'No proof' of potential citrus aurantium dangers
aurantium, or seville orange, as a substitute to ephedra may do
more harm than good to help people lose weight, but voices in the
supplements industry suggest these assertions are unfounded.
The article, written by Adriane Fugh-Berman and Adam Myers, researchers at Georgetown University, and published in the September issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, claims there is no scientific evidence to support the use of this herb for losing weight and that it may even be dangerous for the consumer's health.
The scientists write that although seville orange extract is being marketed as a safe alternative to ephedra in herbal weight-loss products, it may also have the potential to cause adverse health effects.
"Citrus aurantium contains synephrine (oxedrine), which is structurally similar to epinephrine," they said. "Although no adverse events have been associated with ingestion of these products thus far, synephrine increases blood pressure in humans and other species, and has the potential to increase cardiovascular events."
Moreover Fugh-Berman and Myers doubt that this supplement can deliver what it offers on the bottle.
"There is little evidence that products containing C. aurantium are an effective aid to weight loss as synephrine has lipolytic effects in human fat cells only at high doses," they said.
They concluded by noting that it may even interfere with the effects of prescription drugs by increasing their serum levels.
Bob Green, a principal at the nutraceutical company Nutratech, which supplies Advantra Z, a citrus aurantium supplement being marketed for its weight loss and physical performance enhancing capability, told NutraIngredientsUSA that he was unconvinced by this review.
"This research is speculative and unsupported by any scientific proof, it is based on conjecture and not fact," he said.
He stated that anything in excess was dangerous and felt that this article was based around this basic assumption, and would like to see some actual research to prove the Georgetown researchers' claims, particularly since he has seen no negative results from any of the research carried out by Nutratech or its clients.
"Customers are not worried about the safety of this product. When epehdra was around citrus aurantium wasn't very popular because it wasn't as strong as ephedra, but after the ban on this supplement we saw a 100 percent increase in sales of seville orange products," he said.
When Nutratech received a Canadian patent for Advantra Z in June, the company stated: "It works as effectively as ephedra when used properly without the potentially negative central nervous system and cardiovascular side effect."
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office granted a patent for citrus aurantium to be used for the regulation of appetite, body weight and athletic function.
The firm already has US patents relating to the use of the extracts for, but not limited to, stimulating thermogenesis, reducing weight loss, increasing lean muscle mass to total body mass, improving athletic performance and suppressing appetite and other US, Canadian and international patents are pending.
Advantra Z is composed of five synergistic adrenergic amines, namely synephrine, n-methyltyramine, hordenine, octopamine and tyramine.
