Provitalize is a weight loss supplement targeted to menopausal women sold by a brand called Better Body Co. We haven't come across much medical research suggesting that overweight menopausal women require different weight loss strategies than overweight individuals generally, so this is a unique marketing strategy.
In this article we'll review every ingredient in Provitalize based on published medical research and provide our determination on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective for weight loss. We'll also share our thoughts on whether there is research backing the concept of weight loss supplements for menopausal women specifically.
We will break the ingredient review into two sections because Provitalize has many active ingredients: probiotics and herbal ingredients.
Provitalize Ingredients Review - Probiotics
Provitalize contains a "Probiotic Blend" with a total dose of 68.2 billion colony-forming units (CFU).
The first probiotic strain in this blend is B. breve IDCC 4401. We can’t find any research at all suggesting this probiotic strain increases weight loss.
On Provitalize's website, the manufacturer lists two clinical trials (trial 1, trial 2) in a "References" section as evidence that this probiotic causes weight loss. However both trials use an entirely different strain of B. breve than the one included in Provitalize. Different probiotic strains in the same species can have different biological effects.
This is a truly strange occurrence. We've never reviewed a supplement on Illuminate Health that cites medical research on a different ingredient than the one included as proof that the ingredient is effective. We consider this to be a red flag about the competency of this brand.
L. gasseri SBT 2055 is the second probiotic strain in this supplement. This appears to be an effective weight loss ingredient. A clinical trial published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that this probiotic strain caused an average 4.6% body fat loss over the course of 12 weeks.
The trial participants were mostly men, and there was no mention of "menopause" at all in the trial.
B. lactis R101-8 is the final ingredient in this blend. The only medical study that Better Body Co. cites to prove that this ingredient is effective for weight loss uses a different probiotic strain than the one included in Provitalize.
We consider this blend to be potentially effective for weight loss, because we identified one of three ingredients to have research backing for weight loss. However, we do find it quite strange that Better Body Co. links to clinical research in a References section that is conducted on different probiotic strains than the ones they include in their supplement.
Provitalize Ingredients Review - Herbal Ingredients
Other than the probiotic blend, Provitalize contains five active herbal ingredients.
Turmeric root extract and black pepper fruit extract are often used in combination because black pepper extract dramatically improves turmeric bioavailability.
A meta-study published in 2019 found that curcumin (the main active chemical compound in turmeric) may be effective for weight loss, but the majority of clinical trials analyzed by the study authors included higher doses of curcumin than the amount in Provitalize.
We'll consider the combination of black pepper extract and turmeric extract in this formulation potentially effective for weight loss.
Moringa leaf is the second herbal ingredient. All four of the studies related to this herb on the Provitalize product page are animal studies, and two of them are not regarding weight loss. The two studies focused on weight loss include doses nearly 100 times the dose in Provitalize. We'll consider this ingredient ineffective.
We can’t any medical evidence that curry leaf is effective for weight loss. Provitalize shares none on their site either at the time of updating this article. The brand simply states that "Curry leaves support a healthy cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, and even help with indigestion."
We're unsure how this description makes this ingredient relevant for a weight loss supplement.
Lecithin is the final active herbal ingredient. We can't find any medical evidence of its efficacy for weight loss, nor is there any on the Provitalize product page at the time of updating this article.
It is worth noting that this supplement contains no questionable additive ingredients that we consider unsafe or harmful, which is a good thing because many supplements we review contain ingredients such as artificial flavoring agents or added sugar which can be unhealthy.
Overall we consider these herbal ingredients to be poorly-formulated and unlikely to cause weight loss in menopausal women or in any overweight individual. We only consider two of the herbal ingredients to be potentially effective, and we consider the majority of the ingredients to either be lacking medical evidence entirely or to be underdosed.
Does Provitalize Work?
Overall we would consider Provitalize to be likely ineffective for weight loss. We find it strange that Better Body Co. markets this supplement as specifically a menopause weight loss supplement, but at the time of updating this article there are zero medical citations on the Provitalize product page proving that any ingredient is effective for weight loss in menopausal women specifically.
We haven't come across any convincing medical evidence that overweight menopausal women require unique weight loss strategies compared to general overweight individuals.
Weight gain or loss is a simple thermogenic process: calories expended versus calories consumed. Menopausal women who burn more calories than they consume will lose weight, as will any other overweight individual.
Does Provitalize Cause Side Effects?
We don't believe that Provitalize is likely to cause side effects. From a safety standpoint, we consider this supplement to be well formulated. None of the ingredients strike us as concerning or dangerous.
68.2 billion CFU is a relatively high probiotic dose, and this may cause minor gastrointestinal effects in patients with an unhealthy microbiome (this is the medical term for bacterial colonies that reside in the human gut).
An individual who consumes unhealthy diet high in processed food may be more likely to experience side effects like gas and bloating from high-dose probiotics than an individual who consumes a healthy diet, but overall we consider this risk quite minor.
The Provitalize website states that the supplement is "not known to have any major side effects" and we would agree with this determination based on its Supplement Facts label.
Since the Provitalize serving size is two capsules, it may be prudent for consumers with a sensitive stomach to try one capsule first to ensure that the supplement doesn't cause any side effects.
Provitalize Real User Reviews
Provitalize has been reviewed over 16,000 times on Amazon. The average customer rating is 4/5 stars.
The top review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "SLS" who claims that the product has not caused weight loss but has provided relief from menopausal symptoms:
"I have been taking these pills for 7 days and I can honestly say that the night sweats and hot flashes have eased up and I have finally gotten a good night sleep. I have also noticed my appetite has decreased and I'm not as bloated."
The top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "Rebecca Granier" who shares complaints that the supplement caused gastrointestinal distress:
"Day one, I took one pill in the morning on an empty stomach. Everything seemed fine until later that evening I was so bloated I could barely move. Took some Phasyme and was able to get some relief...I had terrible diarrhea. Huge bouts like my whole body was purging."
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.
No Scientists On Provitalize Website
We generally consider it to be a red flag when a supplement brand has no publicly-listed scientists or medical experts on their website. It's challenging and requires a significant amount of medical knowledge to formulate an effective and safe dietary supplement.
At the time of updating this article, there doesn't appear to be any information about the Provitalize formulators on the brand's website.
Unsponsored YouTube Provitalize Review
One of the most popular YouTube reviews of Provitalize is published by a channel called "Supplementox" and appears to be unsponsored. The creator reviews technical information about the supplement and shares her thoughts about whether it's likely to be effective or not:
