Bio X4 is a weight loss supplement manufactured by a brand called Nucific which is primarily formulated with probiotics. The brand claims that this product also supports digestion.
In this article we’ll review the ingredients in Bio X4 based on published medical research to provide our determination on whether or not this supplement likely to be safe and effective for weight loss.
We'll focus primarily on the weight loss claims, because it's well-established in medical research that probiotic supplements can help support gut health and digestive function.
Bio X4 has a lengthy Supplement Facts label with many active ingredients, so we'll break our ingredient review into three sections based on the four different blends in the supplement: Probiotic Blend, Digestive Enzyme Blend, Weight Management Blend, and finally the Craving Control Blend.
Ingredient Review - Probiotic Blend
Bio X4 contains five separate probiotic species.
The first-listed ingredient, L. acidophilus, has actually been found to increase weight in both human and animal studies. A medical review published in the Microbial Pathogenesis journal analyzed data from many clinical trials on this probiotic ingredient and concluded the following: "Lactobacillus acidophilus administration resulted in significant weight gain in humans and in animals."
We find this to be a questionable choice for a weight loss supplement and will consider this ingredient ineffective.
A 2014 clinical trial found that B. animalis subspecies lactis 420 prevented obesity in animals, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the generic B. animalis included in Bio X4 will.
What makes it challenging to evaluate the effectiveness of this blend, as evidenced by the example above, is that Nucific only lists the probiotic species but not the specific probiotic strain. Most medical research specifies probiotic strain, and different probiotic strains within the same species can have totally different biological effects.
Overall the species and dose of probiotic used in this supplement seem safe. They are all well-studied, and we do believe that this blend can support digestive health and gut function.
However, we do not believe that this blend of probiotic species is effective for weight loss, nor does Nuficic cite any medical studies suggesting so on Bio X4's product page.
Ingredient Review - Digestive Enzyme Blend
Digestive enzymes are produced naturally by the body and we haven’t seen any evidence that healthy adults benefit from supplementing them, or that these enzymes are effective for weight loss.
There is legitimate medical research suggesting that digestive enzymes may be therapeutic for certain gastrointestinal diseases, but for the stated health claims of this product we find this ingredient blend to be questionable.
Nucific cites a clinical trial on Bio X4's product page in support of amylase. This trial was in vitro, meaning a test tube study, which is a weaker standard of evidence than human trials. The study suggested that amylase may stabilize blood sugar levels after meals, but more research is needed to say so conclusively.
We will consider this blend to be ineffective for weight loss.
Ingredient Review - Weight Management Blend
There’s only one ingredient in Bio X4’s “weight management blend,” so it’s not much of a “blend,” but in any case the ingredient is green tea extract standardized to 50% epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a core chemical constituent in green tea, and the one theorized to be responsible for green tea's weight loss effects.
We consider this to be an effective weight loss ingredient, but we don't recommend it due to toxicity concerns.
A systematic review published in 2017 examined results from 15 clinical trials on green tea extract, and found that a daily EGCG dose between 100 milligrams (mg) and 460 mg per day was effective for weight loss.
Bio X4 provides 50 mg EGCG per serving but 3 daily servings are recommended which would provide an effective total dose of 150 mg EGCG.
A medical review reported that for a supplement containing green tea extract to be approved for weight management claims by Health Canada, it must have between 126 and 300 mg EGCG; another point of evidence that Bio X4's weight loss claim for this ingredient is accurate.
Although there is convincing medical evidence backing the potential weight loss effects of green tea extract, we recommend avoiding this ingredient due to concerns over liver injury.
A Health Canada report found that in rare cases, green tea extract can cause severe liver injury. For this reason, we believe that drinking brewed green tea is a healthier option even though it may cause less weight loss.
Ingredient Review - Craving Control Blend
The final ingredient blend in Bio X4 consists of a patented plant extract called Slimaluma.
Nucific cites a medical study which found this ingredient to be effective for reducing weight and reductions in waist circumference. However, the dose used in the study was 1 gram (g).
The per-serving dose in Bio X4 is only 166 mg, which equates to a total daily dose of 498 mg for three daily servings, which is less than 50% of the effective dose found in the above-linked medical study.
A more recent medical review analyzed much of the available research on the botanical ingredient in Slimaluma, and concluded that when clinical trials were properly controlled with a placebo, the ingredient was ineffective:
"Appetite parameters showed no significant changes and metabolic parameters did not improve with C.fimbriata supplementation therefore it is unlikely to recommend C. fimbriata as a weight loss supplement and an appetite suppressant."
We consider this blend to be ineffective for weight loss.
One thing we will note given that this is the final ingredient blend in Bio X4 is that there are no harmful additive ingredients in this supplement which is a good thing. Many dietary supplements contain additives like added sugar, artificial flavoring or citric acid which we consider to be unhealthy, but Bio X4 uses non-toxic and safe inactive ingredients.
Our Weight Loss Supplement Recommendations
There are several weight loss products that we recommend due to their research backing and lack of side effects.
Dietary fiber is a safe and effective weight loss supplement.
An extensive medical review published in The Journal of Nutrition found that dietary fiber intake directly predicts weight loss when consumed at a high enough dose. Fiber is zero-calorie plant matter that makes you feel full faster, and consume fewer calories overall.
The fiber supplement we recommend is SuperGut Fiber Mix. It contains a clean and effective formulation: a blend of three different types of unflavored dietary fiber and zero additive ingredients. It can be mixed into liquids or foods. Interested consumers can buy SuperGut fiber at this link.
We recommend using two fiber mixes per day, which provides 16 grams (g) of fiber. This is within the effective fiber dosing range associated with the greatest weight loss outcomes in the above-linked study.
Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil is another dietary supplement which has been shown in clinical trials to cause weight loss.
MCT oil is quickly absorbed by the body and increases metabolic rate, which causes fat loss. A meta-study on MCT oil documented weight loss of 1.12 pounds over 10 weeks. This equates to a potential annualized weight loss of 5.84 pounds with MCT oil supplementation.
We recommend Bulletproof MCT Oil as our top MCT oil product, because it has a clean and effective formulation. The only ingredient is MCT oil derived from coconuts, and the product has no questionable additives. Interested consumers can buy Bulletproof MCT Oil at this link.
The effective dose range of MCT oil for weight loss (based on the medical review) is 1.7 g to 10 g per day. Bulletproof's MCT oil provides 14 g in one tablespoon, so around two-thirds of one tablespoon should be a maximally-effective dosage.
Bio X4 costs $99 at the time of updating this article, while the two supplements referenced above cost $70.63 combined.
Bio X4 Real User Review
One of the most popular YouTube reviews of Bio X4 is published by a channel called "Alex Jayne" and has achieved over 420,000 views at the time of updating this article. The review appears to be unsponsored:
