Forskolin

What this is. An extract of the Coleus forskohlii root, sold mainly into the weight-management category. Read the dose note below before you decide.

1,000 mg of coleus forskohlii extract per two-capsule serving. Forskolin is the compound the product is named after, and the panel does not state what percentage of that 1,000 mg it is. Which means the amount of forskolin you are actually getting is unknown.

What you are actually getting, per 2 capsules

• Coleus forskohlii Extract (forskolin content not stated) — 1,000 mg

This is the arithmetic we cannot do for you. Coleus extracts sold for supplements are usually standardised to somewhere between 10% and 20% forskolin. If this one were 10%, 1,000 mg would be 100 mg of forskolin. At 20% it would be 200 mg. At 1%, which some cheap extracts are, it would be 10 mg. The panel states no percentage, so all three of those sentences stay hypothetical, and we are not going to pick the flattering one and print it on the front.

Worth knowing before you buy

The human research here is small. The most-cited trial used 250 mg of a 10% extract twice a day — 50 mg of forskolin a day — in a few dozen people over twelve weeks. Our label gives 1,000 mg of extract at an unstated strength, so we cannot tell you whether that is above, at, or below 50 mg of forskolin. A bigger milligram figure on the front does not settle the question; it just changes the subject.

That is why this is not in our weight and metabolism collection. It is not that the dose is definitely too small. It is that with the percentage missing there is no dose here to compare with anything. If you want to buy forskolin against the research figure, buy a bottle that prints its standardisation — and yes, we know that sentence is us telling you to look elsewhere.

How to take it

Two capsules a day with water. Sixty capsules in the bottle, so one serving a day is 30 days.

Other ingredients

The Supplement Facts panel supplied with this product does not list other ingredients, so the capsule shell is not stated. Gelatin shells are animal-derived and are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans; cellulose shells are. Because the panel is silent on which this is, we cannot tell you this product is suitable for vegetarians or vegans, and we are not going to guess. There is no allergen statement on the panel either. If either point decides the purchase for you, ask us before you order and we will read the bottle.

Cautions

Forskolin can lower blood pressure and can add to the effect of medicines that thin the blood, so speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking it if you use blood pressure medication, anticoagulants or antiplatelets, and stop it well before planned surgery. It has also been reported to increase stomach acid, which matters if you take acid-reducing medicines or live with reflux or an ulcer. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is damaged or missing. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not exceed the recommended dose. If you are pregnant, nursing, under 18, taking prescription medication or living with a medical condition, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting this or any supplement.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.