Skinny Fiber Review

Skinny Fiber Review

By CANDICE GREY

ConsumersCompare.org

Update: Jul 11, 2024



What is Skinny Fiber? Well for starters, with Skinny Fiber, there’s no dieting required; just take the supplement and you’ll see yourself to skinny. At least that’s the “skinny” on this pill—a weight loss product with ingredients that makers say can change your life.

Skinny Fiber Claims 

First, like a lot of other weight loss supplements I’ve reviewed, Skinny Fiber is a multi-level marketing business (MLM) and you buy their products through distributors who have their own individual websites. 

In some cases, distributor websites are full of helpful weight loss information. Some are Skinny Fiber user networking sites; some have blogs that include fitness tips, health and wellness info, meal planning, shopping tips, time management hacks and more. Some distributor sites are more engaging than others, but the message is the same: each is an official distributor who—while conceding the products are not only not FDA-approved but also not required to be regulated—assure potential customers that Skinny Fiber is safe, natural and effective. [1] [2] 

Skinny Fiber pills, taken 30 minutes before meals, may help you feel more full and you’ll eat less. And when you eat less, you’ll lose weight. That’s the idea.  

Skinny Fiber says the biggest challenge to losing weight is because,  

The #1 reason people struggle to lose weight is, your body is just not in a condition where losing weight is healthy. 

Here’s the thing, while you may look at fat as a bad thing, your body sees it as a vital part of its being. Every organ of our body needs fat to survive. It regulates our body temperature, cushions, and insulates our heart, liver and kidneys, and even regulates our hormones. [3] 

So Skinny Fiber claims the way to weight loss is to trick the body into believing “it will still be healthy without all of that fat to protect it.” [3] 

That’s the premise. Hmm.  

…called the best weight management product of the year by thousands of satisfied customers around the world, Skinny Fiber is the first and only product of its kind, packed with nutrient rich enzymes designed to get your body in a position where it is ready to lose weight.[3] 

How? Besides making you feel full, Skinny Fiber claims we need their enzyme blend because it says,  

Enzymes  are like the spark of life in every cell in your body. Your heart, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, glands, every organ, tissue and cell in your body depends on enzymes for every process and function. These enzymes help prevent disease, keep us youthful, increase our energy, break down our food, and so much more. 

The challenge is that most of us are not getting enough enzymes from our food to properly digest what we eat. This enzyme deficiency causes our food not to digest completely, which leads to toxins in our body, new fat forming, and a weaker immune system. All of which makes losing weight very difficult no mater [sic] how much we diet and exercise…Until Now! 

Not only is Skinny Fiber packed with enzymes to get your body in a position where it’s healthy and ready to lose weight, it’s also the first and only product on the market to include 3 powerful weight loss ingredients. [3] 

Initial Skinny Fiber side effects, as your body adjusts, may include gas or bloating, and more bowel movements. And this isn’t a side effect but a warning: You must take the Skinny Fiber capsules with at least 8 ounces of water, because without sufficient water guzzled to get it down your esophagus, it can swell up in your throat and choke you. Or worse. Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds terrifying. I mean, it’s simple enough—drink a full 8-ounce glass of water—but anything can happen, so be careful.  

One distributor claims Skinny Fiber helps to flush toxins, too. We’ve debunked that before: the body does that on its own—through the obvious methods of urination, bowel movements, etc., and through perspiration while moving. So what you really need is water. The essence of life and what makes up 70 percent of our bodies.  

That same distributor says Skinny Fiber is “a natural alternative to harmful diet pills and worth trying instead of gastric [bypass] surgery.” [4]  

Wow.  

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Skinny Fiber Ingredients  

Per 2 capsules: 

Proprietary Blend, 1100 mg : Glucomannan (tuber) Powder, Caralluma Fimbriata (whole plant) Powder, Cha de Bugre (leaf) Powder. 

Proprietary Enzyme Blend, 180 mg: Protease Powder, Amylase Powder, Lipase Powder, Glucoamylase Powder, Papain Powder, Cellulase Powder, Bromelain Powder. [5] 

Skinny Fiber claims every ingredient is 100 percent pure, all-natural and safe. [3] 

And since there are no research studies specific to the Skinny Fiber brand, we’ll look at the science of the ingredients at work in this diet pill.  

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Does Skinny Fiber Work?

Skinny Fiber works to the extent of helping you feel full for longer (that is what fiber is notorious for) in turn eating less. Not to say that eating less is a solution for weight loss by any means. This supplement has added enzymes that your body naturally produces such as amylase, lipase, and protease. However adding extra, in this specific dosage, has not been proven to make any difference in the amount of weight you lose.

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The Science (Or Lack Thereof) Behind Skinny Fiber   

According to WebMD 

Glucomannan might work in the stomach and intestines by absorbing water to form a bulky fiber which treats constipation. It may also slow the absorption of sugar and cholesterol from the gut, helping to control sugar levels in diabetes, and reducing cholesterol levels. … There is early research that suggests taking glucomannan by mouth might improve weight loss in overweight and obese adults and children. However, not all research agrees. [6] 

WebMD also weighs in on Caralluma: 

Traditionally, Indian tribes chewed chunks of caralluma to keep from being hungry during a long hunt. These days, a solution that contains chemicals taken from the plant (extract) is used to decrease appetite for weight loss. It is also used to quench thirst and to increase endurance. … Chemicals contained in the caralluma plant are thought to decrease appetite. [7] 

But it does point out, 

Developing evidence suggests that taking a caralluma extract for 60 days might decrease waistline, feelings of hunger, and fat and calorie intake. But it does not seem to decrease weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat, or hip measurements. [7] (emphasis added) 

The so-called Brazilian weight loss elixir, Cha de bugre (which comes from a South American tree that produces a fruit strikingly similar to coffee bean) allegedly decreases appetite, but WebMD says there is no scientific evidence that this is true and there’s not enough known about how it might work for any medical use.  It’s common in Brazilian diet pills, though some may also contain prescription amphetamines and tranquilizersWebMD says. Bottom line:  

Some people think Cha de Bugre decreases appetite, but there is no scientific evidence that this is true. There is not enough known about Cha de Bugre to know how it might work for any medical use. … There is not enough known about Cha de Bugre to know if there are any safety concerns or if it is safe to take.[8] 

Now about the enzyme blend in Skinny Fiber: 

Enzymes are proteins that facilitate specific chemical reactions. Digestive enzymes facilitate the chemical breakdown of food into smaller, absorbable components. Enzymes called amylases break down starches into sugar molecules; proteases break down proteins into amino acids; and lipases break down fat into its component parts. [9] 

But why should we take them if our body already produces them? Well if you are on a very high-fiber diet, at least one of the enzymes can be helpful. Otherwise, unless you have serious lactose intolerance or pancreas problems, aside from fiber digestion, you really don’t need enzyme supplements. [9]  

But since Skinny Fiber is all about the fiber filling you up like a stuffed turkey, additional enzymes may…get things moving.  

Regarding Protease, an article published in the 2008 Journal of Biological Chemistry has a lot to say about the significance and function of this group of enzymes. For our purposes, proteases aid greatly with digestion. [10]  

Amylase is found in saliva and in pancreatic fluid, converts starches into simple sugars, and is also an important digestive aid. 

Lipase breaks down fats. Again, you don’t need to take this enzyme as a supplement unless you have celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, or serious issues with indigestion, all of which would mean you were lipase-deficient, according to University of Maryland Medical Center researchers. And then your doctor would advise you on whether or not this would be wise. [11] 

Glucoamylase is widely used in the food industry to produce high-glucose syrup, and also in fermentation processes for production beer and ethanol. [12] 

Papain, from papaya, also contains protease enzymes. 

And cellulose converts cellulose into glucose. This enzyme is one the body does not produce, and may be the only enzyme where a supplement might be helpful:  

Since the human organism is not able to digest cellulose, people can take cellulase supplements in order to obtain the beta-glucose needed within the body…when ingested properly it reduces carbohydrates and fat absorption, maintaining proper cholesterol and appropriate sugar blood levels. [13] 

Bromelain, found in pineapple stems, seems to cause the body to produce substances that fight pain and swelling (inflammation), says WebMD[14] 

An interesting side note: according to WebMD, these enzymes combined with a couple of others may have a secondary benefit. 

Early research shows that taking a combination of product containing papain, bromelain, trypsin, amylase, lipase, lysosome, and chymotrypsin four times in one day before a downhill run can reduce muscle soreness[15] (emphasis added) 

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Word on the Street About Skinny Fiber 

On any official Skinny Fiber distributor website, you can find Skinny Fiber reviews, rave reviews and most with truly amazing before and after photos. [16] 

I won’t quote those, but you should certainly take a look if this is a weight loss product you’re interested in. That said, I suspect a distributor wouldn’t post a negative or highly critical review or testimonial, so keep that in mind. Skinny Fiber distributors rely heavily on Facebook and that’s in part how the pills have become popular and how distributors are recruited. [17] 

Skinny Fiber reviews on Amazon.com—though it’s not supposed to be sold there—do include one product description that appears to be via a distributor. It’s hard to tell. I’ll just share the good, the bad and the“meh.”  

“Katie Robinson” (2017, 5 stars) says it’s a five-star weight loss product. “I lost 2 lb since Saturday.. Today is Wednesday… So far so good.” [18] 

“Deborah Horst” (2015, 3 stars) was really candid: “I think this product sort of works. I’m not sure if it actually works, or if it’s just power of suggestion. I have lost weight, but not like the results I have seen shown. I’m not sure I will reorder.” [19] 

“Chelsea” (2017, 1 star) says thumbs-down. Way down.  

This product was awful! i used it for about a week and when i wasn’t severely constipated and bloating, i had diarrhea and bloating. I finally stopped taking it when i woke up in the middle of the night super nauseous and continued to be nauseous for 24 hours.” [20] 

And finally, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) gave Skinny Fiber, the St. Louis-based company founded in 2003, an F. Again, like so many other weight loss supplement companies—especially MLMs—Skinny Fiber is not only not accredited by the BBB, some complaints have not been answered or resolved. The BBB says 8 complaints were filed and Skinny Fiber failed to respond to 7 of them.  

One complaint was initially ignored by the company. The complaint centered on the customer’s health problems since they began taking Skinny Fiber including increased blood pressure, lightheadedness, dizziness, headaches and jitters. The customer wanted to return the product for a refund, albeit beyond the 30-day window. Skinny Fiber did eventually respond. “This person does not have any orders that qualify for a refund. Refund policy is clearly stated prior to purchase. She has been told this several times. We will not be providing a refund as it is against our stated policy.” [21] 

Oh boy.  

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The Bottom Line: Is Skinny Fiber Worth a Try? 

Depends.  Feeling full and with little-to-no appetite sounds good, right? And since two of the three ingredients in the formula appear relatively safe, that’s a go. But the Brazilian weight loss secret? Sorry, that’s a “no, thanks.”  

Plus—save one or two ingredients in the enzyme blend—our bodies already do a masterful job of digesting foods, unless one has an illness that prevents that. In that case, I’d see a doctor before taking Skinny Fiber; they may already be prescribing deficient enzymes, for example in the case of Celiac disease. I mean, why take enzymes we already have?  

But don’t take my word for it, ask your doctor. As a matter of fact, I suggest you always talk with your physician before starting any commercial weight loss supplement or program. But you already know that.  

3 Comments
  1. I have been on skinny body MAX since April 10/17 and have lost 16 pounds!!! This does work but with any weight loss program or supplement you do need to choose wisely when it comes to your food choices. Moderation is the KEY! follow suggested serving size and MOVE!! walking is very good for your health and biking. There are certain things you DO have to do to help yourself!
    Deb Flinn-McCabe

  2. I took skinny fiber for months and lost about 20 pounds overall BUT
    at first I GAINED weight on it …balooned up lol and asked “what’s up
    with this?” and was told this can happen depending on how much crud is
    in my digestive system. they said it can take up to SEVERAL weeks for
    this all natural products ingredients to do their thing to get my body
    in a position where its healthy enough to not need the extra fat there
    to protect my organs from possible toxins or blockages in my system…
    (hence the 90-day challenge and money back guarantee)and its a gentle
    product that promotes digestive health with digestive enzymes to help
    break down food better and I craved water so I drank more of it. this
    year I switched to the new MAX formula which also contains orafti and
    cayenne and keytones and garcinia and I am blown away by it compared to
    the original formula but one of my friends is staying on skinny fiber
    for how much better she feels in general on it, not sure if she lost
    weight or how much…but she feels better.

    another thing to note…. these products
    DO NOT exercise FOR YOU lol so make daily exercise part of your healthy
    lifestyle and eat sensibly because you know it’s the right thing to do.
    and drink plenty of water and get a good amount of sleep. and you can
    live long and prosper both mentally and physically

  3. Reply
    Jen Clark (Lash Lady) July 17, 2019 at 1:23 pm

    I’ve taken skinny fiber for 31-days and haven’t lost a pound. I’ve actually gained two inches since I started taking it. My question here is…does this product work in sowminenthatnis NOT obese and already eats somewhat healthy??? I think it’s only for people the eat completely unhealthy and need to lose over 100 pounds. My personal opinion. I only started taking this crap because I injured my back and can’t exercise the way I used to in order to stay fit and trim.

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