How Products were Selected:
Products selected represent those commonly sold and/or available in the U.S. and Canada. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, on-line retailers and/or multi-level marketing companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers.
Testing Methods:
7-Keto DHEA and stimulant weight loss products were tested in one or more independent laboratories for the following:
- Quantification of 7-keto-dehydroepiandrosterone (7-keto DHEA or 7-keto), forskolin, synephrine and caffeine by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
- Quantitative analyses for lead, cadmium and arsenic by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy.
- Disintegration of non-chewable, non-capsule and non-time released formulations utilizing USP (United States Pharmacopeia) <2040> methods.
Identities of the products were not disclosed to laboratories performing the testing.
Passing Score:*
To be "Approved" by ConsumerLab.com, a product had to meet the following requirements:
- Contain no less than 100% and no more than 135% of label claim of 7-keto DHEA. Contain no less than 100% and no more than 125% of label claim of forskolin. Contain no less than 100% and no more than 125% of label claim of synephrine. Contain no less than 100% and no more than 125% of label claim of caffeine (anhydrous). If the product did not state an amount of 7-keto DHEA, synephrine or caffeine the amount found is reported.
- Heavy Metals: Products containing whole herbs and/or 250 mg minerals per daily dose must not exceed the following limits:
Lead**:- Products marketed for use by children may not exceed the State of California's Prop 65 limits for lead in dietary supplements of 0.5 mcg per recommended daily serving with an additional allowance of 0.8 mcg if the product contains more than 1,000 mg/day of calcium.
- Products with single serving weights of less than 5 grams that are not marketed for use by children, may not exceed the State of California's Prop 65 limits for lead in dietary supplements of 0.5 mcg per recommended daily serving with an additional allowance of 0.4 mcg if containing 250 - 999 mg/day of any combination of elemental calcium, magnesium and potassium or 0.8 mcg if containing more than 1,000 mg/day of any combination of these minerals. An additional allowance of 0.5 mcg is provided if containing 250-999 mg/day of whole herb (not extract) or 1.0 mcg if containing 1000 mg/day or more whole herb (not extract). However, total lead allowance will not exceed 2 mcg.
- Products with single serving weights of 5 grams or more which are not marketed for children may not exceed 2.5 mcg per serving nor 4.0 mcg per daily serving.
- If marketed for use by children, may not exceed 3.0 micrograms of cadmium per recommended daily serving (based on Canada's limit for a child weighing 75 lbs.). If not marketed for use by children, may not exceed 4.1 micrograms of cadmium per recommended daily serving (based on the State of California's Prop 65 limit).
- Contain less than 10 micrograms of total arsenic and no more than 5 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per daily serving (EPA limit and state of New Jersey limits - based on 1 liter of water).
- Meet recommended USP <2040> parameters of disintegration for dietary supplements (excluding capsule, chewable, sublingual and time-release products).
- Be in compliance with FDA labeling requirements.
* Passing scores allow for specific margins of technical error associated with each analysis. ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing if it considers such product to display unacceptable variation, present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate information in its labeling.
** Based on State of California's Prop 65 lead limit. California requires supplement exceeding this limit to bear a warning label regarding lead.
