AdvoCare, a multi-level marketing (MLM) company, has been selling supplements, powders, meal replacement shakes, and capsules since 1993. Despite controversies and a class-action lawsuit in 2016, the company boasts a large network of distributors and loyal customers. Among their popular products is Spark, an energy drink supplement, and Trim, a weight loss program. This article delves into the ingredients of AdvoCare Spark and Trim, examining their potential effects on weight loss and overall health, while considering expert opinions and scientific research.
The Allure of AdvoCare: A Personal Anecdote
The appeal of AdvoCare products is often rooted in the promise of enhanced energy and weight management. One individual's experience illustrates this point: a father, consistently struggling with low energy, was introduced to AdvoCare Spark by a friend. Allured by the concept of a drink giving him the vigor he’d always lacked, he found that Spark not only boosted his energy, but he liked the taste so much that he sometimes drank two glasses back to back. The habit would eventually resulting in headaches and a buzzed, alert feeling that lasted well into the evening. This anecdote highlights the potential for both the perceived benefits and the possible drawbacks of AdvoCare products.
AdvoCare's Weight Loss Program: Trim
AdvoCare’s weight loss program, Trim, is a Metabolic Nutrition System (MNS). AdvoCare claims it “combines an essential mix of ingredients and phytochemical herbs to increase energy levels and enhance your body’s ability to burn off excess body fat.” The MNS provides “vital nutrients as well as supports for sustaining a healthy weight.” The program features three main products, each targeting a different area: appetite suppression, optimum nutrition, and energy.
However, it's crucial to critically examine the ingredients within Trim and their purported effects on weight loss.
Questionable Ingredients in Trim
Trim products also contain crystalline fructose, green coffee extract, and sucralose-all ingredients that seem counterintuitive for weight loss. Several components of AdvoCare's Trim program have raised concerns among nutritionists and health experts.
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- Crystalline Fructose: Young said that crystalline fructose is an added sugar that contributes calories, and in excess, can even cause weight gain. This added sugar contributes calories, potentially leading to weight gain when consumed in excess.
- Sucralose: Sucralose, a zero-calorie sweetener often marketed as being good for weight loss, doesn’t seem to have any major effects on weight, according to Young, and “It also may not be good for health. So why risk it?” While marketed as a zero-calorie sweetener, sucralose's impact on weight loss is questionable, and potential health risks warrant caution.
- Green Coffee Extract: On green coffee extract, Young said, “Potential side effects I've read about are-insomnia, nervousness, upset stomach, nausea, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, headaches, anxiety.” Potential side effects include insomnia, nervousness, upset stomach, nausea, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, headaches, anxiety.
Overall, Young isn’t a huge fan of such products. “Some of these ingredients may be potentially harmful and more research is needed,” she says.
Garcinia Cambogia: A Closer Look
One ingredient brought into question is garcinia cambogia, a tropical fruit often found in weight-loss supplements, because it’s thought to curb appetite and block the body’s ability to make fat. Lisa R. Young, a nutritionist and author of “Finally Full, Finally Slim” said that it’s entirely possible that there can be negative side effects from taking a product containing garcinia cambogia. “As I tell clients-why take a supplement like this if there is the potential for side effects,” she said."It may not be good for health. So why risk it?” Garcinia cambogia, often touted for its appetite-suppressing and fat-blocking properties, may carry potential negative side effects.
AdvoCare Spark: Energy Boost or Health Risk?
AdvoCare Spark is a powdered drink energy supplement promising “enhanced mental focus”. The primary concern with Spark lies in its high caffeine content.
Caffeine Content and Potential Risks
Caffeine caution is nothing new, but despite eliminating ephedra in their products in 2002, before the FDA even banned the ingredient, AdvoCare still pumps up products like Spark with a lot of heart-racing caffeine-enough that the wife of the pastor who got my dad hooked on the product once rushed herself to the emergency room, panicking because the drink made her think she was having a heart attack. AdvoCare Spark contains a significant amount of caffeine, which can lead to adverse effects in some individuals.
The IOC consensus said, “The ‘more is better’ philosophy, when applied to caffeine, may result in side effects, including nausea, anxiety, accelerated heart rate, and insomnia, that outweigh the performance benefits. Unwanted outcomes become more common with caffeine doses ≥9 mg/kg body mass, but maximal benefits are usually achieved with intakes of 3-6 mg/kg. Excessive caffeine consumption can result in nausea, anxiety, accelerated heart rate, and insomnia, potentially outweighing any performance benefits.
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Copper: Essential Nutrient or Toxic Metal?
On copper, Dr. Benardot, though unable to speak to AdvoCare products specifically, said that consuming any supplement containing the metal, is dangerous. “Copper is needed in very small amounts. It has one basic function and that is part of the transfer of a protein called ceruloplasmin, which transfers iron to transferrin, which is the transport of the blood into hemoglobin, to make hemoglobin for red blood cells,” he says. “What are you gonna do if you have all the ceruloplasmin you need and you intake copper? What’s your body supposed to do with it? It’s a heavy toxic metal.” The presence of copper in AdvoCare products has also sparked debate. While copper is an essential nutrient needed in very small amounts, excessive intake can be dangerous.
Sean Gardner//Getty ImagesAdvoCare’s Director of Research & Development and Scientific Operations, Michael Hartman, disputed that a person could possibly have enough copper in their system without the help of a supplement, citing an Institute of Medicine study that says “only 20% of the population receives the amount of copper they need through daily meals. They have to consume it from dietary or supplemental resources. The copper in AdvoCare is at 10% of the daily value.” He added, “The great advantage to supplements, is that you know exactly how much copper you’re getting in. If you’re only getting it from food sources, you don’t know how much copper you’re ingesting.” AdvoCare defends the inclusion of copper, arguing that many people don't get enough through diet alone.
The Supplement Dilemma: Necessity vs. Risk
Dr. Dan Benardot, an RD/LD who works with Olympic athletes says, “Supplements are, for most people totally unnecessary.” Even so, he says, “Most people don’t understand how to take them. Most people think that if a little bit of a nutrient is good for you, more must be better, and nothing could be further from the truth." The prevailing sentiment among many health professionals is that supplements are unnecessary for most individuals.
Several studies and Dr. Benardot cautioned against using any dietary supplements unless recommended by a doctor for a biological deficit, but AdvoCare would not comment on those opinions. Hartman said, “We’re very proud of our products and the ingredients we use. As we review the literature and review the recommended dosage, we’re confident in the efficacy of our product. … Using as directed, there is very low safety risk.”
In a 2018 statement in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, titled “IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete,” the authors agreed that, because performance-enhancing supplements in particular are not well enough researched yet, “Decisions on supplement use therefore need to consider both the context of use and the specific protocol employed.” They also reported that in the US, in 2015, approximately 23,000 emergency department visits annually were reported to be associated with dietary supplement use. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus statement emphasizes the need for careful consideration and context-specific protocols when using supplements, given the limited research and potential risks.
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The Importance of a Holistic Approach
People remain diehard loyalists to the stuff. (My own father was a regular Spark drinker for several years.) Yet no definitive studies have ever shown that AdvoCare products are effective. And because the company recommends that users combine product-use with an overall healthier lifestyle-a well-balanced diet and plenty of exercise-it’s hard to know if it’s the supplement that’s doing the work, or if a user would be seeing results regardless. It's important to note that AdvoCare recommends combining product use with a healthy lifestyle, making it difficult to isolate the effects of the supplements themselves.