Calorad
Encyclopedia
Calorad is a liquid protein
weight loss
supplement which was first introduced to the US and Canadian marketplace in 1984. It has been advertised on both television
and radio
. Calorad is manufactured by NutriDiem and is marketed by several companies including Essentially Yours Industries and Nysante, all of which are headquartered in Canada
.
from either beef (bovine) or tuna (marine) sources and 8 mg of aloe vera
, both of which are listed as active ingredients. The supplement label states that Calorad is fat
-free and carbohydrate
-free and that 1 serving (1/2 ounce) provides 3 grams of protein and 10 calories. Calorad also comes in a Kosher formulation (marine). The primary claim made for the product is that regular use causes weight loss without loss of lean muscle
mass. While weight loss and body fat reduction may be achieved simply by following the labeled instruction to avoid eating within three hours prior to sleep as that can result in eating fewer calories per day, most individuals fasting for 3-hours prior to bed-time alone are not successful in accomplishing long-term weight loss.
Formulator Michel Grise stated that the original version of what later became known as Calorad was developed to treat chickens with fatty liver syndrome. Chickens were developing so much body fat that they stopped laying eggs. The formulation was successful in helping farmers reduce body fat of chickens to get them laying eggs again. This led to the question of whether such a product would work for humans.
The manufacturer claims that 40% of subjects will lose weight within 1 month, 75% after 2 months and 87% after 3 months. The distributors of the product offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. In support of these claims, the distributing companies cite a clinical study of Calorad (also unpublished and non-peer reviewed) by Joel B. Lao. Lao is a Doctor of Internal Medicine, and medical consultant in the Philippines
who studied the effects of Calorad and its effect on overweight and/or obese individuals. The subjects included 50 overweight or obese individuals who were observed over a 90-day period. One bottle of Calorad was provided to each of the subjects every month for a 3-month period. In month 1, the average weight loss was 5.7 pounds. By month 3, subjects had an average reduction of 10 pounds, and an average inch loss at the waist of 3 inches.
The claim that Calorad facilitates weight loss while building or maintaining lean muscle mass is based upon an unpublished and non-peer reviewed study by Davis et al. in which 300 subjects between the ages of 17–77 years, were followed for 1 year, and the majority of whom lost weight (an average of 3.75 pounds per month) but maintained lean muscle mass. Davis states: "We also found that in the entire group, less than 0.6, or less than 1 per cent, had any loss of lean muscle mass. And 36 per cent of the group actually gained lean muscle mass during that time."
When first introduced, the manufacturer claimed that Calorad could cause the user to "lose weight while you sleep", repair joints, and prevent or reduce the symptoms of arthritis. The manufacturer has since dropped these claims because they are "medical treatment claims" and require a drug treatment classification approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, and are usually only granted following submission of large clinical trials similar to those conducted by pharmaceutical companies in substantiation of these claims. Neither the manufacturer (Nutridiem) or the distributing companies (Nysante or EYI) have conducted this type of rigorous trial on Calorad in support of such claims. The manufacturer and distributing companies have replaced these claims with the current claim that Calorad "promotes sleep and improves the health and appearance of hair, nails and skin" (all of which are not medical treatment claims).
Calorad, like all nutritional supplements, has not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration, and all marketing materials related to the product carry a disclaimer to the effect that it is "a food supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
weight loss
Weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue...
supplement which was first introduced to the US and Canadian marketplace in 1984. It has been advertised on both television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. Calorad is manufactured by NutriDiem and is marketed by several companies including Essentially Yours Industries and Nysante, all of which are headquartered in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Composition
Calorad is a liquid dietary supplement composed primarily of 3,000 mg (3 grams) of Type II hydrolyzed collagen (hydrolysate)Hydrolyzed collagen (hydrolysate)
Hydrolyzed collagen is usually made from type I collagen by an enzymatic hydrolysis process. It is also called collagen hydrolysate, collagen peptide, gelatine, gelatine hydrolysate and hydrolyzed gelatine.- Characteristics and production :...
from either beef (bovine) or tuna (marine) sources and 8 mg of aloe vera
Aloe vera
Aloe vera, pronounced , also known as the true aloe or medicinal aloe, is a species of succulent plant in the genus Aloe that is believed to have originated in the Sudan. Aloe vera grows in arid climates and is widely distributed in Africa, India, Nepal and other arid areas.The species is...
, both of which are listed as active ingredients. The supplement label states that Calorad is fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
-free and carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
-free and that 1 serving (1/2 ounce) provides 3 grams of protein and 10 calories. Calorad also comes in a Kosher formulation (marine). The primary claim made for the product is that regular use causes weight loss without loss of lean muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
mass. While weight loss and body fat reduction may be achieved simply by following the labeled instruction to avoid eating within three hours prior to sleep as that can result in eating fewer calories per day, most individuals fasting for 3-hours prior to bed-time alone are not successful in accomplishing long-term weight loss.
Formulator Michel Grise stated that the original version of what later became known as Calorad was developed to treat chickens with fatty liver syndrome. Chickens were developing so much body fat that they stopped laying eggs. The formulation was successful in helping farmers reduce body fat of chickens to get them laying eggs again. This led to the question of whether such a product would work for humans.
Scientific studies
Although the manufacturer does not make claims for Calorad in the treatment or cure of disease, the manufacturer does cite published clinical trials in OsteoArthritis and Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Fibromyalgia all conducted with Type II hydrolyzed collagen (collagen hydrolysate), the primary ingredient in Calorad.The manufacturer claims that 40% of subjects will lose weight within 1 month, 75% after 2 months and 87% after 3 months. The distributors of the product offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. In support of these claims, the distributing companies cite a clinical study of Calorad (also unpublished and non-peer reviewed) by Joel B. Lao. Lao is a Doctor of Internal Medicine, and medical consultant in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
who studied the effects of Calorad and its effect on overweight and/or obese individuals. The subjects included 50 overweight or obese individuals who were observed over a 90-day period. One bottle of Calorad was provided to each of the subjects every month for a 3-month period. In month 1, the average weight loss was 5.7 pounds. By month 3, subjects had an average reduction of 10 pounds, and an average inch loss at the waist of 3 inches.
The claim that Calorad facilitates weight loss while building or maintaining lean muscle mass is based upon an unpublished and non-peer reviewed study by Davis et al. in which 300 subjects between the ages of 17–77 years, were followed for 1 year, and the majority of whom lost weight (an average of 3.75 pounds per month) but maintained lean muscle mass. Davis states: "We also found that in the entire group, less than 0.6, or less than 1 per cent, had any loss of lean muscle mass. And 36 per cent of the group actually gained lean muscle mass during that time."
Marketing claims
One of the marketing companies, Essentially Yours, states that most subjects on a weight loss regimen lose lean muscle mass along with fat and water weight, so that maintaining lean muscle mass is a benefit seen with Calorad users.When first introduced, the manufacturer claimed that Calorad could cause the user to "lose weight while you sleep", repair joints, and prevent or reduce the symptoms of arthritis. The manufacturer has since dropped these claims because they are "medical treatment claims" and require a drug treatment classification approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, and are usually only granted following submission of large clinical trials similar to those conducted by pharmaceutical companies in substantiation of these claims. Neither the manufacturer (Nutridiem) or the distributing companies (Nysante or EYI) have conducted this type of rigorous trial on Calorad in support of such claims. The manufacturer and distributing companies have replaced these claims with the current claim that Calorad "promotes sleep and improves the health and appearance of hair, nails and skin" (all of which are not medical treatment claims).
Calorad, like all nutritional supplements, has not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration, and all marketing materials related to the product carry a disclaimer to the effect that it is "a food supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."