Asia Black 25 is a diet pill produced in the USA by Novacare, and marketed under the Cloma Pharma Laboratories brand name. It is designed to appeal to people who are searching for a weight loss supplement that contains Ephedra—a drug that was banned because its use can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

However, although the manufacturers make much of the fact that their formulation contains the drug, things are not quite as they seem. There is more than one kind of Ephedra. The banned Ephedra drug (known as Ma Huang to Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners), contains the stimulant ephedrine. Asia Black 25 utilizes Ephedra Nevadensis, which is more commonly known as Mormon Tea and is not a source of ephedrine.

Unfortunately Asia Black 25 contains a number of ingredients that have been linked to dangerous side effects and some batches of the pills were withdrawn from the market after FDA inspectors discovered the formulation contained high amounts of an undisclosed ingredient (salicylic acid). According to the FDA, the ingredient is “acutely toxic” and its use can result in “life-threatening” cardio respiratory arrest.

Proposed Benefits

• Increased metabolism
• Appetite suppression
• Boosted energy
• Lose weight quickly and effectively

Key Ingredients & Blend Potential

One capsule provides:

• Vitamin B6 (500 mcg): An important vitamin that helps the body metabolize fats and protein.
• Vitamin B12 (150 mcg): Helps the body to convert food into energy.
• Chromium (30 mcg): An ingredient that has a largely disproven reputation as a fat burner.

ECA Proprietary Blend (302mg)

• Caffeine anhydrous: Caffeine is a good energy provider. It can also improve concentration, suppress the appetite, and speed the metabolism.
• White willow bark powder: The active ingredient in white willow bark is salicin, which is similar to aspirin and shares its pain supressing abilities. Some studies suggest a mixture or salicin, ephedra, and Kola nut may produce modest weight loss, but further study is required and the associated risk of side effects, such as kidney damage, means supplementation with salicin can be risky.
• Ephedra nevadensis powder: The fact that Ephedra nevadensis does not contain ephedrine will prevent it from reacting in the same way when combined with white willow bark and kola nut. There is some evidence to suggest it may help provide a detox, but it is unlikely to directly contribute to weight loss and its use can often result in gastrointestinal problems.

Asia Black Energy-Building & Fat-Burning Support Blend (433 mg)

• Paullinia cupana extract: More commonly known as guarana, paullinia cupana is a powerful caffeine provider that is often used in energy drinks. Unlike many similar ingredients, it releases its caffeine content slowly, resulting in longer-lasting benefits.
• Citrus aurantium extract: A citrus fruit extract that provides the stimulant synephrine. It has a good reputation as an energy provider, fat burner, and appetite suppressant, but unusually high doses can be problematic; so the fact that no inclusion rate is provided presents some cause for concern.
• Cayenne pepper: Some studies suggest supplementation with cayenne pepper can speed up the body’s calorie burning abilities by up to 12 times.
• Yohimbe extract: A tree extract that can improve the circulation and has a longstanding reputation as a libido booster. It is often touted to be a fat burner, but there is a lack of supportive evidence and high doses can result in cardio-vascular related side effects.
• Green tea extract: A safe ingredient that can increase the metabolism and improve the overall health. It is a tested and proven weight loss provider and is one of the most commonly used diet pill ingredients in the world.
• Panax ginseng extract: A versatile adaptogen herb that supplies many health benefits, but is not generally considered to be effective for weight loss.
• Bladderwrack powder: A seaweed extract that provides iodine. The metabolism requires a sufficient quantity of thyroid hormones for optimum function, and iodine is known to be necessary for thyroid health, so bladderwrack is becoming an increasingly popular inclusion in weight loss supplements.
• Zingiber officanalis root powder: A fancy name for a very common ingredient—ginger. There is no evidence that ginger supports weight loss, but it can be useful for calming an upset stomach.
• Evodia Fructus (guaranteed 10% evodiamine): Studies conducted on mice suggest evodiamine may have potential as a fat burner, but it may not work in the same way for humans.
• Yerba Mate powder: A caffeine-providing ingredient sourced from a South American plant.
• L-Tyrosine: An amino acid that provides appetite suppression. A limited amount of evidence suggests it may also speed up the metabolism.
• N-Acetyl L-Carnitine: An amino acid that can help the body to convert its fat stores into a source of useable energy.
• African Kola Nut Extract: A caffeine-provider that is more potent than coffee.

Customer Feedback

We were unable to find any customer reviews.

Side Effects, Health Issues & Supplementary Information

The fact that the FDA has discovered some batches of the product contain an undeclared drug, that necessitated a product recall, does not inspire confidence. The formulation also contains high amounts of stimulants. Anyone considering using Asia Black 25 should consult with their GP prior to doing so.

Guarantee

Asia Black 25 does not have a money back guarantee.

Purchasing Options & Considerations

Asia Black 25 is not available via any of the more reputable online stores, such as GNC or Lucky Vitamin. Some of the lesser known online retailers stock the product, but many of them do not ship to the UK, so finding a supplier can be hard. A price tag of around $27 plus shipping is not uncommon per 100 capsule bottle.

[warningHard to recommend[/warning]

Recommended Alternative Diet Pill

Asia Black 25 contains too many ingredients for our liking. There is some good ingredients in the formula that are diluted by the not so good.

We recommend Phentaslim in this category – an effective fat burner that is ideal to be used when working out.

Read more on Phentaslim here