Doctor Reviews: Zenith

Listen to this article on Spotify, or watch it on YouTube.

Zenith by Awakend claims that it can help you lose fat, reduce serum leptin, and increase serum adiponectin. Sounds too good to be true, right?

Well, apparently they do provide a study to back up their claims, but let’s not be fooled just yet. Where exactly is this so-called study? And is there any scientific evidence to support their claims about leptin and adiponectin?

Let’s take a closer look at this “study” and separate fact from fiction.

Zenith’s false study

Zenith’s website showcases a supposed study to back up their assertions. But when you start digging deeper, red flags begin to emerge.

Firstly, there is no link to the original source of the study, and the text cannot be copied for a search. This seems highly suspicious and suggests that Zenith is deliberately trying to hide something.

When we search for the exact journal, year, volume, and page numbers listed for their study, we find a study that doesn’t even relate to their supplement at all, but rather to a completely different one called Trisynex.

Zenith has shamelessly copied and pasted the Trisynex study, and simply replaced Trisynex with Zenith. This is a blatant case of plagiarism, and Zenith has stolen someone else’s work to deceive customers and add credibility to their product.

In reality, the study they reference has nothing to do with Zenith, and their claims are nothing more than lies.

Problems with Zenith’s “study”

But let’s indulge Zenith for a moment and pretend that this study done over a decade ago is their study. What does this study actually demonstrate?

It’s worth noting that there are already red flags waving here. To begin with, the study only involved 22 people – a sample size that’s far too small to draw any meaningful conclusions.

Furthermore, the study was funded by the very company that produces the supplement being tested, which introduces an enormous potential for bias.

Also, these results weren’t solely due to the supplement itself. Participants also followed a strict dietary and exercise regimen.

They met with a dietitian who reviewed their food logs. They exercised 4-5 times a week under supervision of a personal trainer. With that kind of protocol, it would be a surprise if they didn’t lose weight!

Studies funded by private companies with small sample sizes are often unreliable. This is because when the sample size is too small, the results may be due to chance, and the study may not be able to draw any reliable conclusions.

When you add in a conflict of interest from the funding company, the problems are exacerbated, and biases may creep into the study design, data collection, or interpretation of results.

This means that there’s a risk that the researchers may manipulate the data or conclusions to suit their interests.

Therefore, unless the results can be replicated on a larger scale by an independent research team, the findings of this study should be approached with heavy skepticism.

Zenith’s false patent

But Zenith’s claims about their weight loss supplement don’t just stop at their fake study. They also boast ownership of not one, but two patents on their blend – one in the US and one worldwide. But a closer look at these patents raises some serious questions about the company’s credibility.

Let’s start with the US patent. Zenith claims ownership of it, but the patent number actually belongs to a completely different company called First Fruits Business and Imagenetix Inc.

There’s no mention of Awakend or Zenith anywhere on this patent. And if that’s not enough to make you suspicious, the patent expired in 2022, rendering it inactive anyway.

Turning to the worldwide or WIPO patent, things don’t look much better. Zenith suggests that it pertains to their product, but there’s no mention of Awakend or Zenith, and the patent was filed way back in 2002 – over 20 years ago.

There’s simply no way it could refer to Zenith, a product that only recently hit the market. Moreover, WIPO patents are only valid for 20 years after application, and I don’t see a renewal anywhere, so even if it did relate to Zenith, it would likely be expired by now.

So not only did Zenith steal someone else’s study to fraudulently bolster the claims of their product, but they also lied about owning patents that they never had in the first place.

It seems like they wanted to make people think that their product was special and exclusive, but that’s not true at all.

In reality, there’s nothing proprietary about it, and the most likely reason why this blend is not used in many other weight loss supplements, is probably because it sucks.

Ingredients of Zenith

But let’s take a look at Zenith’s ingredients. Here are the doses per capsule. The recommended dosing is 3 capsules twice per day.

We’re going to analyze each ingredient to see whether they contain a sufficient dose, whether it contains the active compounds to work, and how effective they might be for weight loss. Then at the very end, I’ll look into cheaper alternatives and give the supplement an overall rating.

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, also known as hypromellose, may sound like a fancy name, but it’s nothing more than a lackluster filler.

Hypromellose is actually a modified form of cellulose fiber that forms a gel-like substance when mixed with water.

It’s commonly used in drug delivery to slow down the absorption of the drug over a longer period of time. It works as an inert thickening and emulsifying agent.

But let’s be clear, it provides no real therapeutic benefits on its own. Zenith’s attempt to spice up this ingredient by giving it all kinds of names like “viscous polysaccharides”, is a blatant ploy to make it seem more interesting. But the truth is, it’s just an inactive filler. Don’t be fooled by the fancy names!

Cetylated fatty acids

The other ingredient, cetylated fatty acids, is a type of fatty acid that has been chemically modified so it can be used as a supplement or cream.

It has some anti-inflammatory properties and can help with joint pain and stiffness in people with inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis.

However, there’s no good research to suggest that cetylated fatty acids can help with weight or fat loss.

Zenith Side effects and warnings

Zenith’s two ingredients are generally safe for consumption and can be found in a wide range of food and supplements.

However, the inactive filler it contains, hypromellose, is known to delay and extend the absorption of certain medications. Therefore, I’d suggest that you take Zenith separately from any medication you may be taking to avoid any possible interactions.

Is Zenith effective?

Despite the flashy marketing and supposed evidence, Zenith by Awakend is essentially useless for weight loss.

The claims that it reduces serum leptin or increases serum adiponectin are unsupported by any reliable evidence.

But even if Awaken Zenith could modify the levels of leptin in the body, that wouldn’t necessarily translate to weight loss.

Why? Because the real issue with obesity isn’t just about having too much or too little leptin in your system. It’s about your body not responding to it properly.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the relationship between leptin and obesity, and we’ll delve into that topic in a future article.

If we examine the suggested dosing of Zenith, it’s clear that the manufacturers believe the supplement acts like a soluble fiber supplement.

They recommend taking it before meals and with plenty of water, hoping that the inert filler will bulk your stomach and curb your appetite.

But the truth is, hypromellose is not an effective soluble fiber for this purpose. It’s like using a nail clipper to open a can of beans – it’s not going to work very well!

There are far more effective, well-researched, and cheaper soluble fibers available for bulking the stomach, such as glucomannan or psyllium husk.

So, using Zenith as a weight loss supplement is highly ineffective. In fact, it might be better suited for those suffering from osteoarthritis, since the cetylated fatty acids have been researched for that purpose before.

Although we can’t even be sure how much cetylated fatty acids the supplement provides so we aren’t sure it will be effective for that either.

Overall review: Zenith

Reviewing Zenith by Awakend by effectiveness for weight loss, I’m giving it an F. There’s no good evidence that any of its ingredients help with weight loss.

Reviewing Zenith by Awakend by cost, I’m giving it an F. It’s insanely expensive for something that can be replicated for a few dollars.

Reviewing Zenith by Awakend for safety, I’m giving it an A. Assuming Zenith contains no other adulteration or contamination, both hypromellose and cetylated fatty acids are considered generally safe to consume.

Overall review, I’m giving Zenith by Awakend an F. I would recommend you stay away from it.

Top alternatives to Zenith

If you’re looking to achieve similar effects, but better than those of Zenith, I would combine a quality soluble fiber + cetylated fatty acids (CFAs).

• CFAs (Celadrin) – 1 to 2 caps / day
• Glucomannan (caps) – 1 to 3 caps w/ meals
• Glucomannan (PGX caps) – 1 to 3 caps w/ meals
• Glucomannan (PGX powder) – 0.5 to 1 scoop w/ meals
• Glucomannan (powder) – 0.25 to 1 tsp w/ meals
• Inulin – 1 to 3 tsp w/ meals
• Psyllium husk (caps) – 3 to 12 caps w/ meals
• Psyllium husk (Metamucil) – 1 scoop w/ meals
• Psyllium husk (powder) – 1 to 3 tsp w/ meals

Learn more about

• Glucomannan For Weight Loss
• 6 Things To Look For On Supplements
• 5 Things to Know Before Buying Weight Loss Supplements
• Other weight loss supplements

See also

• 
  Doctor Reviews: Bioma
  Bioma and other generic probiotics may support general gut health but lack specific, research-backed benefits for weight loss.
• 
  Doctor Reviews: Lipozem
  Lipozem and similar keto BHB supplements have shown little to no effectiveness in supporting keto, weight loss, or athletic performance.
• 
  Doctor Reviews: Youthful Brain
  Youthful Brain is unlikely to improve cognitive performance in healthy individuals, as research shows limited benefits for their ingredients.
• 
  Doctor Reviews: Lemme Curb
  Lemme Curb is basically just a high-dose chromium supplement, which hasn’t been proven to help with weight loss or cravings in healthy people.
• 
  Doctor Reviews: Nello Supercalm
  Nello Supercalm is a drink mix with ingredients that may help manage stress and anxiety, though it might not work for everyone.