s a great supplement with extensive clinical testing behind it.

  13. l o l . … .
    Funny how ” Dr Mike” just uses private pictures from someone else to promote a supplement……………………
    Dear Doug, I hope you realize this is all about the money so go get your wife her raise!
    The pictures were used with Kristi’s permission. She sent them to me. (All but the one I took at Expo West.) The Doug comment was a joke. Get it? And, if you go back and read the post, I wasn’t promoting a supplement; I was looking for help from people who had used it. Had I written just asking for testimonials from people who had used Pentabosol and hadn’t given a brief summary of what it actually it, I would have had a hundred comments from people wondering what it was.

  14. Gee whiz, Dr Mike do you see what you started? I read your post on pentabasol and havent seen anything that was promoting this product or asked people to help you out by purchasing one! But by virtue of trusting you people automatically make that connection. I for one tried millions of products out there. Some better than others, but in the end it is all relative. Nothing works better than a combination nature provided it. That is healthy diet, sustainable exercise, good quality sleep, stress reduction and passion for something via purposeful living! Everything eles is just a band-aid! So unless wed wake up and realize it all we are doomed to stay fat and stressed out nation! People wouls rather concentrate on trivial many that important few. I am telling you it is shocking to me at what length some folks would go to rersearch a product yet they wouldnt move their behinds to move a bit!
    Dr Mike whats your opinon on Dr Northtrop? I saw her on PBS special for women and she made a lot of sense. She was kind of promoting low carb lifestyle with hormone replacement therapy. But my friend Vadim told me you werent too fond of her work as of late or at least he thought something along those lines. So he would recommend me to go to the source! Thanks!
    MD and I had dinner once with Dr. Northrup and she seemed to be a lovely person. At dinner, she seemed to be on board with the low-carb concept. But that was ten years ago. We haven’t been in contact much since, so I don’t really know how she runs her practice. Others who have commented may care to give you their own feedback from seeing her as a physician.

  15. Dr Mike –
    Like some of your other readers (not the snarky ones) I haven’t tried Pentabosol, but am going to in hopes of breaking through the menopausal plateau. So I hope to be sending you a testimonial in a couple of months, because I take your advice in a lot of other areas, and believe this supplement to be worth a try.
    Thanks for not being snarky. If you do try it, I would be happy to hear of your results.

  16. Can you at least say whether it’s gluten-free and casein-free? And for others: soy-free, corn-free, etc.? Some of have issue that surpass carbs and weight loss.
    Thanks for going to the trouble and expense of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. I appreciate it. 🙂
    It is gluten-fee, casein-free, soy-free and corn-free. It is a combination of aspartic acid (a large dose), garcina cambogia, carnitine, a form of chromium, and biotin along with some sucralose for sweetening. The reason it is a powder instead of a capsule is that in order to get enough to be effective would require a handful of capsules. It’s easier to just throw it back as a drink.

  17. Dr Mike
    Thanks for the supplement info and formulating a product that will help people.. I hope you get all the testimonials you are requesting.
    I would like to address the few that seem to be a bit testy that consciously or not you are promoting a product of yours. I see no problem either way. I have found priceless amounts of health information on this blog not to mention the even more priceless time you spend writing and responding to our question free of charge.
    Sure the blog is to promote books and other resources and products. SO WHAT!!!
    Please keep doing what you are doing and if products to improve our lives are part of the mix then so be it. We are still a capitalist society, if only for a short time considering the “climate change” in Washington.
    Take care
    Aaron
    I make it a habit NOT to use the blog to promote products. When people ask me for product recommendations, I tell them what we like to use, but don’t even link to our own product section. And I didn’t write this last post to promote a product, but to get some help from anyone who might have used it. I am going to promote one product in a future post simply because it is such a fabulous product that will help many, many people. But when I do promote that product, I will be totally upfront about it at the start of the post.

  18. Hey Dr.Mike,
    Another great post and not because of all the pictures of me. Doug was just kidding as you are fully aware! Pentabosol and a low Carb diet is the only way for me to live my healthy lifestyle. Thanks for all the kind words in the post.
    Hey KB–
    Thanks for all you do for us.
    Mike

  19. I have many patient’s in my practice looking for help to lose weight. While I always recommend low carb diets and your books, they still ask for supplements or powders or other gimmicks.
    Before I ever recommend any gimmicks, I need to make certain the side effects are fully known and low, and also the mechanism behind the purported actions of the product.
    Do you have any information on the above statements-questions?
    First, Pentabosol isn’t a gimmick. It’s a product developed based on the medical literature and has been tested in double-blind placebo-controlled fashion and found to be effective when used in combination with a low-carb diet and mild exercise. What Pentabosol isn’t is a magic bullet. If people take it without diet I doubt that it will work. I don’t know this for a fact because we didn’t study it that way, but I doubt that it would. So, if anyone is looking for something to take and eat without restraint and get results, Pentabosol isn’t the product I would recommend.
    People typically follow low-carb diets to lose weight and improve their health. As I’m sure you know if you’ve treated patients with low-carb diets, the health benefits come about pretty quickly. But the weight comes off as it comes off. We created Pentabosol to hasten that process, and our carefully-controlled study showed that Pentabosol indeed did that to the tune of a 71% increase. But, as I tell anyone who asks, this was only one study. Another study might show a different outcome, but it was plenty expensive to do just one, and I didn’t want to foot the bill for another. The results of this study along with my own patient experience satisfied me that the supplement works fine.
    We developed Pentabosol based on some theoretical papers indicating that a particular combination of ingredients may increase futile cycling in the hepatic cells and might, more or less, uncouple oxidation from phosphorylation, which would increase energy expenditure and bring about weight loss. We did not test this mechanism, but we did show significant weight loss. There were no side effects to speak of in the study patients nor in our own patients nor in the probably 250,000 people who used the supplement. About the only side effect, if you want to call it that, is a feeling of a little warmth, which would be expected from any product increasing futile cycling and/or uncoupling respiration from phosphorylation.
    There are no stimulants. People can take it before going to bed and sleep just fine. No jitteriness or other complaints one might find with a stimulant. Only the feelings of warmth, and only in some users.
    But I want to reiterate. This is a diet aid, a low-carb diet aid to be specific, and not a magic bullet that requires no dietary effort from users.

  20. Wow! I have no testimonial as I’ve never tried the stuff, but I’m headed to the product section right now to purchase some. I’m a faithful low-carber and I need something that will help me kick things into gear a little more and shed some more fat from my middle aged body. This looks like an answer to my prayers. I’ll take a before pic and I’ll see what happens in a months, two months, time. I’m sure that will be too late for your purposes, but right on time for mine!
    I’ll wait to hear from you. You’ve got to realize that Pentabosol isn’t a magic bullet. You can’t just take it and lose weight. It was designed to use in conjunction with a low-carb diet, and that was how it was tested. So, low-carb away with the Pentabosol, and you should see better results.

  21. How many carbs are there in a serving of Pentabosol? Am I right in assuming that it’s used as 1 serving daily? (Your product description page doesn’t spell this out.)
    Thanx!
    There are 4 gms per serving of what is basically an amino acid. No carbs. You take a dose in the AM on an empty stomach and another at bedtime.

  22. I’m curious about Pentabosol and how it works. Can you explain the mechanism of action of Pentabosol and why it works only with low carb diets? Would it be a good choice for people doing strength training and body building?
    See the answer to the previous comment as to the mechanism of action. I think it would be an excellent choice for people strength training or body building, but only if used in conjunction with a low-carb diet.

  23. For all your readers not residing in the USA I remember reading a random article last year about virtual USA addresses where you can get items sent to and then forwarded on – went to Uncle Google and found this http://yourbestsourceonthenet.com/blogs/?p=290 . I’m sure it has enough information for anyone to go do their own research and find a reputable company to use.
    Considering all the speculation that the US dollar might be about to do another number on itself, this might actually work out cheaper than my current supply of supplements.
    Very interesting. I was not aware of this service. Very interesting, indeed. I wonder if there are virtual addresses for other countries. Thanks for the link.

  24. Hi DR Mike,
    Thanks for all the great posts…….I have to thank you for my new life.
    I am 55 and I follow religiously a low carb diet, thanks to you.
    I have everything under control in my health with the exception of my Blood pressure.
    I have been on Fosinopril 20mg and water pils in the morning, for 2 years and my Doc
    says That I am on a low dosage, so I will be on this for the rest of my life!
    My DH is not pleased……I have tried everything to take down the lower number but it still hovers at 76 to 85. Top no does not seem to be a problem.
    I would desperately like to get rid of these pills ……I am on my last legs as my Doc says that I do not have a hope.
    I am also on Bio Identical Hormones by another Doc who is great and encourages me to take all of your supplements recommended. I have to admit the BP has gotten better since I started all of the above.
    I take the Fish oil, Krill Oil, Vit D(drops or soft gels) curcumin, vit E, Chromium etc.
    I exercise , but it seems to be worse when I do that.
    I cut out Alcohol, sugar, wheat, bread ( with the exception of low carb treat of bread I make myself using the special low carb recipes- have twice to three times a week). I do not have a weight problem (53kg’s) as I am on low carb and never did have a weight problem.
    Am I missing something?….any , any suggestions would help.
    I apologize if this is the wrong thread to bring this up , as I do not want to get others off topic….but I did not know when to ask?
    Keep up the great work Doc, and I am looking forward to your new book (delayed!drats!).
    Thanks
    JoJo
    Morrison, eh? You’re not from southern Missouri or Kentucky are you? I come from a long line of Morrisons on my great grandmother’s side. Maybe we’re cousins. If so, you will be entitled to the family discount on a subscription to this blog. 🙂
    You might want to try adding some potassium to your supplement regimen. But before you do, you need to check to make sure your ‘water pills’ aren’t called potassium-sparing diuretics. If they are, you should take potassium only under your doctor’s supervision.
    About 20 percent or so of people with high blood pressure don’t respond to a low-carb diet. For those people, blood pressure generally improves after starting the diet, but never really gets to normal. Apparently, you are one of these people. The Fosonopril is a pretty good drug, and I’m not one who much likes drugs at all. But that one is in a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors that have proven to be truly helpful. If I were you, I would work toward getting off the ‘water pill,’ and just taking the Fosonopril. If your BP is continuing to improve, albeit slowly, you may end up off the meds at some point. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

  25. Hi Dr. Eades, I’ve been reading your blog for about a month now. I forgot How I got here but it started somewhere with Dragondoor, a website heavily into kettlebells. (Then I think I got linked to the Paleo-diet for athletes…) I’ve started training with these a lot to get into better shape even though I consider myself lucky right now. I am 51, 5’6″, 130lbs and about 11% body fat. ( I was once 165lbs with 23% BF). My main passion is riding bikes. As you may know, climbing hills is about power to weight ratio. So if I can get my BF down to about 8%, I could weigh close to 125, considering I’ll be adding some mass with major strength training. I’m planning to participate in a few races this summer and I really want to carry as little fat as possible. Going low-carb for the last month has helped me a lot. Close to 10 pounds worth. But, I looooooove to eat !!!!! Pizza and ice cream mostly. But I haven’t eaten any lately, except for the pizzas I make myself with plenty of pepperoni, sausage and cheese on a tortilla. I definitely want to stay on as low-carb as possible, for health reasons. Would your product be beneficial for someone like me? If so, I’ll certainly get some shipped to Canada. I might not be your main “clientele”, (I really don’t know…) but there are certainly more than one application for a product like this. I have been reading everything on you blog for the last month and can’t get enough. Thanks in advance,
    Cheers from Mirabel, just north of Montreal, where we still have about 5 feet of snow on the ground…
    J.B.
    We can’t ship Pentabosol to Canada without jumping through a lot of hoops, which we haven’t done yet. It might be helpful for you, but not unless you follow a low-carb diet when you’re taking it. Otherwise you would be wasting your money.

  26. Hi Dr Mike,
    Thank you so much for the quick reply, from the bottom of my heart!
    I am from Canada, Quecbec, and I live and met my DH in Calgary Alberta Canada out west.My DH’s family are from Scotland,Glasgow where his Grandfather was born and they lived in Aberdeen…so I don’t know about the discount?!…but thanks anyways DR.
    The water pills are Novo-Hydrazide 25mg,Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg, and I looked it up and i do think you are right that they “are” potassium-sparing diuretics………so I will check with my Doc asap! as I do not like the side effects they are causing me.
    Thanks Dr and I will keep you posted.
    JOJO
    Nov-Hydrazide is hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ in doctor lingo) and is NOT a potassium-sparing diuretic. In fact, it is a potassium-wasting diuretic. I’m sure your doc keeps track of you potassium levels, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to take a little more, especially if you’re experiencing and fatigue or cramping (both signs of potassium depletion). Make sure to let your doctor know if you do decide to supplement with some potassium and make sure you aren’t already taking some. Most doctors give potassium along with HCTZ.

  27. Was the Pentabosol clinical trial just for the powdered stuff, or did the study subjects also take the other Pentabosol pills and things that you sell along with it? Are they only sold together?
    Also, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don’t know of a single doctor who makes effort to inform the public on real science and answer questions fo free… except for you of course. Never forget that you are changing lives every day.
    The clinical trial was just for the powder. We wanted to put a lot more stuff in Pentabosol, but it would have made it too expensive. For people who are simply overweight, the Pentabosol works fine by itself. The other two partner supplements are for people who may have blood sugar problems or who are vegetarians.

  28. “Very interesting. I was not aware of this service. Very interesting, indeed. I wonder if there are virtual addresses for other countries. Thanks for the link”.
    I know it has my brain ticking over as well! Should be getting some sleep but now trying to work out if I can get a china or india address!

  29. Last time I checked, carnitine could not be sold OTC in Canada, so there is always the chance that Customs would seize a shipment (and not return it to the sender or refund your money). When Pentabosol first came out, I seem to recall that there were people in the UK who never received packages their friends had sent them.

  30. ME said: I’ll wait to hear from you. You’ve got to realize that Pentabosol isn’t a magic bullet. You can’t just take it and lose weight. It was designed to use in conjunction with a low-carb diet, and that was how it was tested. So, low-carb away with the Pentabosol, and you should see better results.
    Oh, absolutely…didn’t think it was a magic bullet, but since I’ve been low-carbing for almost 3 years now, and still going strong, I’ve found that my weight has remained static for a long time, and I really should be a little more lean than I am. I don’t know if it is that I could be peri-menopausal, or what, but I’ve been experimenting by cutting fat a little and calories a little to no avail. I don’t have more than 30 carbs a day, on average. I’m hoping that Pentabosol will help me out of this extended stall. I’ll be watching things closely, and logging my food, just to make sure I’m not going astray and not realizing it (though it’s pretty hard to go astray, my diet is pretty basic and very low in carbs).
    I noticed that Pentabosol contains Chromium polynicotinate. Within the last week I’ve started taking Chromium picolinate…what’s the difference between these two? What are the similarities, other than the Chromium, if any? Just wondering.
    I have ordered the Pentabosol. I will let you know my results. I am hoping for the best. I figure it sure can’t hurt, and may very well help. Those are good enough odds for me to give it a try.
    The polynicotinate has been shown to be a little more bioavailable, which is why we used it. I haven’t had much success using chromium alone, but in the combination in Pentabosol, it seems to be effective.

  31. I’m sorry, but this posting is perhaps the biggest threat to your credibility since founding this blog. There is hardly any way NOT to assume that this “call for help” is just a “call for help to let us sell much more of our powder”. – You repeatedly stated that you are not at all wanting to promote the powder through this posting, but at the same time you eagerly answer the people details about the stuff – of course except concerning the powder’s formulation… – what raises the interest for the stuff further so that now even people on foreign continents want to have it!
    And your Kristi is also REALLY worth her money: “Pentabosol and a low Carb diet is the only way for me to live my healthy lifestyle.” Sigh!!! There hardly won’t be anyone now who will not want to get the powder as soon as possible…
    And – surprise, surprise!!! – there is not a single comment that reports experiences with your powder yet. That will surely change after you have sold a lot of it through this posting. Will you let us know about these results?
    I think this is going to become a nightmare here… You are one of the most important “Low-carb-Doctors” out there in the net, probably the most important one. And now you “call for help” for your commercial “weight loss powder” in a “fishy” way (wasn’t this the term you liked to use for your opponents?) … You should honestly consider to remove this whole posting because it is a big threat to your credibility.
    YOU ARE WAY TOO IMPORTANT FOR US (we – “the low carb community”), so PLEASE do not damage yourself with things like these – even if they are really not intended to be promotion (in this case the posting might “only” be “clumsy”).
    Please decide yourself:
    1) “Call for help” as you did it – but do NOT answer ANY further questions about the stuff and prevent any further discussion. Remove the already existing discussion. Otherwise nagging doubts will persist.
    or
    2) Promote the powder frankly – that would be OK and much better for us than even our suspicion of being fooled.
    Yours
    guzolany
    I appreciate your concern, but let me put this in perspective. When we did our Pentabosol promotion before, we sold from 8,000 to 10,000 cans per week, week in and week out. As best I can tell, there are about 4,000 people who read this blog. If every single one bought a can, that would be about one half week’s worth of sales when we have an active promotion going. It’s not even a blip on the radar screen. The book that I have given my strongest recommendation to in this blog sold maybe 150 copies through my Amazon portal, which would lead me to believe that if I strongly promoted Pentabosol, I could maybe sell 150 cans of it. Do you think I would barter my integrity for that?
    If I had simply asked that anyone who had used Pentabosol successfully contact me, I would have been inundated with questions about what is Pentabosol, what’s in it, how does it work, has it been tested, etc? So I tried to head all that off at the pass by briefly describing it. It wasn’t a promotion. As I mentioned to another commenter, I do have a supplement that I am going to promote on this blog because I feel so strongly about it, but when I do, you’ll know it’s a promotion.
    I didn’t ask for Kristi’s semi testimonial. She gave it – I posted it. She does use Pentabosol regularly and follows a low-carb diet, so what can I say?
    And I can’t ship the stuff to Canada or other countries in the same way that supplements from those countries can’t be shipped into the US without having to go through a complicated bureaucratic process. We have a large enough market here in the US that we don’t want to go through the brain damage of trying to get permission to ship to other countries.
    I did describe the contents to another commenter. So far I haven’t been hit with all the questions about what does this ingredient do and why is that ingredient in there. We put it together based on theoretical papers in the medical literature, and we had it tested. It tested out great. Perhaps it would have worked better with a little more of this and a little less of that, but we don’t know because that’s not how we tested it.
    I’m sorry you feel the way you do about it, but there it is.

  32. Dr. Mike,
    I did try the Pentabosol a couple years ago. Unfortunately I cannot comment on effectiveness, as I developed a dislike to the flavor. I generally like lemon flavored things, but it was too sweet for me. I would rather have a supplement with no flavoring to throw in drinks.
    Not what you were looking for, but thought I’d throw in my experience.
    Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.

  33. Because I trust you implicitly (rare for me), I would be interested in Pentabosol, however, I am allergic to the sweetener that you use in the product. Would it be feasible for you to offer an unsweetened version?
    Marly
    At the time we formulated Pentabosol, stevia wasn’t as available nor as inexpensive as it is today. We’ll probably look into reformulating with stevia at some point if we can make it taste right.

  34. I am sorry Dr Mike but I have to answer to one of your commenters, I beluieve Guzolani! I dont know where to begin, so I might just as well let my emotions and logic speak for tehmselves, even though it is kind of ironic. First of all it is preposterous to even suggest that this post was in any way, shape or form a promotion. It simply doesnt make any sense for a variety of reasons. None the least of them is the comment that guzolani was able to leave. If it was meant as a promotional post why would your comment even be posted? I have yet to meet a promoter who lets a negative and doubtful comments make it through. Thats number one. Dr Mike’s credibility? Please give me a break. Dr Mike is the national bestseller who sold millions of books! I have asked him at least 40 questions, some of them annoying, somne of them irrlevant to the post and I am yet to pay a man a buck! I know a man who only sold a thousand books and charges people 100 dollars for cosultation via answering few questions. Guzolani show me another best selling doctor or author out there who openly answers your questions for free? I havent found any. All of those so called experts will not even bother wasting their opinions unless they have something to gain. Dr Ornish is just not any more popular than Dr Eades, try contact him and have him answer your question or God forbiud try to have his credibility questiioned and than ask him for his opinion! I could go on and on, but my heart rate is racing now. I am an emotional person and at times need to calm myself down. Guzolani I am sure Dr Mike doesnt need me or anyone else out there to defend himself, but I couldnt keep my mouth shut. I know that a lot of people are cynical and skeptical about everyen and everything! But not me, i still believe in good nature of humans. And Dr Mike would never strike me as dishonest, sleek and buck chasing one. So when someone questioned his integrity it rubbed me a wrong way. It truly did! Logic dicates it! BTW I am not affiliated with Dr Mike in any way and I am not Kristi’s husband either!

  35. Hey Mike,
    Sorry I haven’t been contributing lately – just not enough time, but thank you for all your hard work in keeping up this blog (which I certainly make time to read).
    Can you just clarify the international shipping situation? Last time I checked (quite a while back now) there was prohibitively expensive courier shipping (I think FedEx?) and no UPS. Now it appears there are various flavours of UPS (good) but my address is recognised as “International Order” … followed by “United States”, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Are international orders recognised? If so I wouldn’t anticipate any issues shipping something as innocuous as Pentabosol into Australia at least – for example I have ordered carnitine from Bulk Nutrition in the past with no problems – and if there were to be a problem, I imagine it would fall on the purchaser, not the exporter.
    Oh, and I’m sure you are sick of being asked … but how long do we have to wait now? (for the big thing);)
    Cheers,
    Malcolm
    Hey Malcolm–
    Good to hear from you. I was wondering if I had somehow run you off as a reader. Glad to see you’re still with me.
    Our shopping cart software is terrible, a fact we realized when we did the free book offer and thought we could ship overseas. We are in the process of revamping our website right now and have selected an excellent shopping cart system that should (knock on wood) clear up all these problems.
    But that still leaves the problem of being able to ship an ingestible to another country. It could get caught up in customs or in some other bureaucratic snafu.
    MRE

  36. thanks for answering my question, Dr Mike. I will head over to your products page and order a couple canisters!
    Until I got pregnant and horribly nauseous, I had been a dedicated low-carber for many years, losing just over 100lbs in total, most over a 3 year period. However, my weight loss was always very slow and erratic, no matter how ‘good’ I was being. Since having had my son, I have been low-carb probably 65% of the time instead of the 95% of the time I used to be. I’ve basically stayed within the same five pound range in that time (he’s now five months) but that range is 30 pounds higher than I was when I got pregnant.
    As I said, when I wean him, I am intending to go back to hard core low-carb, and watch calories. having been involved with low-carb for a while, and knowing how my body responds, it will be interesting to see if the pentabosol helps me at all. Although I’ve also been told that the hormone changes when you stop breastfeeding can also lead to some quick weight loss, so the ‘results’ might be compromised by that. Either way, I very much hope it will help me – it has been hard to deal with this weight gain after 7 years of control and either losing or maintaining weight loss.
    and i will echo others who say that i trust you on this. i’ve never bought any weight loss product before, but i’ve read enough to understand why you would develop this and that it might help. i don’t in the slightest believe this post is a way for you to promote your product to make money!
    thanks again, and when i have weaned my son and start this new regimen i will take note and send you results if any come in!
    I appreciate it. I’ll wait to hear from you. Hope you do well.

  37. Jo-Anne Morrison,
    Jo-Anne do you drink coffee? I started drinking decaf and it has made a big difference in my blood pressure. I have been weening myself off blood pressure medication for the last three months. I was taking Hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg which was an increase from the 25 mg I started with. I was afraid I would end up on some horrible stuff so really started watching my carbs and my doctor recommended decaf coffee.
    I track regularly and yesterday was 118/72 without pills. When I drink regular coffee and measure there is an immediate difference. it is not terribly high but goes higher than I want.
    Just a suggestion.
    Good idea. I drink so much of the stuff myself that I never think of it as being problematic.

  38. Hi Dr Mike, would you mind answering my question? I can’t seem to find any Contact source on the Pentabosol website.
    was scrolling through the FAQ section.
    I found a question that said: “I have not lost weight after being on Pentabosol for 2 to 3 weeks.” The reply was to create a calorie deficit.
    My question is: If I create the calorie deficit, how will I know whether the weight loss was due to the calorie deficit or the Pentabosol?
    I am not trying to be a problem for you. I have been on a plateau for the past 6 months and have tried all the recommended plateau busters to no lasting effect. I reached my goal weight 9/2007 and had regained 20 pounds by 9/08 which I have been unsuccessfully trying to lose. You had a post about how hard it was to lose the second time around and I am here to tell you , you are so right!
    I can try a caolrie deficit but know that even if I lose weight on the calorie deficit, it will not be sustainable in the long run. I do love my fatty meats! That’s why I am questioning the effectiveness of the supplement. If I have offended you, I am sorry. I was truly trying to find something that will help me.
    No offense taken. The reason the statement about caloric intake is in there is because so many people seem to believe that Pentabosol is a magic bullet that they can take and lose weight no matter what they eat. It doesn’t work that way. All our results came from subjects on low-carb diets. It was designed to work with low-carb diets, which naturally restrict calories somewhat. As I wrote in a previous post, you can eat plenty of calories after you reach your goal and not regain (assuming these are low-carb calories), but you’ve got to create a deficit to lose.

  39. I live in Canada so can’t order it. Anyone else selling it?
    Nope. As far as I know, no one is selling it in Canada.

  40. I have lost 100 lbs on PPLP and was wondering if Pentobosol might be the thing to rev up my system and get those last 40 off. So I am grateful to get more information about it, and especially to know that it has actually been tested. I believe in whole foods, not supplements, but also believe that extraordinary circumstances (such as having consumed a high-refined-carb SAD for over forty years) may call for extraordinary measures (such as would not be necessary had I been consuming a Purist diet all those years). That being so, I do take the supplements you recommend in PPLP, and have been wondering about getting your Daily Regimen instead of hiking to the local Super Supplements every week.
    The questions: if I get the Daily Regimen, what supplements would I still need to get separately (based on your PPLP recommendations?) If I take both Pentobosol and Daily Regimen, would I be getting too much of anything (such as chromium)?
    Thank you for an excellent blog.
    First, congratulations for all your success! A loss of 100 lbs is no small undertaking. The Daily Regimen should cover most of everything except for vitamin D. I would take some extra vitamin D3. And I would probably take some krill oil or fish oil as well. You shouldn’t get too much of anything by adding Pentabosol. Remember, though, that you can get most of what you need (other than vitamin D3 and krill oil) from a whole food, low-carb diet. The Daily Regimen is just for insurance. Keep me posted on how you do.

  41. Mike: I’m a big fan of yours ever since Protein Power way back when, and then PPLP. And I read the blog faithfully for your knowledgeable takes on science and studies.
    I think selling powders and potions erodes your credibility and stature. Even if you produce peer-reviewed AJCN, NEJM or AMA studies on the what Pentabosol does, you will lose credibility. Sorry to see that happen.
    I’m all for free enterprise. I do it for a living. I like money as much (or more) than the next guy. But selling this stuff puts you in the huckster category — even, dare I say beneath Ornish and MacDougall.
    If you need money for the family, for retirement, I hear you. I’m there myself. But it hurts your platform, your franchise, your brand. It undermines.
    Not that this is any of my business. Your work and advice has helped me. I’m just saying this because, well, it sort of bothers me.
    I can understand you concern, sort of. But I wear a few different hats. One is as a blogger, which I started on kind of a lark, never figuring that it would eat up as much of my time as it has. And never figuring I would end up enjoying it as much as I have. I also wear an entrepreneur hat, which is the hat that allows me to make a living and have the time to write this blog instead of working 10 hours a day at a medical practice. And I wear the hat of an author. MD and I both really enjoy writing books and the entire publishing process.
    When I wear my entrepreneur hat, I look for unique supplements (or work to develop unique supplements) that are actually helpful to people. Supplements that I would take myself. In fact, supplements that I do take myself. For example, I’ve come across a patented supplement that I’ve obtained the worldwide rights to that is probably the best supplement I’ve ever used. I’ll post on it later and it is definitely one that I will promote because it is so good. There is nothing else like it, and it will help countless people. Should I not promote this supplement because it will make me look like a huckster? Should I have let someone else beat me out and get the world rights to the supplement so that I wouldn’t come across as a huckster? I don’t think so.
    Of the three hats I wear, the only one that doesn’t make me an income is the blogger hat. I make about enough (now) from Amazon sales through the site to pay for the upkeep of it. And I make enough through sales of stuff on the website to send MD, Kristi and me to Expo West once a year and pay part of Kristi’s salary. It ain’t a money-making operation.
    If I have to give up one of the hats, it will be the blogger hat simply because the blog is more or less a non-earning hobby, one I enjoy, but a hobby nonetheless. Like you, I have to make an income. And if the ‘huckster’ aspects of the way I earn a living compromise my objectivity in the eyes of people, those people don’t have to read my blog and don’t have to purchase anything I have to sell.
    As far as I’m concerned, I would rather purchase something I was a little leery of from someone I trusted rather than from someone I didn’t know from Adam. I would hope that people who have read our books and read our blogs realize that MD and I wouldn’t promote anything we didn’t believe in just because we thought we could make a few bucks from it.

  42. I just plunked down two hundred of my hard-earned bucks for a five-month supply. We’ll see if it takes off those last five pounds!
    The last five pounds? I wouldn’t think it would take five months for that.

  43. Would you consider getting it kosher certified?
    I’m one of those people who would actually like to hear what you recommend, and you take yourself, and even what you sell? If I trust my health to your advise, why shouldn’t i trust my money to your products?
    I don’t know what is required to get it kosher certified, but I can check into it.

  44. This comment is directed to Jo-Anne Morrison above:
    I’m not a doctor, but I’ll offer my two cents on the blood pressure issue. Have you considered having your vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels checked? Getting levels to around 50-70 ng/ml seems to have a profound effect for a lot of people in all things heart related, blood pressure included. The results aren’t instantaneous, but it’s definitely something to consider for the long-run. Might also consider extra taurine and/or arginine, if these aren’t somehow contraindicated for you. These are just my humble observations.
    Another good idea.

  45. ME wrote: As far as I’m concerned, I would rather purchase something I was a little leery of from someone I trusted rather than from someone I didn’t know from Adam. I would hope that people who have read our books and read our blogs realize that MD and I wouldn’t promote anything we didn’t believe in just because we thought we could make a few bucks from it.
    Yep. I have been a faithful reader of your blog, and a fan of your and your wife’s books for years now. I have been successful in losing weight and becoming more healthy than I have ever been in my entire life by following your advice. I have read the advice you have given to others and have never found anything that was misleading or harmful. And I don’t find this post distasteful or “huckster-ish” in the least.
    I for one am glad to have the information on the background of this product because I believe it might truly be beneficial. I know there are supplements that have made a positive impact on my health, including ones that you yourself have suggested others try (in comments right here on your blog). Why should I doubt that you are sincere about your motives for posting this blog topic? I don’t. I didn’t fall off of the turnip truck yesterday, and neither did the majority of your faithful readers.
    Why shouldn’t you give a call out for help in gathering information to promote a product you believe in? As an American, and a capitalist and entrepreneur, I find that to be a much more honest way of trying to market a product than by making claims that have no backing whatsoever. More power to you, Dr. Mike. I hope you’ve gotten some testimonials that you need…which I believe was the purpose of this entry.
    I hope you continue blogging for some time to come. I wait for each post with anticipation, though I rarely comment (and look, three comments on one post for me…I may have used up my quota for a while! *wink*). Thank you for all that you do, and for taking your time to respond to all who have questions.
    Thanks for your understanding.

  46. Dr Eades —
    Thanks for this post. I plan to order both Pentabosol and Lucidal. Also please mention anything else you think could be helpful. I like to experiment and this is just the sort of recommendation I’m seeking.
    Please don’t be dissuaded by the comments regarding your financial interest in these products. Did Salk promote polio vaccine? I think so. As long as your statements are balanced and truthful, what you’re providing is called INFORMATION. It’s something in short supply, violently expensive and intensely valuable. Recommendation from a trusted source is the gold standard to hear about products to try. How else are we to know? I’d never have heard of these products were it not for this post.
    In my opinion, this is an absolutely legitimate and desirable extension of your sterling reputation, earned through a lifetime of study and medical practice. The quality of that effort speaks for itself. In addition, as others have noted, your generosity as shown through this blog demonstrates a character as remarkable as your body of work.
    I appreciate the kind words.

  47. Gosh Dr Mike if you have obtained the worldwide distribution rights to this new supplement, I really, really hope that your PP site will be able to send it internationally, I have tried so many times currently with different ones and never have any success. I am going to try and get the Pentabosol through that forwarding agent link one of the commenters provided. Also will the new make-over of the purchasing include Paypal?
    I’m determined to try and get some.
    Glenice
    The new supplement isn’t a weight loss supplement. I’ll see what we can do about shipping internationally.

  48. As hucksters go, you are damn poor one! You’re not from the great marketeers, are you? I’ve been reading your blog for what seems like years now, and I had no idea you had a weight loss supplement, much less one that had been tested, that actually works, etc. etc. Where’s the giant endlessly scrolling web page with giant red fonts and flashing lights and bells and whistles, you know, a page that goes on and on promoting your wonder product, a la Dr. Ellis, or that guy down under with his weight loss bible? Where’s the shameless plugs placed over and over again in your blog posts, hahaha? C’mon, you gotta step up your game if you wanna be a true huckster!
    All that said, now that I know it exists, I think I’ll order me some and give it a whirl. I’ll let you know my results, of course.
    Thanks, mrfreddy. I’ve never thought of myself as a great marketer, and I guess I was right. I hate websites with ads all over them. When we get the redo finished on this one, most of the ads are going to vanish.

  49. So, is this project that’s ‘going to change the world’ getting this supplement on the market?
    The project that’s going to change the world has nothing to do with dietary supplements.

  50. I just ordered some for my wife who like another poster is experiencing some pre-menopausal stalling so hopefully this will give her that extra boost to break through the plateau. Now I just have to figure out how to make sure she takes it. I also plan on giving it a try as I’m trying to get those final 5lbs of fat off to finally see my sixpack. I would have been there by now but my only weakness is that I like to have a few beers on the weekend and I have found that at low bf% any alcohol stops my fat burning down cold and it takes about three days to get it fired up again so no beer for me for a while. 🙁

  51. Dear Dr. Eades,
    I think you’ve inadvertently found one drawback to low carbing: it may affect reading comprehension. 🙂
    You may be on to something there.

  52. Personally, I am offended by those referring to Dr. Eades as a huckster. I would suggest that such dolts refer to a dictionary before employing terms that are so incredibly insulting. Oh sure, one of the benign definitions is “one who sells or peddles wares or provisions in the streets,” but for the most part, the adjective is not a nice one: “a cheaply mercenary person”; “One who uses aggressive, showy, and sometimes devious methods to promote or sell a product”; “a seller of shoddy goods”!! Shame on all of you who are even thinking such a thing!

  53. Yikes, what a… uh… FIRE storm! I can hardly believe how ugly some of the comments have been. You are a far more gracious person than I. Sheesh.
    Dr. Eades, I was semi-active on your forums back when Pentabasol came out (maybe in 2000-2001 or so?). I DO recall a number of folks trying it– they mainly seemed to be people who were stalled–but I don’t remember what sort of results they were getting. Unfortunately, I think you have migrated to a new server since then, so all of the posts have probably been poofed into the ether unless Erik(?) saved some kind of backup. I would guess that he didn’t do that, though, since every time the forums moved things had to start over from scratch.
    I don’t think I’ve ever come out and said this before, but it needs to be said, and this seems like a good time for it: THANK YOU. I am a huge fan of your (and MDE’s) work.
    P.S. My apologies if by now you have received this post about 12 times. I seem to be experiencing technical difficulties….
    Nope, only got this one. Thanks for your support.

  54. I can see where you are coming from regarding the defense of the “huckster” label, however what many of these readers are feeling, I , too share.
    It simply doesn’t feel right for you to “appear” to pitch a product regardless how effective it is for folks.
    You once wrote on this blog that one day you would discuss what your problem with Atkins and the Atkins diet was. You never have, however my problem with Atkins was the crass commercialization his diet eventually turned into. From Atkins pitching one product innocently, to a few years later inundating his followers with every sort of low carb product available to the point of oversaturation and eventually a media backlash.
    There is an inherent danger for someone who has built such credibilty as you have earned to ,at the very least, make folks wonder what your real intention is.
    Profiting from a righteous message is your right but it leads to a slippery slope.
    Sigh. Go back and reread the post and tell me where I promoted this product.

  55. I bought a Honda 7-months ago after researching new cars and Hondas always seem to come out on top. I’ve been driving it now for these 7-months and love it. Great car, drives great and gets good gas mileage. The car dealership also sells oil changes and these are pretty reasonably priced. I don’t consider it strange for them to offer a complimentary service about which they know a lot.
    I started a low-carb diet 9 years ago after researching it and low-carb diets always seemed to come out on top. I’ve been eating this way for 9-years now and I am in great health. My wife eats low carb and looks sexy too. One of the doctors who helped me understand this diet also put together a nutritional supplement at a reasonable price. I didn’t consider it strange for him to offer a complimentary product about which he seems to know a lot.
    Why would the second example elicit “huckster” comments? I don’t really know what a huckster is, honestly. I do know carbs make me fat.

  56. Dr. Eades, I for one have no qualms about your wearing the three different hats. I appreciate the fact that you have chosen to keep up this blog. I took Pentabosol briefly a couple of years ago, but didn’t notice any particular benefit (I probably wasn’t low-carb enough at the time).
    However, I’ve read several of your books, and I appreciate the fact that you and MD always provide a scientific backstory in your books. I trust you more than enough to feel comfortable buying products either from you, or those which you recommend (which I will do again as my cash flow gets better).
    People also leveled the same charges against Barry Sears, who not only writes books but sells pharmaceutical-grade fish oil. I don’t have a problem buying his product either, and I’d like to use it again.

  57. I still have a bit too much of weight to loose. I would estimate good 60 pounds to be liberal and about 75 to be conservative. I am not how Pentabosol would help me but I am willing to try it at some point when my weight loss slows down a bit via low carbing. I have been back on the low carb bandwagon for two weeks now and so far lost 5 pounds. But I do eat like a pregnant elephant and most of my caloric intake happens to be at late hours when normal people are soundly asleep! I would estimate my caloric consumption at this point to be at around 4000, even though I havent counted it yet. The idea is to just get back full force and avoid any feel of starvation. I do eat pletny of dairy though, such as Countdown reduced carb chocolate milk and ton of full fat cottage cheese, love the darn thing! I am trully amazed that I was still able to lose weight. I am planning to cut down my caloric intake in half by next week. I do exercise quite a bit, even though not so much lately. I would love to take Pentabosol at some point when my low carb regime becomes a second nature just to see if it makes a difference.

  58. Dr Mike, I wanted to ask you a general hypothetical question for a long time, but was kind of hestitant considering a nature of this blog. But I will give it a try. If you feel offended by it or if it is a total bummer, I appologize beforehand.
    I have a friend of mine whos husband has been on a low carb diet for two months now. He is a relatively young guy who is in a relative good physical shape. She contends that since starting a low carb diet his sexual libido arose 10 folds to the point that it is an obsession. He started complainijng to her about testicular pain and yet he still how do I put it correctly wastes his semen twice a day. Is there any danger in having such an active sexual lifestyle? Is there any potential danger from the overejaculation? I tried to find the answer on web but its kind of foggy.
    I appreciate your help with this sticky subject and promise to abstain from non-nutritional topics in the future. Hope you are not offended!
    A ‘sticky subject,’ eh. I don’t see a problem. If this were a common finding on low-carb diets, I suspect that a lot more people – males, at least – would follow one.

  59. I think the reason you are seeing some skepticism (if not almost attacking) posts here is the disconnect between the way you usually operate and the way this particular product is marketed.
    In your blogs and in your books (and even on the original PP infomercial), you and Mary-Dan have always been about the evidence. It’s not what you feel works, but that you have the proof, and here it is.
    What I’ve seen on the Pentabosol.com website is the opposite approach. Lots of promise, but no evidence. The study you reference is not linked to, so we can’t even critique the data.
    The current trend with supplements is to not only test the formulation being sold, but to submit the data for journal publication. Of course there’s no limit to the hype a marketing department can create from a published paper, but at least the data is there for those curious enough to take the time to do a Pubmed search.
    I agree with you about the Pentabosol site, but what you don’t realize is that our own government prevents us from putting that kind of evidence up on the site. In earlier versions of the site, we had it up, but were asked to remove it.

  60. I have found this blog to be very informative over some time. I have no problem if the blogger mentions a product that may be useful, whether it be one they personally have developed or some other. I will look at the data and arrive at my own conclusion. I try not to be persuaded by others who have not applied any knowledge or methodology to the issue.
    The bottom line is that if if Dr Eades has contributed to all of our understanding of human metabolism, as has Gary Taubes, we will approach his product(s) as sceptically as we do to others. I look forward to seeing the study of his product(s) and trying to evaluate whether it adds value.
    In this respect, Dr Eades perhaps has more in common with many entrepreneurs who challenge the conventional wisdom in their field. Many start out intellectually challenging the accepted wisdom, but find that at some time they need to directly produce the alternative paradigm, even if this paradigm, where they themselves make money, of itself only adds value at the margin, but proves that the major thrust of their work is correct.
    Long live John Galt.
    Who is John Galt?
    Sorry. I couldn’t resist. I do agree. Long live John Galt.

  61. Hi Dr. Mike,
    I purchased a can when if first came out, but wasnt diligent about taking it. Since then, I have gained my weight back and then some. I am back in the game now and just purchased a can. I’ll let you know my results. Thanks 🙂
    Thanks.

  62. Here’s a couple of tips. I think I have posted this same tip before when another “situation” cropped up.
    When you got the first mention within these comments about the so-called appearance that you are promoting this product, I would recommend that you should have immediately gone back to your original post and added this:
    EDIT: blah, blah, blah (clarifying that you are only looking for comments, not promoting this product)
    A blog is INTERNET publishing, not print publishing and it affords us this ability to edit. For credibility, you can add that word “edit” and it’s fine and dandy. And the result is that if should dramatically reduce the severity of the firestorm… many people never read deep enough into a thread to read your heart-felt thoughts.
    You are da man… I trust no doctor as much as I do you. We want to “protect” you, haha, so, this is my attempt to help.
    P. S. I also echo the other comments about the product page. I visited your site yesterday and never found what I wanted — an image of the label. (You don’t have this for any of your products and your web guy should be able to easily create a .pdf link for each label.) In lieu of a label, I wanted more info… there was no discussion of what type of product it is. Now, I know it’s a lemon-flavored drink. I didn’t know how much you take. Now, I know — 2x daily. And I didn’t know how many servings there are — 60, a one month’s supply. (I spent at least 30 minutes ferreting all of this information out on the internet when it SHOULD have been on your product page. You do a masterful job, just maybe consider these things when you rebuild your site.
    Good idea about the addition to the post.
    When we redo the website we’ll have the info on the supplement. Part of the reason it’s so sketchy is that it has to be to keep out of trouble with the government.

  63. Dr. Mike, some of the feedback here is REALLY entertaining. Probably frustrating for you, but very entertaining for many of us.
    Just make me one promise….If you ever get a TV show, you won’t push Fiber One bars right in the middle of the show like trainer Bob did on “The Biggest Loser” the other night. 😉
    I’ve learned to never say never, but I can pretty much assure you that I’ll never promote Fiber One bars in the middle of anything.

  64. Mike: More unsolicited advice. Only because you did me a favor once, and I’d like to return a portion of it.
    IMHO, the Pentabosol website doesn’t do you — or your story — justice. It looks much like 1,657 other ‘magic’ supplement sites out there. You have a chance to re-define the business here, I think, without compromising your franchise. Jeez, just tell the story like you did so above. Human, one on one. The current site hides your light behind ‘internetmarketspeak,’ and sales talk and merchandising. You could leap above all that. (And still sell a ton of the stuff.)
    End of unsolicited advice. From a fan.
    I can tell the story like I did in the blog because I wasn’t actively marketing the product, simply requesting some feedback. If I were trying to market, I would have to come up with a website like the one we have and like 1,657 other sites. Why? Because that’s how the government mandates that we do it. Which is why all 1,657 sites look the same. That’s the way they’re allowed to look.

  65. One of the girls on the Fiber One team gained two pounds last week. Of course, correlation doesn’t mean causality, but I still laughed.

  66. Comments please on the “latest study” that shows vegetarians at a lower cancer risk than meat eaters? According to the French paper, this study just came out in England.
    How about for the next blog? Could be that vegetarians have healthier lifestyles and that it has nothing to do with meat consumption or not, but I’d love to get your take.
    Best,
    Alicia
    I’m not sure which study you’re talking about. You’ll have to send me a link.

  67. Dr Eades, I’m a BIG fan of yours, but even if the magical power mix really does work, IMO it hurts your credibility to be associated with all the snake-oil supplement vendors.
    Doc, you have trained us to be critical consumers of scientific research and to be skeptical: Was the trial design solid? Was there a treatment effect? Was the trial result replicated? What are the p-values? What is the sample size? Was the analysis done with an intention to treat? Was there a peer review? Is the result explained by physiology? What is Number Needed to Treat/Harm?
    One of the things I really appreciate about your advise and analysis is that it is rooted in the hunter-gather diet/lifestyle of our pre-agricultural ancestors. I fail to see how a low-carb amplifier power would have any connection with Paleo living.
    I personally know how energizing and difficult it can be to create and sell a new product. Are you sure that you have not taken a couple steps down the slippery slope? http://www.mreades.wpengine.com/drmike/book-reviews/mistakes-were-made-but-not-by-me/
    I’m still a big fan and look forward to your blog posts everyday. My hope is that selling $650,000 of product per week is not clouding your judgment and credibility.
    Food for thought. All the best!
    We put all the time, energy and expense into developing Pentabosol before we sold the first one. We set out to develop a supplement that could help boost weight loss on a low-carb diet and succeeded. This all before we made a penny. So I don’t see how my judgment could be clouded. Maybe it will make you read my posts a little more critically since, at least in your mind, my credibility has suffered.
    As I’ve mentioned previously in these comments, I can’t publish the results of our testing on our website because our own government won’t allow it. It was published on previous versions of our website, but we had to take it down.
    Finally, we’re not selling $650,000 or product in three years much less one week.

  68. Squire do you know if fat in any ways retards the stim of glucagon if taken with animal protein please ?
    Not as I understand how the physiology works.

  69. First I’ll say that I no way considered your post to be trying to sell anything. Afterall, it’s been available under the Products link on the main page all along – as are many other items.
    I tried Petabosol years ago. I can’t say exactly when, only that it was more than 5. I bought 2 cans at the time. It didn’t do me a bit of good. I was <30 ECCs per day, drank the stuff (and it was very grainy and not tasty at all – course I’m not a big lemon flavored fan) twice a day as directed. Definitely didn’t see any big losses, I wasn’t losing much even doing LC at the time either, which was why I decided to try it.
    I enjoy most of your blogs, even this one was insightful.
    Best of luck with the project.
    Thanks for the report.

  70. OK, maybe leaning a bit off-topic here – but I’m dying of curiosity to know what sort of government regulations prevent you from linking to the study done on Pentasobol. Ditto the information about labels. I do know lots of other health-related products out there do show labels, ingredients and nutritional information. Absolutely necessary (to me at least) for buying something online. I would never purchase a health-related item online that did not give that information somewhere. So clearly it’s *possible* to list or show that information.
    However I did actually order a canister of Pentasobol after reading this thread. The lemon-lime does not sound too appealing, but I’ll regard it as “medicine”. 🙂 But I never would have purchased it if I had only seen your website – not enough information there for me to commit to a purchase, even though you and MD are two of my Heroes and Idols. 😀
    There is no regulation preventing us from showing the label. The marketing people who run the Pentabosol site made that decision. It is a long story as to why we can’t show the study. Sometime I’ll relate it, but not now.
    A few years ago a number of televisions networks wanted to run the movie Saving Private Ryan (I’m pretty sure that’s the one) on Memorial Day (or maybe 4th of July; I can’t remember which, but it doesn’t matter). Although the movie is patriotic, there are a few parts that may be in violation of FCC rules as to what is appropriate to be shown over the public airwaves. These parts weren’t in direct violation, but were in kind of shades of gray. The networks asked the FCC if it would be okay for them to show the movie. You would think that the FCC would say either yes or no and be done with it. But these regulatory agencies don’t work that way. The FCC wouldn’t say. What the FCC did say was that they couldn’t make that call. The networks would have to make the call themselves and suffer the consequences if the FCC did indeed find it offensive.
    The agencies regulating advertising of nutritional supplements work the same way. There are hazy ill-defined rules, which aren’t really rules, but are guidelines. They offer no help in interpreting them. They just let you do whatever you want, then come after you if they don’t like what you do. The bigger the outfit and the more successful the promotion, the greater the likelihood that you’ll attract their attention. Our attorney’s advised us not to take any chances and keep our site like it is.
    It’s difficult to compete because the playing field isn’t even. Small promoters who fly under the radar screens of these regulatory agencies because these promoters keep their operations under certain dollar amounts are able to make all kinds of outrageous claims (lose 4 dress sizes in a month; lose 5 pounds per week while eating anything you want, etc) without fear of hassle from the fed. The regulatory agencies have limited budgets so they direct their fire against the largest promoters, allowing these small ones to get away with murder. Problem is that there are so many of these small ones making over-the-top claims that in aggregate they are huge, making it difficult to compete when all you can say is that a clinical study showed that subjects using our product in conjunction with a low-carb diet and moderate exercise lost 71 percent more than those taking a placebo. Most people would rather buy something that tells them they can lose 5 pounds per week without diet and exercise. At the time our promotion was running, it was hugely successful, so we were in the gunsights of these agencies, and our attorneys told us to exercise caution.

  71. Lose credibilty?! I don’t think so! There are too many here that appreciate all the time, money and effort to educate us and keep this site running. I had a long rant going but decided against it. Those who are against this idea should go find other blogs where they can get priceless information and wise consule for free. Oops, there really isn’t any. Can you say “free choice”? The decision to buy is your choice, ignore the whole thing and continue to enjoy the fruits of the good doctor(s) labor with no strings.
    I feel if I have a good product that is safe and effective, I should let people know of it. I am obligated to let people know of it.
    I’m glad you didn’t do a rant. It’s not worth it. Thanks for the support.

  72. Maybe the blog didn’t make you money. But it gave you credibility, integrity. Selling supplements ruined that for me. Sorry.
    Sorry you feel that way. I’ll cancel your subscription and refund you for any future issues.

  73. “Finally, we’re not selling $650,000 or product in three years much less one week.”
    Doc, I’m sorry if I misrepresented the retail earnings potential of Pentabosol ($650,000/week) in my comment. I calculated this amount based on your response to guzolany which I quote here:
    “I appreciate your concern, but let me put this in perspective. When we did our Pentabosol promotion before, we sold from 8,000 to 10,000 cans per week, week in and week out”
    $65/can x 10,000/week = $650,000/week
    No problem. That was back in the day when we had an active promotion. Not now. Even then, because of discounts on multiple cans, it was not an average of $65 per can.

  74. Hi Dr E,
    Haven’t said anything so far, as I really don’t have anything of substance to add. Just want to say: you have my support on this one. I’m from Down Under, so can’t buy the stuff. If I could I might give it a burl, but am not devestated that I can’t.
    I understand some of the outrage, but don’t agree with it in this case.
    Just call me a fanboy.
    Michael Richards

  75. Dr Mike
    Just wanted to chime in about the supps you sell. So far I’ve bought the Thorne magnesium and the 5000 iu Vit D from your site. Actually, I’d been meaning to write in and tell you how pleased I am with them, and this seems a good time. The magnesium solved my nighttime leg cramps, which had been a real, knock-ya-out-of-bed, problem. The health food store brands just didn’t do it. I like the vit d because they are tiny capsules for such a large dose–tells me that I was getting an awful lot of filler in the store brands–2,000 iu capsules seemed more than twice as large the ones I bought on your site.
    I’ve been succesfully low carbing for about two years now. Successful in the sense that my blood glucose levels stay normal now. However, I’ve gained weight this winter. I’m working on it with IF, but if I’m not satisfied with that route, I’ll certainly buy your product and give you feedback.
    I greatly appreciate your blog and your generosity in supplying information and feedback to all your readers.
    Maggie
    Thanks. I’ll be eager to hear from you.

  76. Thanks to your “non-promotion” of Pentabosol I bought two cans! Can’t beat that for stealth marketing, lol. I don’t care, you guys deserve every penny you’ve gotten from me and much more. At any rate, I too am in the pre-peri-menopause camp with about 30 pounds left to lose (out of 90) and stuck there for a couple years so I’m interested in seeing if this will get things moving for me. I’ll let you know how it goes. But if I do send pics, I would much prefer they don’t get posted online!
    If you send pics, we’ll do with them whatever you want. Keep me posted on your progress.

  77. I started to rant too but decided it wasn’t worth it. Love your blog and all your insight. I have lost 15 pounds since the first of the year on a true LC diet. I ordered the Pentabosol to try since I tend to stall out after about 6 weeks on any diet. I have been lower carb for 9 years but never fully low carb until this year. I need to get the last 45 pounds off. I have 30 to go now and hopefully this product will help me achieve that along with the LC lifestyle and exercise. I have done tons of aerobics for years thinking I just needed to do more so now I am taking a different direction. I bought Fred Hahn’s “Slow Burn” and have started doing the weight lifting and it seems to be working quite well for me. Didn’t think it was possible since I am 2 years post menopausal. My ankles love the break from years of running and high impact aerobics for an hour at a time to try and rev up the weight loss. I love your links and I especially love the blogs regarding MD’s concerts. I play violin in 2 orchestras and always enjoy reading about her latest concert. Will post my outcome with the Pentabosol.
    Thanks for all you do!
    Thank you. And be sure to keep me posted.

  78. I have attached a link to an article about an obese family who claim it is genetic , have no time for exercise and live on social security.
    Perhaps these people could learn a thing or two from low carb eating..or try some Pentabosol
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5004431/Family-who-are-too-fat-to-work-say-22000-worth-of-benefits-is-not-enough.html
    Take a look at what they eat. They badly need the benefit of a good low-carb diet way more than they need Pentabosol.

  79. CynaraJane – CHROMIUM PICOLINATE IS TOXIC!!!
    You should only take niacin-bound chromium (chromium polynicotinate, also a trade-name known as ChromeMate sometimes). I am VERY happy to hear that Pentabasol uses polynicotinate — this stuff does work.
    Here are studies to show on chromium picolinate — It causes chromosome damage:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16887379
    And more about Picolinate’s toxicity:
    http://www.oralchelation.com/ingred/chromium.htm
    Switch to polynicotinate ASAP!

  80. Berto,
    Thank you for the information and the links. Gee, I wish I hadn’t taken my dose of Chromium Picolinate for the day! LOL, well, now I know. Thank goodness I’ve not been taking it for that long.
    Still awaiting the delivery of the Pentabosol. Glad to know it has the good stuff in it. 😉

  81. If I recall correctly Graham and Kellog’s original motivations for their diets/food products was to reduce peoples’ sex drive, so an increased sex drive with a low carb diet doesn’t sound all that far out to me.
    My personal experience is that you could state this as a benefit for males without engaging in false advertising.
    Hmmm. I wonder what the feds would say about that?

  82. Dr Eades,
    Perhaps you should make it a regular thing to promote a product you think is valuable. It seems to be an effective way of weeding out morons.
    By the way; Before I started a low carb diet I was at around 14-15% body fat. After 3-4 months now I’m down to 7.5% body fat with absolutely no exercise. This was measured on a bath room scale with the ability to measure body fat. Probably not the most accurate way but at least it provides a general idea. Keeping it under 20 grams of carbs but usually around 10.
    It’s at least an effective way of weeding out doctrinaire people, though I doubt that many (if any) will stop reading because of an occasional political rant on my part.

  83. Man, that is a sad story about the family who is “too fat” to work. Ridiculous! Now that I’ve lost 80 pounds from my top weight I weigh less than the parents do, but when I was at my top weight I weighed considerably more than either one of them! Yet it never once stopped me from going into work and working 40-50 hours a week in a demanding job in IT. I would be ashamed and embarrassed to have tried to claim my weight as a reason not to work.
    And did you see the other article link on the same page? :
    http://digg.com/health/Too_Much_Red_Meat_Could_Lead_To_Blindness
    “Too much Red Meat can lead to Blindness – Researchers have shown that those who consume 10 portions or more a week are nearly 50 per cent more likely to experience deterioration of the retina in old age.”
    Boy, I sure would love to see the details of *that* study. Or as one of the commenters on the article says, “Too much sensationalistic tabloid reporting leads to stupidity.”
    LOL, my kind of guy.
    From the article:

    Researchers at the University of Melbourne, Australia, studied 6.700 people aged between 58 and 69.
    They documented how many had early signs of AMD and matched the results up with dietary habits gleaned from food questionnaires.

    This is an observational study, and doesn’t prove anything.

  84. Your assistant looks awesome, wow! I’m interested in taking Pentabosol after I have the baby. Is it ok to take while nursing?
    It shouldn’t be a problem, but it hasn’t been tested on nursing mothers, so I would wait until after nursing just to be safe.

  85. Quick related question– if you’re now advising against ingestion of Aspartame, mainly due to it’s potential excitotoxic properties, then is there any similar risk with Pentabosol? I’m guessing the answer is no, or you would certainly have taken that into account– your advice is always excellent and you’re one of my top trusted sources (along with Gary Taubes). However, as best I can tell from my own research, the reason why Aspartame may be excitotoxic is that one of the things it breaks down into is Aspartic Acid, which is the actual excitotoxin involved (not Aspartame itself, or it’s other byproducts). As best I can tell, either Aspartic Acid and Aspartame are both unsafe, or both of them should be safe. Unless there’s evidence that Aspartame is able to pass the blood-brain barrier in a way that Aspartic Acid itself can’t… which could be a potential explanation, but I haven’t found anything to that effect. Also, isn’t Aspartic Acid highly prevalent in many food sources? It’s easy to ingest multiple grams a day through normal diet. Wouldn’t the small amount present in Aspartame byproducts not be enough to make a difference?
    Sorry, I know this is a bit of a tangent, thanks for taking so much time to interact with the community here and elsewhere!
    I don’t advise against Aspartame because of its excitotoxic properties, I advise against it because I have had a number of patients who have had diverse problems from it. I don’t know if it’s the formalin it converts to or what, but I’ve had enough people report experiencing problems that I don’t recommend it. But, having said that, God only knows how many people have taken it without problems. If it were truly excitotoxic, I think we would have seen an epidemic of problems by now due to its extensive use. I have myself consumed huge amounts of it without ill effect, but I quit when sucralose came along.
    I don’t know that I buy into the whole excitotoxin idea, anyway. I certainly don’t think MSG is an excitotoxin, and if it is, then excitotoxins are probably good for us. Asians consume enormous amounts of MSG and have the greatest longevity of all groups of people studied.
    As you point out, aspartic acid is a large component of many foods, so we get plenty of it in the diet. But we get it combined with other amino acids, and amino acids enter the cells competitively. In other words, they compete for entry. If one is in abundance, it gets in in greater amounts than others. If you eat aspartic acid in foods, you don’t get any preferential entry into the cells. If you take it in Pentabosol on an empty stomach, you get a lot of it into the cells where it can do what it needs to do to stimulate futile cycling.
    Hope this helps.

  86. Interesting blurb I just read; your thoughts Doc E?
    Researchers find gene that turns carbs into fat
    Last Updated: 2009-03-20 8:35:15 -0400 (Reuters Health)
    CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. researchers have found a gene responsible for turning a plate of pasta into fat, offering new clues about how the body metabolizes carbohydrates and how they contribute to obesity.
    The gene, called DNA-PK, appears to regulate the process in the liver that turns carbohydrates into fat, the University of California, Berkeley team reported on Thursday in the journal Cell.
    “We hope that this research will one day help people eat bread, pasta and rice and not worry about getting fat,” Roger Wong, a graduate student who worked on the study, said in a statement.
    When they bred mice with a disabled version of this gene, the mice stayed slim even when fed the equivalent of an all-you-can-eat pasta buffet.
    “The DNA-PK disabled mice were leaner and had 40 percent less body fat compared with a control group of normal mice because of their deficiency in turning carbs into fat,” Wong said.
    He said the mice who lacked this gene did not get fat when they ate high-carb food and they had lower levels of blood cholesterol, which can reduce the risk of heart disease.
    Since humans have the same gene, the team thinks it may serve as a potential target for drugs to prevent obesity.”
    I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the day we an all eat bread, pasta and rice and not worry about getting fat. What does interest me about this study is the commentary by the people who worked on it. They seem to imply that high-carb foods really do make people fat, whereas if asked directly, they would probably say that it is only a matter of calories in/calories out.

  87. I was just wondering if this product would have any effect on blood pressure….since mine tends to run high I have to kinda watch what I take.
    Thank you
    Shouldn’t be a problem since it has no stimulants in it.

  88. You mentioned that when you had the formula for Pentabosol tested, it was in a form that was gritty and hard to mix with water. But since you changed the product somewhat, to make it tastier and easier to mix, wouldn’t that also change the way the body uses it? For example, wouldn’t it be like the difference between our bodies’ response to peanuts vs. peanut butter with artificial sweetener?
    Not really. We simply ground the material finer so that it would stay in suspension better. And changed the sweetener. None of the active ingredients or amounts of active ingredients were changed.

  89. “We hope that this research will one day help people eat bread, pasta and rice and not worry about getting fat,” Roger Wong, a graduate student who worked on the study, said in a statement.
    Why not just eat the fat in the first place?
    That’d work . . .

  90. I already take Chromium Picolinate (about 900mg a day). What is chromium polynicotinate and how is it different? Should I discontinue taking the other chromium supplement if I want to take this?
    The polynicotinate form of chromium is just another chelated variety. The evidence that I’ve read seems to indicate that the polynicotinate variety has better bio-availability than the picolinate variety. If you take one, you can ditch the other. Of the two, the polynicotinate would be my choice.

  91. I got my two cans a few days ago and have been taking it as directed. So far no weight loss, I’ve actually gained a couple of pounds but I think that’s just my normal cycle. The first couple days I actually felt hungrier and ate a little more than normal, again might be my normal cycle that just seemed unusual because I’m paying more attention. Things have been a little wonky lately because I started yoga class twice a week a couple months ago and I always gain weight and get hungrier when I do any kind of regular exercise program, and this one’s as intense as any weight training I’ve done. I’ve added a morning whey shake (2g carb/26g protein) plus 1 Tb cream to my diet and cut back a bit on lunch and alcohol. My diet is consistenly VLC and gluten free and has been for several years.
    Questions about the product –
    First, how do you get that stuff to dissolve? The instructions are to add water and drink immediately. When I do that I end up with a gritty residue in the bottom (it’s very sour like it’s all citric acid) that needs more water and vigorous swirling to coax out of the glass. If I ignore the directions and let it sit for a few minutes, it mostly dissolves and the liquid takes on a certain viscosity that’s easier to get down than the grit.
    Why wait 30 minutes before eating? Can I take my night-time supplements with it? (currently these are magnesium, calcium, K, krill oil, D3). What about with my morning protein shake? It would be convenient if I could combine them.
    If it’s not a trade secret can you share the mechanism of action? I understand the chromium is for insulin resistance but what about the rest of it?
    TIA for any info!
    Well, I got to it sooner than I expected. Sorry for the delay.
    The grit on the bottom is the hydroxy citrimate, which is almost impossible to get to dissolve. We are in the process of reformulating the product to deal with this problem. I usually add a little more water to the glass, swirl it around, and throw it back to get the last bits of the stuff on the bottom down. I always take it more like a drug than a pleasurable drink.
    You need to take it on an empty stomach so that the aspartic acid will absorb and do its work. If you take it with other foods containing protein, the aspartic acid will absorb, but it won’t be in the blood in any higher levels than other amino acids, and so won’t get where it needs to get in larger doses since all the amino acids compete to get into the cells. So you definitely don’t want to combine it with your morning protein shake. Take it when you first get up, then drink your shake at least 30 minutes later.
    You can take your other non-protein supplements with it.
    There is an aspartate-malate shuttle in the cells that will cycle futilely when the levels of aspartic acid are high. Energy is required to make this shuttle cycle, and it’s energy that is lost as heat instead of stored in the fat cells. The other components of the product help create an enzymatic milieu to get the fat more easily into the cells where it can be burned. Most of the heavy lifting, however, is done with the aspartic acid. It can be done with pyruvate as well, but that is outrageously expensive.

  92. Do you guarantee the safety of pentabosol? Wikipedia says that Garcinia cambogia and Hydroxycitric acid are “highly toxic to the testis”. Does pentabosol contain anything that might be harmful for the testicles?
    Highly toxic to rodent testes in very high doses. Garcinia has been taken by probably millions of people in the dose that is in Pentabosol without adverse effects. It is classified as GRAS (generally regarded as safe) by the FDA, so I wouldn’t worry about it. In fact, I don’t worry about it. I take Pentabosol myself from time to time if I let my weight creep up.

  93. How sad that thinks to the government class warfare and there hatred towards successful business men that you become a huckster by promoting a product!! Hello people, thats free enterprise!! It’s what made the USA great although it’s crumbling as we speak!
    Dr.Eades, I would feel you were betraying your readers and fans if you outright new of a product that even most likely helped people and didn’t share it with us! Now then you would be a huckster! Don’t worry about the few socialist who don’t like you sharing a product that can help people.
    It’s funny they don’t have a problem with you writing on here for free and sharing your wisdom but as soon as you mention a product your just a greedy capitalist!! No they didn’t say that but that’s what it’s really about! People love a struggling business man but when he actually makes it (oh no, you have a house in tahoe!!) then he’s becomes a huckster! That’s all it is is class warfare!!
    Thanks for all you do!!

  94. I’ve been doing a form of intermittent fasting since I read about it in your blog a couple of years ago. Most days I don’t eat before 5 pm and rarely after 9:30. I’ve been keeping off about 20 additional pounds as a result of this regime. (Total about 100 pounds) I do eat low carb. I’m really pretty happy with this system–it works better for me than anything else has. I still, however, should lose an additional 25 pounds.
    I’ve received my order of Pentabosol and I have a question about the directions. Since my “breakfast” is 5 pm, when should I have the first dose? And since it says to take on an empty stomach before bed, I’m also concerned because my stomach is definitely not empty when I go to bed, usually by 10. Will it be useless if I take it having eaten recently?
    Arrange your dosing schedule so that you can take it twice a day on a stomach that has had no food in it for at least an hour. It makes for better absorption.

  95. Mike – I sent a comment to you over a week ago with some specific questions regarding Pentabosol. Considering you’ve posted and/or responded to my comments within a couple of days in the past I’m starting to think it got lost. It still shows up as under moderation in my browser – let me know if I should send it again. Also, did you want Pentabosol comments sent by email? If so, please let me know what address to use.
    Both of them got through, I just haven’t had the chance to get to them. I have about 80 comments stacked up right now. At the moment I’m crushed with multiple projects with close deadlines looming and barely have time to post. And I’m trying to get out of the answering comments biz. Comments are supposed to be comments, not a Q & A. In the early stages of this blog, I had the leisure to directly reply to the three or four comments I got on each post, and I really enjoyed interacting with my readers. Now I get anywhere from 50 or 60 to 200, many of which are not really comments but questions or lists of questions, and I am simply overwhelmed. Each question/comment takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to deal with. Multiply that times 100 comments and that’s a lot of time. It often takes more time to deal with the comments than it took to write the post in the first place. Since the same hundred or so people write the comments and since I have at this point about 5,000 readers of this blog, I would assume the other 4,900 people who don’t comment would rather I spend time writing new posts than answering comments. Having said all this, I will get to your comments as soon as I can, but I’ve got to work my way through all the ones in front of them.

  96. I have followed your work long enough that I respect and trust the information you provide and I can reconcile the product business. Newer readers who are not part of the community may have some trouble with it.
    One thing that did give me pause and prompted me to post is how the product is pitched: “everyone knows that diet and exercise is essential to loosing weight” (from the youtube video). This is hard to reconcile with all of the discussion that has occurred about the positive caloric balance theory. You quote directly in at least one instance that you do not believe that the data supports the theory. The content from this site is the best I’ve ever read on the subject of health, but the marketing for this product is worrisome. I think it could be improved.
    It isn’t hard to reconcile when you consider that the FTC requires you to say those words when advertising a diet supplement.

  97. Here’s another update, on the chance that it gets through (my previous two haven’t, apparently). I won’t use the product name in case that’s causing it to go into your spam filter. My weight is still steady at 170-172, though I’ve lost a little fat off my stomach since I started doing yoga and picked up some muscle. Appetite seems pretty much the same. Since I went low carb/gluten free I haven’t had much of an appetite between meals anyway, so thats not really an issue for me. Starting to think I should get my thyroid checked.
    Yeesh. I’m going nuts. I thought I had answered this one already, but now I realize that my long whine about having to deal with comments was appended to the wrong comment. Sorry.
    It probably wouldn’t hurt to get your thyroid checked if you haven’t done so in a while, but in my experience, it usually turns out okay. If you do, make sure you get a comprehensive thyroid panel done that includes TSH.

  98. Thanks so much for the answers to my questions. The more detailed info is very helpful. I’m glad to hear that Pentabosol doesn’t depend on appetite suppression, since that’s not the kind of assistance I’m looking for. I’m going to my doc today for a checkup and I’ll ask her about hormonal testing (thyroid and peri-menopausal).
    Sorry if I came across as a nag – I was a bit dismayed thinking that my comments were either being filtered to your spam box or that I’d somehow offended you. No need to respond to this one! Hope your projects are going well and looking forward to hearing more about them.
    No problem. You didn’t come across as a nag nor did you offend me. I probably took my frustrations out on you a little because I was overwhelmed with all the comments I was (am) looking at. It take 15 seconds to write a comment that says: Here’s the latest study written about in the NY Times. Your thoughts? And it takes me forever to read the article, hunt down the study, read it, digest it, and pony up my thoughts. It’s not that you did this, but others do all the time. So what it takes a questioner a half a minute to write out takes me an hour sometimes to respond to. And I’ve got a bunch just like this stacked up right now.

  99. I hope you’ll forgive me for asking, but did the placebo contain sugar or carbs?
    Good question. The answer is no.

  100. The product is not for sale? I went to re-order and it’s gone! Dang, that’s a bummer because I bought a can and began it three weeks ago and I want some more. Serious bummer, as the product is working.
    I didn’t lose any weight first week. Second week, dropped 7 lbs. Third week, no loss. I’ll probably whoosh down again this week.
    I, too, don’t like it not dissolving any better but I can live with it since it works! This product is amazing. I have never experienced a curb in appetite such as what this provides. With no side effects. I still eat healthily but I don’t overeat, that’s for sure. And I am NEVER hungry. I just eat when I figure it’s time to eat. I’m impressed.
    I am not exercising yet but I am eating very low carb. Which I have been doing for many months now. I just could not lose before using this product.
    I’m glad to hear you’re having so much success. We are reformulating the product at this time. We hae been working with food technologists to make it taste better and mix better, and we are replacing the sucralose with a natural sweetener. We probably won’t have any product available for about two weeks. We do have a few cans of the product you have been using. I will have Kristi contact you directly to arrange ordering. Sorry for the inconvenience, but the change in taste, texture and mixability will be worth the hassle.

  101. Hi Dr Eades,
    I wanted to give you a preliminary report on my experience with Pentabasol.
    I started using it last wednesday, after a long vacation during which I was eating a horrendous amount of carbs.
    A brief update: I’ve been a low-carber in general since 2001, but the past year has included a pregnancy during which I was unable to low-carb for the first few months and as a result put on a fair amount of weight that did not come off after the birth. Then this vacation put on some more pounds. So having lost 100 pounds over 3 years of low-carbing, and maintaining that loss for 4 years, I now need to re-lose 40-45 pounds. I have a lot of experience with low-carbing, and how my body loses fat (with great difficulty, even when low-carbing).
    So, first off, I have to say that I do think the pentabasol is working as an appetite suppressant. Usually the first few days of low-carbing after eating high-carb are horrible and I’m super hungry – I haven’t been. I’ve really had very little trouble staying both low-carb and relatively low-calorie. I’ve also lost seven pounds in four days. Now, I know some of that is water weight as I was carbed up, but still – that’s a lot.
    Anyway, I’m in this for the long haul, and I think I’ll really be able to tell if the pentabasol speeds my weight loss, since I’ve lost weight before and I know how my body reacts to dieting.
    I’ll update again in a few weeks once I’ve got more data.
    Also, I only have 2 cans of pentabasol, and even with this merely preliminary result, want to order some more. I live abroad and will have to order it to family in the U.S. that is coming to visit within the next few weeks. So if there is any way I could also get some of the pentabasol that’s left over from the old formula, that would be great.
    Thanks,
    Deborah
    Thanks for the report. I’m having my assistant Kristi contact you directly about ordering.

  102. I’m curious as to whether Pentabosol can affect performance of weight lifters if it uncouples respiration from phosphorylation. I regularly do strength training in the gym, and being on a low carb diet does affect my ability to repeatedly move increasingly heavy weights; so I make sure that I get an energy boost with MCT oil prior to working out. Any feedback from Pentabosol-using weight lifters?
    I haven’t had a lot of direct, hands-on experience with weight-lifters and Pentabosol, but I think Fred Hahn has. As I recall, he used to (maybe still does) make it available to clients at his facility. You may want to drop him a line to see what he thinks of it.

  103. After all this debate, I can’t find it on the website anymore. Where has it gone?
    We’re reformulating to get rid of the artificial sweetener and improve mixability. Should be back in a week or so.

  104. Hi! Thanks for all the wonderful information!!!
    Regarding the Pentabosol, I just wanted to let you know, for whatever it’s worth, that I personally would PREFER to take a handful of capsules than drink several ounces of liquid supplement. I take several supplements and can swill them down simultaneously (in particular, the psyllium husk capsules, for which a single serving is six medium-sized capsules). I’ll bet there are others like me who are used to doing that and might prefer a pill to a liquid. Would you considering offering Pentabosol in both forms?
    Cheers!
    -Kathryn
    Thanks for the feedback. We’ve looked at capsules, but it would take a lot of them. It just seems easier to throw back a quick drink, especially now that we’ve got it reformulated so that it tastes better and mixes more easily. No plans for capsules in the immediate future.

  105. hi,
    i see in ‘products’ a new ‘metabasol’ diet aid – is this the reformulated pentabasol?
    thanks
    deborah
    Yep.

  106. I have got a large belly. Will Pentabosol work or should I have to do some physical exercise along with it.
    You have to follow a low-carb diet along with the Metabosol. The study showed that Metabosol increased the weight loss on a low-carb diet, not that Metabosol all by itself is a silver bullet for weight loss.

  107. Dr Eades — I used Pentabosol a few years back, and am looking into using it again, as I liked it. I made mine as warm lemonade and it dissolved just fine, and, I lost weight, even though I have never been a strict low carb gal… You created Pentabosol and Advanced Metabolics LLC, but now I see Metabosol from Advanced Nutrilogics which is also created by you, being touted by you… Have you disassociated from Advanced Metabolics and Pentabosol, and are now only associated with Advanced Nutrilogics and Metabosol? BOTH products are selling, so what are we consumers to think? Which product and company do you recommend we should use and do business with, considering you created both… Is there a problem with one over the other, or are both okay in your eyes?
    I really want to understand this, because in your bio’s, there’s now no mention whatsoever of your creation of Advanced Metabolics LLC or Pentabosol at all — they merely mention your affiliation with Advanced Nutrilogics and Metabosol, only as of 2009, and that’s it! So it’s rather disconcerting and confusing…
    Please clarify for me, so I can understand better, and so I can pick a product to use! Thank you so much!!!
    Maureen

  108. I used pentabasol about 8 years ago and found myself easily losing a pound a day for a month and because I only needed to lose 30 lbs, was able to keep it off for many years using a low carb diet until I had an appendectomy which fouled up my system and metabolism making it impossible to stay on a low barb diet because I could barely tolerate protein and fats.
    Now I’m a female past menopause and tried the pentabasol again and has less favorable results, though better than without it. After 3 months, I’ve lost about 12 lbs, and have had to cut back much more on the fats that I did way back when I first tried the pentabasol, in order to lose any weight at all.
    In all, however, I think it has been helpful, and would like to re-order but the phones aren’t working nor is the web page, so where do I go to get the product?

  109. Dr. Eades,
    I have used your product many times in the past with great success. I did combine it with a low-carb diet and exercise. I have since not been eating as well as I should and plan to change that in the near future. I would like to go back on Pentabosol; however, I have since decided not to consume any artificial sweeteners.
    I noticed the above post regarding the stevia, and I would purchase again if you are able to re-formulate the product with it or just make an unsweetened version. Please let me know if this is in the works? Thanks.
    Kathryn

    1. You can find a newly reformulated product on our products page called Metabosol that is Pentabosol reformulated with no artificial sweetener. We used Reb A, the molecule from stevia that provides the sweetness. In my opinion, it gives the product a much cleaner taste.

  110. Dear Dr. Eades
    Good morning. I stumbled on your blog this morning and want to thank you for your labors. I have been Type 2 for 16 years and take 180 unites of Lantus and 60-80 unites of Humalog each day. I weigh @ 315 lbs but have no health problems besides being diabetic. Nevertheless, I cannot afford the insulin and can’t bend over because of abdominal fat. I have done Atkins but failed at resuming a usable amount of carbohydrates. Nevertheless, I would like to follow your advice if you would direct me to the correct book you have written to get started.
    I hope to hear from you as soon as possible.
    Best regards
    Father Raphael Abraham

  111. Well, it has been nearly 9 years now since I tried the Pentabosol, I went from 310 pounds, down about 80 pounds without much more than adding a Tony Little Gazelle to my routine. (I’m 5’2″)
    I’ve gained some of that weight back, but not nearly as heavy as I had been, I started looking again for Pentabosol, and see now that it is Metabosol. I’ve tried other supplements in the mean time, but nothing compaires to the fabulous results I had before, so when my finances catch up, will be ordering some “new” formula.
    It worked so well last time, thank you for helping so many people, me included.

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