Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to weight loss supplements.
Burn Evolved is a weight loss supplement sold by a brand called SCULPTnation. The brand describes the supplement as a “nuclear bomb for fat loss” that can “torch body fat.”
In this article we’ll review every ingredient in Burn Evolved based on medical research to give our take on whether the supplement is likely to be effective for weight loss, and whether we consider any of the ingredients potentially harmful.
Ingredient Review
Epigallocatechin is the first active ingredient in Burn Evolved and this may be incorrectly labeled because we have never seen this ingredient listed in this manner. A structurally similar compound is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and we believe this is the ingredient that the brand was trying to reference because it’s sourced from green tea extract.
A clinical trial published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that EGCG at 150 milligrams (mg) daily reduced abdominal fat in overweight individuals. The dose in Burn Evolved is twice that high, so it may be effective for weight loss, but we can’t tell conclusively until the brand clarifies what ingredient they’re actually referring to.
Apple cider vinegar is included at a 300 mg dose. This is an effective weight loss ingredient that we consider underdosed in this formulation, because medical research shows the effective apple cider vinegar dose to be around 15,000 mg, which is 50x the amount in Burn Evolved.
Capsimax is a patented cayenne fruit extract that was found to cause a small but statistically significant amount of weight loss in a 2018 clinical trial at the same dose as that in Burn Evolved.
Caffeine is an effective weight loss ingredient at high doses, but we have not come across any medical studies suggesting that 100 mg of caffeine is effective for weight loss. This is only equivalent to the amount in one cup of coffee.
Grains of Paradise seed extract is an effective weight loss ingredient. It was found to cause a 0.5% body fat reduction over the course of four weeks in a clinical trial when used at the exact same dose as in Burn Evolved.
We consider the final two active ingredients to be underdosed and ineffective. Yohimbine hydrochloride is included at a dose of 6 mg. A medical study found that this ingredient caused weight loss at a daily dose of 20 mg, but that’s nearly 4x the dose in Burn Evolved. Rauwolscine is included at only a 3 mg dose.
Overall we consider this supplement likely to cause modest weight loss, given that we consider two of the ingredients to be effectively dosed and another (epigallocatechin) to be potentially effective but the manufacturer may have listed the wrong form so it’s impossible to conclude.
We don’t recommend this supplement overall because we consider only two of the seven active ingredients to be effective, and thus consider it to be a cost-ineffective weight loss option, but we are not concerned about the safety of consumers taking this supplement.
Burn Evolved has a better formulation than the majority of weight loss supplements we review on Illuminate Health, and has no questionable additive ingredients. Its inactive ingredients are non-toxic and safe.
Burn Evolved YouTube Review
A YouTube channel called “KH Performance Lab” has one of the most popular reviews of Burn Evolved. The creator goes into detail explaining why he doesn’t believe the supplement is likely to be effective, and the video appears unsponsored:
Questionable Health Claims on Website
Burn Evolved’s website makes a number of uncited health claims that we consider highly questionable.
The company claims that their supplement can help increase levels of brown adipose tissue (BAT), which can cause “burning fat from the inside-out.” As we documented at length in our review of another weight loss supplement Exipure, higher percentage of brown adipose versus white adipose tissue is associated with lower body weight, but we haven’t come across any medical studies suggesting that dietary supplements can shift the brown-to-white adipose tissue ratio.
Further, we certainly haven’t come across any studies suggesting that Burn Evolved can do so, because this supplement has never been studied in a clinical trial.
Burn Evolved’s website also states that older fat burn supplements caused fat to “mobilize” into the bloodstream and then “[find] a new home somewhere else on your body” while body fat is “launched into your bloodstream to be incinerated” with their supplement. There are no citations for these claims and we find them highly questionable and unscientific.
Weight loss is simple thermogenics: calories ingested versus calories expended. Most weight loss supplements work either by increasing metabolic rate (calories expended) or reducing appetite (to reduce calories ingested). We strongly disagree with the claims being made by Burn Evolved.
We recommend that consumers avoid supplement brands making bold, uncited health claims if the brand has not funded any clinical trials of their product in a legitimate medical journal (which this company has not).
Our Clean Weight Loss Picks
There are food-based nutrients which have been shown in medical studies to be effective for weight loss.
Dietary fiber was shown in a medical review published in The Journal of Nutrition to cause 16 pounds of weight loss in 6 months when combined with moderate caloric restriction (750 calories per day below baseline).
Supergut Fiber Mix is our recommended fiber supplement, because it contains three different types of fiber powder and no questionable additive ingredients. Interested consumers can check out Supergut Fiber Mix at this link to the product page on the brand's official website, where it retails for under $2 per serving at a subscription rate.
MCT oil is quickly absorbed by the body and increases metabolic rate, which causes fat loss. A 2015 meta-study on MCT oil documented more than one pound of weight loss over 10 weeks. This equates to potential annualized weight loss of 6 pounds per year with less than one tablespoon's worth of MCT oil per day.
Bulletproof MCT Oil is our top MCT oil product, because the only ingredient is MCT oil derived from coconuts. There are no questionable additives. Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof MCT Oil at this link to the product page on the brand's official website, where it currently costs only $15.50 for over a month's worth of product.
Coffee is one of the few whole food ingredients associated with weight loss in clinical trials. A meta-analysis published in the Nutrients journal found that coffee intake was associated with reduced body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
VitaCup Organic Instant Coffee Sticks is our top coffee product for weight loss, due to its convenience. No preparation or machinery is needed. The sticks can be mixed into hot or cold water (or other beverages) and consumed. The only ingredient is organic instant coffee; no questionable additives.
Interested consumers can check out VitaCup Organic Instant Coffee Sticks at this link to the product page on the brand's official website, where they retail for $1 per serving at a subscription rate.
