Bystrictin shake Review: Does it work?

Intro: What is it?

Bystrictin is a meal replacement shake that claims to have patented and clinically studied appetite suppressing ingredients. They claim these additives will expand in the stomach up to 50 times its regular size.

The company also says you can start losing weight the first day you use this meal replacement.  There are also only all natural ingredients, though this is common for all meal replacements. The manufacturers make many claims about the potent weight loss possibilities. So is it true? What’s possible through supplementing with Bystrictin? This review has everything you need to know about this meal replacement.

Bystrictin Meal Replacement Ingredients

Here’s the ingredient list of the Swiss Chocolate flavor:

Some of these ingredients have potential problems:

Pyridoxine Hydrochloride: Vitamin B6 extract which is used to break down sugars, fats, and proteins. Long term use can lead to brain and nerve problems. It can also promote nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, and stomach pain.

Niacinamide: Niacin extract that in high doses can produce toxic side effects. It can potentially cause flushing skin, hives, and nausea.

Calcium Phosphate: Supplement used to provide calcium. A study by the Nutrition in Clinical Practice journal has said its unknown what side effects may occur when supplementing with this ingredient.

Magnesium Oxide: Commonly used as animal feed and as a fertilizer ingredient, it can produce nausea and stomach cramping. Long term use can damage the bowels and cause a blockage.

Potassium Chloride: Most commonly used as a fertilizer, it’s also used as a final step in the lethal injection process. It can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death.

Macronutrients and Calories:

 Calories

There’s a total of 110 calories, of which 30 are from fat. To determine the overall fat percentage there’s a formula available:

30/100=0.27 times 100= 27% fat per serving.  The FDA has qualified anything 20% or above as being high fat.  Some of the saturated fat is due to the added cocoa.

Fiber

Surprisingly there’s only 3 grams of fiber per serving. This is odd considering the company boasts the appetite suppressing properties.

The company adds what they call their Gastric Fill Technology or GFT, which is a blend of soluble fibers that includes:

Glucomannan: Used as a thickener and emulsifier. It’s extracted from the konjac plant. According to Health Canada, this ingredient can cause:

“choking and/or blockage of the throat, esophagus or intestine”

The Federal Trade Commission has often struck down companies who make unproven health benefits about the weight loss possibilities. Many companies have been sued due to the often unproven health benefits made about Glucomannan.

Potato Extract (Slendesta): Patented extract taken from potato skins. The European Food Safety Authority has studied this ingredient thoroughly to see if it had any weight loss benefits. According to them, there’s been no link between:

“Consumption of Slendesta® Potato Extract and reduction of body weight.”

Guar Gum: Thickener made from guar beans. It’s commonly used as a laxative which can produce loose stools, diarrhea, and choking.

Xanthan Gum: Commonly added to processed foods, this thickener is often extracted from many common allergens such as dairy, wheat, soy, and corn. It’s unknown where Bystrictin sources their Xanthan Gum from.

All these thickeners except Slendesta have been shown to be a potential choking hazard.  They’re also commonly used in many processed foods, since they’re cheap to produce and they have binding effects.

The Quality of Bystrictin’s protein

The protein blend is made up of 3 ingredients:

Soy Protein Isolate: Often GMO unless the company claims otherwise. This high protein soy blend does have all the essential amino acids, however, it also can produce estrogen, and it can potentially disrupt hormones.  Some studies have also shown that the phytoestrogens in this ingredient can cause mood swings, fatigue, and other complications. There have been clinical studies performed which show it can block the absorption of protein.

Whey Protein Isolate: Fast acting protein source which has a higher amount of protein than concentrates. It’s often taken post workouts since it’s rapidly absorbed by the body.

Whey Protein Concentrate: Slow acting protein that can be taken at night time to preserve lean muscle mass. Whey is an extract found in the cheese making process that is rich in amino acids. It’s also easily digested and it provides the best protein source out of any other extracts.

Though there’s 10 grams of protein added, some of it comes from GMO soy. This ingredient has many problems since it can potentially cause thyroid problems, and it’s also known to produce excess amounts of estrogen, according to some studies.

The Price and Quality of Bystrictin

28 servings worth is provided in each canister. It’s sold via Amazon.com for $29.89, and the official website automatically enrolls people into a 2 month purchase for $79.99. To calculate the daily price through Amazon, you implement a simple formula:

$29.89/ 14= $2.13 per day for 2 shakes.

Some of the ingredients can produce unwanted side effects, and some of the protein does come from GMO soy. Overall, for what you’re getting there could be more protein and no soy added for it to be a quality brand.

It’s also unknown why the official website sells this brand for a much higher price. Usually 3^rd party retailers sell more expensive brands in order to turn a profit.

Artificial Sweeteners

There’s only one gram of sugar in this formula due to the addition of these 2 artificial sweeteners:

Acesulfame Potassium: Calorie free sweetener that’s around 200 times sweeter than plain sucrose.  The National Toxicology Program ran a study on mice which showed an increase in tumors in males.  Another study published in the Oxford Journals also revealed a risk to newborn babies, since it’s passed on via breast milk. Plos One has a website which lists scientific studies that also revealed:

“Acesulfame Potassium Treatment Alters Neurometabolic Functions”

This means it can cause damage to the nervous system.

Sucralose: A nonnutritive sweetener that is up to 1,000 times sweeter than sucrose. Several different studies have also show it can cause side effects and severe damage to health. A Duke University study performed on mice revealed an increase in body weight reduced healthy gut bacteria by 50%, and an increase in a protein which is only released when the body comes into contact with a potential contaminant.

The American Diabetes Association also relaeased a study which showed Sucralose:

“Affects Glycemic and Hormonal Responses”

By raising blood sugar levels this ingredient can cause an increased risk for obesity and other compications.

Ownership of the Company

The makers of Bystrictin declared bankruptcy, and their original official website was taken down. A new website is in place which claims to be operated by the same company, though in a different state. According to the terms and conditions, this website does not:

“Give rise to personal jurisdiction over Bystrictin™ and/or Century Sciences, LLC”

Personal jurisdiction is a lgal term used to show that you can’t enforce any rules or make a decision against the company.

They also add another disclaimer that says when you agree to the terms and conditions that you’re:

“GIVING UP YOUR RIGHT TO GO TO COURT”

So if any problems were to arise from using this brand, you wouldn’t be able to hold them accountable.

There’s also another disclaimer that by agreeing to purchase directly from the website that you’re automatically enrolling into a 2 month contract worth $79.95, for 2 canisters of Bystrictin each 2 months.

It’s unknown if the original makers of Bystrictin are still making this brand, but in their new form they lock people into monthly contracts. They also make it so you can’t hold them accountable if you were to experience any issues.

Business

Though the company name is Century Sciences, LLC, they don’t list any information about how they operate. They do list contact information however:

Phone Number: (800) 497-6216

Address: 18034 Ventura Blvd Ste 145

Encino, CA 91316

There was a lawsuit filed against the company due to trademark concerns. Also, they filed for chapter 7 bakruptcy on August 2015. However, a website which claims to be run by the company still sells Bystrictin. It’s unknown if the website is legitimate, since when you Google Bystrictin they don’t rank until the 10^th option.

They’ve also had 7 customer complains on the Better Business Bureau, some customers claim to be billed without their consent. There are also reports of people being automatically charged each month, even though they didn’t agree to more than one purchase.

Customer Opinions

There are customer testimonials offered on the official website, however, less bias reviews are available on Amazon.com:

“did not provide enough protein”

“Tastes good. Does not live up to claims.”

“didn’t notice any difference”

“do not buy this product”

The overall consensus is that the product does have a good taste, but that it’s far too overpriced, and that it does not suppress appetite or help people lose weight. Many people add how they had to add more than the recommended dosage strength in order for there to be any effect.

Conclusion

This product has some important highlights to consider:

• The company has gone bankrupt: Since August 2015 the company has gone under bankruptcy. It’s unknown exactly why, still their official website is still operational. There’s also no explanation provided on the current website. Though the company was started in California, the new website lists them as being operational in Connecticut. There’s no telling if the brand sold is the legitamite version of Bystrictin.
• Many customers complain about a lack of weight loss benefits: The most common complaint was that people had to keep adding more scoops than what was recommended. People also claim they didn’t actually lose any weight.
• There’s GMO soy added: The first ingredient on the label is Soy Protein Isolate. Soy is one of the most GMO ingredients avaialble. It’s also known to cause an increase in estrogen, which can make weight loss harder.
• Some of the ingredients can cause major side effects: Their fiber blend is made up of 3 different thickeners which can cause choking. Also, some of these ingredients are either not proven to promote weight loss, or they are commonly used in processed foods. Other potential side effects can include loss of vitamins and minerals, nausea, vomiting, diahrrea, bloating, and stomach issues.
• There are additivies which have not been proven to work: Slendesta is a patented potato skin extract intended to help people lose weight. It’s been studied by the European version of the FDA, who claims there’s no proof to suggest it has any benefits for weight loss. Some of the other fiber blends have also been struck down repeatedly by both the FDA and FTC, for a lack of proven weight loss benefits.

Many of these ingredients are either unproven to produce weight loss benefits, or they can cause side effects. Customers have also expressed concern over the lack of appetite suppressing properties, and the high price considering the quality of ingredients.