Yohimbe for Fat Loss Reviews, Efficacy & Study Results

Sourced from the bark of an African evergreen plant, yohimbe bark extract is the primary source of yohimbine supplements for fat loss. It is also the biosynthetic source for yohimbine HCL – a prescription medication for erectile dysfunction.

The terms yohimbe and yohimbine are often used interchangeably. However, they mean two different things: yohimbe is the botanical name of the tree and yohimbine is the alkaloid substance derived from the bark that is the active ingredient in yohimbe supplements.

Research regarding yohimbe for fat loss is limited but a few studies exist that indicate this herb has the potential to aid in fat loss when used in conjunction with a low-calorie diet and exercise program.

Yohimbine acts on alpha-2 receptors antagonistically, resulting in a hyperadrenergic effect. Yohimbe stimulates release of adrenaline and norepinephrine which increases metabolic and central nervous system activity. Yohimbe also dilates blood vessels, reduces appetite and may innervate fatty acid mobilization to help burn fat. [1]

Yohimbine

Herbal Supplement

Weight Loss

Energy

Libido

How It Works:

• Helps promote fat loss
• Increases energy & suppresses appetite
• Promotes sex drive & performance

Dosage:

Between 5-50 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Unsafe

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Yohimbe Fat Loss Studies

Obese females participating in a small clinical study took five milligrams of yohimbine four times a day for 21 days.

Compared to a placebo group, the yohimbine group experienced “greater weight loss (mean weight loss of nearly eight pounds) than the placebo group (mean weight loss of four pounds)”. Each group followed a 1000 calorie diet/day for three weeks. [2]

However, another study involving 47 overweight men given high doses of yohimbine (up to 43 milligrams/day) for six months resulted in the yohimbe group not experiencing weight loss or body fat reduction compared to a placebo group. [3]

A 2010 review of yohimbine fat loss results further noted that “results from small human trials of yohimbine for weight loss are contradictory… [The] evidence base is insufficient to support a weight loss claim for this compound.”[4]

In another study on the effects of yohimbe for fat loss and enhancing performance of professional soccer players, researchers observed a fat burning effect.

Subjects taking 20 milligrams of yohimbine twice a day for 21 days had a “percentage of body fat decreased but was not statistically significant” in the yohimbe group compared to the placebo group.

No changes in performance were noted and none of the subjects reported adverse side effects. According to the authors of this study, “yohimbine supplementation appears to be suitable as a fat loss strategy in elite athletes“. [5]

How Yohimbe May Work for Weight Loss

Yohimbine may work for fat loss by inhibiting a regulatory pathway that promotes the storage of fat in certain parts of the body.

Adipose tissue does not just passively store fat. In fact, since scientists discovered fat tissue secretes inflammatory chemicals and hormones, they now consider fat tissue as a living organ.

Fat cells also contain adrenergic receptors that respond to stimulating substances such as adrenaline, norepinephrine and epinephrine. [6]

These receptors also react to catecholamines, a type of hormone that supports fat mobilization. When fat is “mobilized”, it is broken down into fatty acids and released into the bloodstream, where elimination of fatty acids is expedited to theoretically help promote weight loss.

Yohimbine works by blocking pre-synaptic alpha-2 adrenergic receptors located in areas of the body where fat is typically stored.

It is theorized that it prevents these receptors from detecting high levels of norepinephrine in the blood, causing these cells to release more of this chemical into the bloodstream.

This results in an increased rate of lipolysis, or fat breakdown. Free fatty acids are released from adipose tissue and circulated through the blood. If these fatty acids are subsequently burned for energy, the result is an increase in fat loss.

Yohimbe Weight Loss Dosage

Studies examining the effects of yohimbine for fat loss gave subjects 20 milligrams/day without reports of unpleasant side effects. Up to 50 milligrams/day of yohimbine supplements has been used by men suffering erectile dysfunction.

However, side effects such as anxiety, rapid heartbeat and sweating, are frequently experienced by those taking yohimbe supplements at higher doses.

It is generally recommended to start with a much lower dose of yohimbe extract to determine your individual tolerance level. Some people may be more sensitive to the effects of this supplement than others.

As a weight loss aid, yohimbe bark is taken on an empty stomach in a fasted state. It competes in the body with insulin, so using it after eating a meal is not as effective as using it when your blood sugar levels are low.

Yohimbe Fat Loss Stack

In weight training jargon, “stacking” means mixing two or more supplements (usually anabolic steroids) together to enhance their effects.

A yohimbe fat loss stack mentioned on a bodybuilding website discusses stacking ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin with yohimbine.

This supplement combination is considered to be more effective than if you were to take these supplements on their own, but it poses a much higher risk of health dangers.

According to the website: “the problem is that a yohimbe-ephedrine-caffeine-aspirin stack can be relatively more dangerous than either one used separately. People…have reported a racing heart rate and vastly increased blood pressure when they take ECA + yohimbe and there is no way to know in advance if you’ll be susceptible to these adverse side effects”.

Yohimbe Fat Loss Reviews

User reviews of yohimbe suggest that this supplement can be effective for cutting body fat, but the high risk of side effects must be considered.

There are a number of reports posted on Amazon.com, Bodybuilding.com and GNC.com of people taking this supplement for weight loss and as a pre-workout energy booster. The majority of users take it for Erectile Dysfunction and as a libido-booster.

According to user testimonials, this supplement has a significant appetite-suppression effect, which can support weight loss by reducing the urge to eat unhealthy foods. Other users say that it helps them perform more intense workouts at the gym.

One user of the GNC Yohimbe 451 supplement said, “Wow, the first time I used this I felt like I was unstoppable….for about 30 minutes. Then I started having palpitations. Do not use this before cardio. For weight lifting though, it’s great. I opened up the capsule and dumped half of it out, put the cap back on and took it. This has nearly the same benefit of the full dose with maybe 10% of the side effects. Do not take within 6 hours of bedtime though. Please change this to 225mg GNC, I think that would be a better dose.”

Another reviewer said, “I took one capsule daily one hour before activity. The product really gave me more energy. After activity I still had power back to work. I couldn’t see the side effect so far.”

Regarding the risk of side effects, one buyer commented, “took as directed. blood pressure rose to very high level.”

Another user said. “I have only used it a few times. But, it seemed to work pretty good for me. If I have one negitive about it, it would be that it seemed to prevent a full nights sleep (or even close to it).”

A final user reported that the side effects were too intense and that they stopped using the product as a result: “This supplement has major side effects. It increases heart rate by twofold which can harm your heart, as well as, increases your Anxiety levels by a major margin. I threw away my supplement before suffering hear damage and increase of my anxiety,which I ever had before.”

Buying Yohimbe Fat Burners

While yohimbine HCL may be prescribed by physicians for ED or dry mouth syndrome, yohimbe supplements are not regulated by the U.S. FDA and may or may not contain the amount of yohimbine specified on the label.

Yohimbe bark extract sold as a dietary supplement may offer minimal concentrations of yohimbine (less than 15 percent) or use ingredients simulating the effects of yohimbine. [8]

An analysis of 50 yohimbe supplements initiated by Dr. Pieter Cohen of the Cambridge Health Alliance found that 40 percent of the supplement did not contain certain alkaloids found in yohimbe extract.

This finding, according to Cohen, suggests that “a highly processed form of yohimbine is being included in these supplements.”

He further claims that “yohimbine refined to higher-than-prescription doses means the manufacturer is selling a pharmaceutical drug, not a plant supplement”. [9]

This means that many of the yohimbe supplements sold online do not contain the ingredients they are purported to contain. To reduce the risk of side effects, only purchase supplements from GMP-compliant manufacturers that have thoroughly tested their products and provide a standardized extract of yohimbe bark.

People interested in taking yohimbe to aid in losing weight should consult with their physician before using this supplement to avoid possible harmful side effects.

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