Ingredients in Trimspa remain unclear

04:07 PM MST on Friday, March 4, 2005

By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA-TV

One over-the-counter pill reportedly helped well-known television star Anna Nicole Smith drop 70 pounds.

Since News 8's report on Smith's amazing weight loss, many viewers have asked for more information on Trimspa, her diet pill of choice.

If used as directed, Trimspa would cost a dieter about $60 a month. Its key ingredient is an African cactus that research so far shows really does help people lose the urge to eat.

But before spending so much money on a little pill, wouldn't you like to know if it is what it claims to be? News 8 did the research to help you find out.

Trimspa sales have more than doubled since Smith went from porky to nearly perfect, and then went public.

Donna Matthews of Arlington bought into the promise, but when she didn't lose a single pound she hired an attorney.

"We've had this one tested, and the main appetite suppressant that they identify is the extract (is) not in this pill, so it can't be effective," said attorney Robert Chaiken.

Theirs is one of three class-action lawsuits filed, claiming Trimspa is a fake and doesn't contain the exotic miracle cactus called Hoodia gordonii.

So, News 8 took one $20 package of Trimspa pills to an FDA-registered lab in Dallas that specializes in nutraceutical testing.

As it turns out, testing wasn't so easy. Because Hoodia is so new to the supplement world, a sample had to be flown in to use as a comparison.

News 8 was assured the results would be about 97 percent accurate.

"We did find the binders, however, the amount of Hoodia that we measured it against showed it to be one hundred percent," said regulatory consultant Courtland Imel.

That one hundred percent conclusion means there wasn't room for all the other so-called weight loss ingredients listed on the Trimspa label. In fact, because dietary supplements are unregulated, it's possible one pill could contain every important ingredient - and the next could contain nothing.

Also, the active compound in Hoodia cactus, called P-57, is supposed to be what makes people lose the urge to eat. The problem? P-57 isn't in every plant. Scientists said P-57 is only found in cacti that grow in the right soil and reach a certain age.

Since it cannot be determined if that ingredient is present, can it be determined that the pills work?

"No," said Imel.

Since Trimspa's popularity skyrocketed, dozens of Hoodia products have popped up in health food stories and on the Internet. Their makers warn about cheap imitations, and buying the wrong Hoodia.

In fact, the company that represents the patent holders for the active compound in Hoodia told News 8 their scientists believe "further clinical work is needed before products should be brought to market."

So, if it's not ready for market, Matthews said she's mad Trimspa is still readily available.

"I just think it's wrong that they're making so much money off of this product," she said.

As part of the lawsuit, Matthews and others want Trimspa to reimburse anyone who bought it.

So, the tests run by News 8 showed the main ingredient Hoodia gordonii is there, but tests run by that Dallas legal firm showed that it was not. Another test by a British company showed trace amounts.

The conclusion? All the tests could be right, because every pill could contain a completely different amount of the ingredients.

News 8's calls to Trimspa seeking comment were never returned.