The Science Behind Meratol

Meratol is a British weight loss formula which has gained some notoriety abroad, particularly in the US where demand for weight loss products is arguably the highest.  It has a generally positive reputation and has some research to justify some of its all-natural formula.

That being said, we’re not convinced that you should expect all the claims the company makes to be legitimate, such as the claim that it “burns 12 times more calories” or “blocks carbohydrate intake by up to 82%”.  The kind of metabolic accelerators necessary to accomplish the first claim would not be healthy and the second claim just isn’t possible. Also, expect to pay a little more for the product than you would a similar USA-made one since Meratol is priced in British Pounds.

What should lower your expectations a bit is the fact that Meratol does not disclose the actual concentrations of the ingredients in the formula.  While it does list some “medical studies” supposedly done on the ingredients in the formula, it does not cite any sources.

In any case, the formula includes:

• Cactus Extract
• Prickly Pear Extract
• Brown Seaweed Extract
• Capsicum Extract

If you’re familiar with the first two ingredients, you might notice that they come from the exact same plant.  The first is used only for its fiber, which is pretty much like any other fiber – good for you, but nothing special.  Prickly pear does have some clinical evidence for lowering blood sugar levels, which can make for a healthier metabolism.

A component of brown seaweed – fucoxanthin – has been shown to reduce absorption of carbohydrates but there is no indication of how much is in this extract, if any at all. Simply eating seaweed is unlikely to help you.

Capsicum is the ingredient here that we can be most confident about – it is essentially a red pepper extract that has been shown to naturally elevate the metabolism and with minimal side effects.

Meratol Side Effects

Meratol should not be taken if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Meratol Policies

The company claims to have a “no-fuss” guarantee, where you can return the product within 7 days of receiving it for a full refund.  This actually sounds like quite a bit of fuss, especially if you happened to order it from the states. Don’t expect a refund if you’re buying from the US.

Meratol Lowest Price

As mentioned, you’re going to be paying a little more (about $45 or more)  than usual for a product like this since it is priced in pounds sterling and shipped internationally.  Bear in mind also that to return this product, you’ll have to ship it back across the ocean.  Even if you buy it from a local distributor, there is no satisfaction guarantee.  That is, you can return it for a refund, but only if you haven’t opened the product to actually try it.

Does Meratol Work?

If you’re American and feel like trying out one of the more popular weight loss products out of Britain, then this product might interest you.  However, given the fact that its ingredients are not unique to Britain (or grown there at all hardly) and the fact that the exchange rate makes it so expensive, we don’t see it competing in value with similar products in the US.

Bottom line is, we don’t think Meratol will actually do much to help you lose weight.  There are too many “unlisted” and “unknown” components to this product to recommend it.