Skinny Fiber Review: Does The Pill Really Work?

When it comes to weight loss, supplements tend to be one of the most popular ideas. After all, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could simply take a pill to shift those stubborn pounds? For that matter, a supplement would be worth it even if it just made weight loss a little easier.

Skinny Fiber is one such option that makes those promises. Specifically, the product acts as a fiber supplement that also contains digestive enzymes.

But, hype aside, how good is Skinny Fiber really?

In this Skinny Fiber review, I take a look at that exact question. To do so, I consider the actual ingredients in Skinny Fiber, the evidence behind them and how they are supposed to work.

After all, it’s important to know whether a product is likely to be effective before you spend money on it.

What is Skinny Fiber?

Skinny Fiber is a little different than most weight loss supplements.

In particular, many such products focus on thermogenic compounds. Those are designed to increase the metabolism and, by doing so, increase weight loss.

At the same time, many also promote water loss or increased bowel movements. Both of those processes make people feel like they are losing weight, even though they aren’t. 

To do this, weight loss supplements tend to contain a collection of different plant-based extracts, along with vitamins and minerals. For example, the some of the TruVision products contain chlorogenic acid, chromium, alpha lipoic acid and selenium. Likewise, the Thrive Patch system contains CoQ10, green coffee bean extract and Garcinia Cambogia.

Another example is Relacore, which contains a large range of different plant extracts, along with vitamins and minerals. There is some evidence for the weight loss potential of various ingredients but the research tends to be extremely limited and doesn't prove all that much. ​

In contrast, Skinny Fiber is mostly a fiber supplement. But, it does still have other compounds, particularly in the form of enzymes.

The marketing suggests that the enzymes and the fiber both play a key role in weight loss. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the supplements are appealing.

But, do they work?

Skinny Fiber Ingredients

The name alone suggests that Skinny Fiber is basically a fiber supplement. That’s true but also somewhat misleading. In particular, there is a range of other ingredients found in the supplement.

You can see this from the ingredients label.

So, let’s take a look at some of these ingredients and what they mean.

Glucomannan

Glucomannan is a common ingredient in many weight loss supplements and there is some evidence that it can help with weight loss (1,2,3). However, not all studies agree. Instead, some research suggests that there is no statistically significant impact from the ingredient (4).

To make matters worse, glucomannan can sometimes be associated with side effects, including diarrhea and abdominal discomfort (5). Although, similar side effects are common with most fiber supplements.

Glucomannan itself is a type of soluble fiber. The idea is that it acts to absorb water and takes up space in the stomach, while also delaying stomach emptying (6). It may also help in the absorption of fat and protein (7).

In theory, this pattern may help with satiety, meaning that people feel satisfied for longer and are less hungry.

Anything that has this effect can potentially contribute to weight loss. After all, being hungry is one of the key reasons that people eat. Likewise, hunger can sabotage diets, making it much harder to lose weight.

Still, it’s important to note that you can buy glucomannan as a supplement in its own right and it tends to be considerably cheaper than Skinny Fiber.

Caralluma Fimbriata

This is another plant-based ingredient that is supposed to help with weight loss.

Specifically, some research suggests that it may affect appetite and could mean that people find food less appealing (8). Likewise, one study indicated that 1 gram of Caralluma Fimbriata per day did help to reduce hunger and contribute to weight loss (9).

But, there really isn’t enough research to know how significant the pattern is. Likewise, it’s hard to know how much Caralluma Fimbriata is present in Skinny Fiber anyway, but it’s probably less than 1 gram.

Once again, you can buy the individual product on Amazon. 

Chá de Bugre

The other individual ingredient to consider is Chá de Bugre. This is a little odd one and it isn’t used in many of the common weight loss supplements.

Instead, the reason for inclusion simply seems to be that the plant is sometimes used for weight loss in Brazil (10,11). Likewise, there is a growing interest in ‘Brazilian diet pills’, which may contain an extract from this plant, along with other compounds (12).

The company markets the compound like this:

But, there is no evidence that Chá de Bugre contributes to weight loss in humans.

Indeed, there has been hardly any research on the plant and the main study was conducted in rats (13). That particular study used doses of 1,000 and 2,000 mg per kg of body weight and still failed to find any impact on weight loss (14).

In some ways, the inclusion of Chá de Bugre in Skinny Fiber is a little strange.

There simply isn’t evidence that the compound does anything. Furthermore, the limited research means that we don’t know whether there are any negative side effects to be concerned about.

For that matter, there is one study suggesting that Chá de Bugre may damage chromosomes. Theoretically, that effect can contribute to disease development and even cancer.

Now, the evidence for this effect is very limited and only occurs at relatively high doses. Likewise, the research has only been conducted in mice, so we don’t know whether the same outcome is present in humans (15). Indeed, other research suggests that the effect is unlikely to be significant (16).

Finally, the amount of Chá de Bugre in Skinny Fiber is likely to be much lower than what the studies into the extract have used. This further decreases the chance that there is any risk.

Still, the potential for the compound to damage chromosomes is concerning, especially as there is no evidence that Chá de Bugre helps with weight loss anyway.

The end result is that the inclusion is an odd choice and it isn’t even clear why the company chose to add in Chá de Bugre.

Skinny Fiber and Enzymes

The other interesting thing about Skinny Fiber is the inclusion of enzymes.

Some Skinny Fiber reviews, along with promotion for the product, suggests that these enzymes are critical for helping us to lose weight.

I have no doubt that digestive enzymes are important for health and for the ability to lose weight. But, there isn’t any research that suggests that you should supplement these enzymes.

For that matter, the concept doesn’t really make sense. Instead, those enzymes would probably get damaged or destroyed by stomach acids, rather than being effective.

If you truly did need more enzymes, supplementing them wouldn’t be the way to go anyway. After all, these are compounds that our bodies create. So, to get more of them you would focus on having a balanced diet and making sure you get all of the nutrients that you need.

Now, in fairness, there are exceptions.

In particular, some people do need to supplement enzymes if they are deficient in them. Enzyme deficiency diseases do exist and there are even some non-prescription enzyme supplements that do work for specific cases.

For example, one supplement provides lactase, which may be relevant to anybody lactose intolerant. Essentially, that supplement gives you the ability to consume dairy products with fewer side effects.  ​

Likewise, a few such supplements are designed in a way that gets around being broken down by the stomach. But, those are special cases and the approaches don't seem to apply here.

So, enzyme supplements may be relevant in a select few cases.

But, that doesn't mean that you can simply supplement enzymes to lose weight. Likewise, enzyme supplements won't help to improve your immune system or any other bold claim.​

In many ways, the talk about enzymes seems to be just marketing hype.

Basically, the company is promoting something ‘new and different’. It makes them stand out from other brands and implies that the supplement would be great for weight loss.

As a sales technique, the idea makes sense. But, there is no evidence to suggest that the enzymes are even worth bothering with unless you have a specific deficiency.

Even then, if you did have an enzyme deficiency, you should be talking to your doctor, not buying supplements that are unlikely to help.​

Does Skinny Fiber Work?

The main compounds of interest in Skinny Fiber are glucomannan and Caralluma Fimbriata. In both cases, there is some evidence that these work, with most of the proof being connected to glucomannan.

This pattern means that Skinny Fiber mostly just acts as a fiber supplement.

Theoretically, a fiber supplement may well help people to feel full and could help with weight loss. Indeed, there is a strong connection between fiber and weight loss, especially in the form of soluble fiber (17,18,19,20).

So, there is strong merit to the idea of taking a fiber supplement.

But Skinny Fiber itself? Well, from what I learned doing this Skinny Fiber review, it seems that the evidence simply isn’t there.

In most cases, you’d probably be better taking a fiber supplement or getting more fiber in your diet. For that matter, most of the evidence for weight loss benefits came from glucomannan. So, you could just focus on that instead.

Skinny Fiber Reviews and Skinny Fiber Results

Despite all the marketing hype, Skinny Fiber reviews tend to be fairly mixed. There are many extremely positive responses but plenty of negative ones as well. The Amazon reviews alone are one good example of this. 

Some of the positive reviews are given below: 

There were also many negative reviews, such as people who didn't see long-term impacts.

In many ways, this difference in reviews may be the result of what people expect, along with their diet and lifestyle.

For example, a fiber supplement would tend to be more effective if you weren’t getting enough fiber in your diet. Additionally, the main reason that fiber works for weight loss is that it helps you to feel full. People who only have a little weight to lose may also see less impact. 

As such, a fiber supplement is best suited for people who majorly struggle with being hungry and may break a diet because of this.

That is true for some people and not for others.

So, if you can stick to a diet regardless of whether or not you’re hungry (and some people can), then an appetite suppressant isn’t likely to help matters much. After all, there are many natural sources of fiber if you simply need more fiber. For example, the site Body and Soul highlights 8 powerful foods that offer fiber. 

On a side note, it’s likely that some of the positive Skinny Fiber reviews come from people who changed their diet or lifestyle when they started taking the product.

When that happens, people will often assume that the supplement caused their weight loss. In reality, their change in weight may have been caused by something else entirely.

Skinny Fiber Side Effects

Regardless of the type, fiber supplements are somewhat challenging. In fact, the company itself gives this warning:

Likewise, you shouldn’t take this type of supplement if you have any difficulties swallowing. Some Skinny Fiber reviews reinforce this idea, suggesting that it feels like you are choking.

This is a major issue but, in fairness, it is the nature of a fiber supplement. Most types of similar supplement will affect some people in this way.

One of the key ways around this is to drink enough water when you are taking the pills. Even then, the supplements may simply not be suitable for some people.

At the same time, fiber supplements can potentially cause stomach problems, especially for people who don’t drink enough water. This is one reason why most brands recommend that you start off slowly with fiber supplements and let your body adjust.

For example, the advice below comes from WebMD and it would apply to all fiber supplements, including the Skinny Fiber products.

So, you could easily experience Skinny Fiber side effects if you didn’t drink enough water or if you started the full dose at once. Likewise, some people may simply be unable to take fiber supplements.

There are some other side effects highlighted as well. Many are similar to what you would expect from fiber, especially if you're not drinking enough water. Still, it's important to be wary and pay attention to your own body. 

If you are on any medication at all, you should talk to your doctor first. Fiber can impact the way that some drugs are absorbed and may reduce the effectiveness of many medications. This is a topic the site Mayo Clinic discusses in more depth. 

The precise impacts will vary depending on what combination of medications you take and your health conditions. As such, your doctor is the best way to find out whether Skinny Fiber is safe for you.

Where Can You Buy Skinny Fiber?

Skinny Fiber is sold through a MLM company called Skinny Body Care. They have other products as well, which I’ve chosen not to focus on in this Skinny Fiber review.

The nature of the company means that you can buy the products from distributors. You can also buy them through the Skinny Body Care website but only if you have a referral code from a distributor.

As such, this may not be a viable option unless you know someone working with the company. Thankfully, you can also buy the product on Amazon.

So, how much is Skinny Fiber?

Well, if you’re going to buy it from Amazon, then the price is around $25 for a bottle of 120 pills. You’re supposed to be taking two capsules per day, so a bottle should last around 2 months.

In terms of price versus what you get, the balance isn’t horrible.

Still, you would need to buy the pills regularly if you plan to rely on them for weight loss. Whether or not this is worth it is going to come down to your own needs and perspectives.

My Personal Skinny Fiber Review

At the end of the day, Skinny Fiber probably does help some people lose weight. Certainly, many of the Skinny Fiber reviews suggest this and the evidence for some of the ingredients supports that idea.

Still, the product is just basically a fiber supplement with some additional ingredients that don’t really seem to offer any benefits. At the same time, the price tag is much higher than other fiber supplements.

So, is it worth it?

Personally, I don’t think so.

There is no evidence that this supplement works any better than a conventional fiber supplement. For that matter, there’s still debate about whether you’re better off relying on supplements or fiber from your food.

But, at the end of the day, fiber supplements do appear to be safe (21) and can offer an alternative for people who aren’t getting enough fiber for whatever reason.

So, you could rely on a fiber supplement if you wanted to. Likewise, you might even pick Skinny Fiber, on the off chance that the extra ingredients actually help.

Have you used a fiber supplement in the past? If so, what brand do you recommend?

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