Bitter Orange Extract Deemed Safe
Remember the good old days when ephedrine was legal and readily available? It was almost like fat simply melted off of your body without much effort at all. Well, those good old days were over 13 years ago (now I feel old). Thanks to the FDA, ephedrine was wiped off the market — well, kind of. And that’s where bitter orange extract came into the picture.
Those who were interested in using ephedrine after the “ban” could purchase it over the counter still, by simply buying a box of Bronkaid — generally used for asthma relief. You can purchase Bronkaid at places like Rite Aid, Walmart, Walgreens, Target, CVS, and other retailers. Note, you will need a form of ID as the government tracks how much you purchase and has the ability to shut it down if you attempt to purchase too much at one time or too often (since the product can be used to produce narcotics).
Each dose of Bronkaid will yield you 25mg of ephedrine, along with 400mg of guaifenesin (an expectorant). The downside to the inclusion of guaifenesin is the fact that if you try to take several pills to obtain a high dosage of ephedrine, you’d get sick. Yet, many still use Bronkaid in an attempt to drop stubborn body fat. Most even use it as the old school EC or ECA stack where ephedrine is combined with caffeine or caffeine and aspirin. This combination has potent fat burning capabilities.
So, where does bitter orange extract (or also known as citrus aurentium) come into play? Well, when ephedrine was (kinda) taken off the market, bitter orange extract seemed to have attempted to fill its extremely large shoes. However, the safety of bitter orange extract was under heavy scrutiny and many pushed to also have it banned.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.
Table of contents
What is Bitter Orange Extract?
Bitter Orange Extract is derived from the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium), which is native to Southeast Asia and grown in other parts of the world as well. The extract is typically made from the peel of the fruit and is used for various purposes, including:
- Weight Loss and Fat Burning: Bitter orange extract contains synephrine, a compound similar to ephedrine, which can increase metabolic rate and energy expenditure, making it a popular ingredient in weight loss supplements.
- Appetite Suppression: Some studies suggest that synephrine can help reduce appetite, further aiding in weight management.
- Performance Enhancement: It is sometimes used in sports supplements to enhance physical performance and endurance.
- Digestive Health: Bitter orange extract is also used in traditional medicine to treat digestive issues, such as indigestion, constipation, and nausea.
- Skin Care: The extract is used in some skincare products for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
It’s important to note that while bitter orange extract can have benefits, it may also cause side effects, particularly when taken in high doses or combined with other stimulants. Potential side effects include increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular issues. Therefore, it should be used with caution and ideally under the guidance of a healthcare professional.
Using the Googlez
If you put bitter orange extract into Google, you will find about 1,850,000 results (yes, I looked it up). There’s a wide array of supplements out there with bitter orange extract as one of its ingredients. There are also websites that talk about the negative effects from supplementing with it—as well as those promoting its use. Yet, as with ephedrine searches, over the last 10+ years, searches for bitter orange extract have declined dramatically.
For those who never heard of it, bitter orange is a plant that when used as a supplement has the ability to potentially decrease appetite as well as aid in weight loss. When combined with caffeine it becomes a powerful and potent combination.
A doctor at the Creighton University Medical Center who backs the use and safety of bitter orange extract, and who also helps formulate supplements looked at a review on this ingredient and mentioned, “This review indicates that p-synephrine cannot be equated with ephedrine and the effects of ephedrine cannot be extrapolated to p-synephrine due to structural differences.” He feels as if bitter orange extract is dying off in the same fashion as ephedrine, without it even being considered a banned substance.
*It should be noted that bitter orange extract is considered a banned substance by the NCAA and athletes should refrain from using bitter orange extract in any form (just like almost every other supplement out on the market since their regulations are tighter than an ants butthole).
The Media Attacks Bitter Orange Extract
The media, like with everything, attacked the safety of bitter orange extract back in 2010. They touted it as unsafe and one of the “Dirty Dozen” ingredients that they felt was not safe to use. This is slightly comical as they have no industry knowledge, zero education to back up that their opinion matters, and is simply taking a shot in the dark just to release a story acting like they are bringing some sort of value to the American people (which they weren’t). Consumer Reports was actually one of the worst critics of them all.
Interestingly enough, even with the web searches dying down for bitter orange extract, between 2012 and 2016, eight more studies were completed using the extract. And guess what? There were zero negative effects found or noted from any of them.
That same doctor said, “In addition to the human studies, tens of millions of doses of bitter orange extract containing-containing products have been consumed in the USA as well as internationally by millions of individuals without the report of serious incidents.” So, the media’s attacks on bitter orange extract is baseless. There hasn’t been reported incidents from users who supplemented with it.
Can you and should you use bitter orange extract to help lose weight? You certainly can if you so wish to do so. Being that it is deemed safe, bitter orange extract is definitely something you can throw into your supplement regimen if you need a little extra boost fighting body fat. Good news is not only is it safe, but it’s a fairly inexpensive ingredient/product to use.
Source:
1.) Stohs, S.J. “Safety, Efficacy, and Mechanistic Studies Regarding Citrus Aurantium (Bitter Orange) Extract and p-Synephrine.” Phytotherapy Research. 2017.
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