Q: I have been doing some reading up on the ingredients of Lipolyze, specifically usnic acid, which I had never heard of. I am concerned because there seems to be some indication that the ingredient causes liver damage. Jon, how long have you taken this supplement? And do you have knowledge of any other research to dispute these claims?
A: First, I would advise you to 'stop' taking Lipolyze if you have ANY concerns at all.
Second, the studies done on usnic acid and liver failure have all been at doses literally 10x the dose of Lipolyze. This is why I chose it.
To me this is no different than citing studies of alcohol causing liver failure (which of course it does) and not citing the amounts taken, then linking that to a glass of wine at night.
Bottom line: Anything in extreme can harm the liver.
Again, if you have any concerns, as per instructions, ask your doctor. I am not a doctor, nor do I have any idea if you have a liver issue currently. I would wager that the few cases reported of usnic acid causing liver issues in humans (aside from the extreme doses used in comparison with Lipolyze) had liver problems well before, or simply a genetically weak liver. There's absolutely no way to know for sure.
It reminds me of Morgan Spurlock -- the director of the film "Supersize Me." His liver turned to "paté" after 30 days on a high junk food diet. I ate that way for nearly 10 years without any liver damage. Obviously he had weaker genes in the liver department.
If you continue with the supplement I do recommend having your doctor check it out and possibly even do some lab work to ensure your safety.
I'm considering leaving Lipolyze out of the monthly kit -- sheerly for this reason, and not because I think there's a great concern, but because I worry about that one stray case where someone may have had a weakened liver and... well, you know the rest.
The replacement would be a 7-Keto product; there are two that I like, but both contain stimulants. Irony, that in my quest to avoid anything harmful... well, I don't think 12 mg of usnic acid is harmful, but perhaps it's better to play it safe than sorry.
Perhaps straight 7-Keto may work... I'll have to research it more.
But RFLB is hardly dependent upon Lipolyze, so if you wanted to pass on it, I doubt your progress would come to a halt.
