That is true; journal writing is one way people deal with stress.  Have also read about keeping a blessings journal, in which one is only allowed to write down the good things that happened that day.  It is a way of changing focus, and therefore, our experience of life. 

Post Edited (SpainEurope) : 6/18/2009 11:28:16 AM (GMT-4)

Thanks ghg and SpainEurope for your replies.  Much appreciated.

ghg, the Cameroon subjects did have signs of metabolic syndrome [elevated BMI and waist circumference for example] and were eating a modern diet [ie, much like a Standard American Diet], so inflammation was certainly at work there, and that change in diet from an indiginous diet was the impetus for the research. 

 Just to let you know, irnvingia lowered CRP in the Cameroon study by a huge percent [I think something like 50%], both in the human and mice studies.  CRP [C reactive protein] is one measure of inflammation.  Sears doesn't like CRP as a great measure of inflammation because it's not specific [it will also go up if you have any kind of inflammation like a cold or allergies], but when you see a 50% drop in it along with significant weight loss, you know that abdominal fat cell inflammatory proteins were at work.  I think these studies also showed a significant reduction in Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha, another standard measure of inflammation.  This occurred in the studies just using the irvingia alone, not with the added green tea component, which is also believed to lower inflammation.

I think if there's any difference between American folks using this product and the African subjects of the study, it's not physiology, but rather impatience due to unrealistic expectations because they don't really understand how this stuff works and they're looking for a "diet pill" that works fast.  I think LEF should fund a study here in the US at a big HMO where they see tons of patients for metabolic syndrome and diabetes.  It may not make a difference, tho, in people's expectations because LEF already made it really clear in their literature about expectations and I read quite a few posts here and other places of folks giving up after one bottle.

I'm a huge fan of fish oils and have been using it myself in relatively high doses daily for a good 5 years.  I swear by it and basically twist everyone's arm I know to take it.  I have, however, not found that it assists much in the loss of body fat even though it's supposed to have a specific effect on a molecule known as an uncoupling protein, which drives the body to waste calories as heat.  That process is probably the main metabolic defect in people who gain significant weight - when a lean person is overfed, they simply increase metabolic rate to waste the extra calories as heat.  Overweight people don't do that, they store the extra calories as fat.

It appears as though you and your friend may have simulataneously used The Zone while taking this product with fish oil.  The Zone by itself may have contributed to the biggest part of your weight loss because of its action on insulin regulation. I'm a big fan of Dr. Sears, although of late he's gotten a little testy as other research has mounted demonstrating that you don't really need to maintain that ratio of protein/carb to regulate insulin, you just need to find the absolute level of carb for you that is low enough to drop insulin.  This is different for different people, and changes as you lose weight.

SpainEurope, did your father use any kind of diet while also using the product?

Again, thanks for your inputs.  Really appreciated

Hi SpainEurope,

Thanks for the additional info about your father's weight loss.

I'm not sure I understood your comment about your own experience with Irvingia Integra-Lean.  It seems that you are saying that you took it for two weeks and also lost weight, but then you stopped taking it?  Am I correct??  If so, why did you stop?

And the irivingia that you are now taking, is this a different formula?

Is this a formula that includes fucoxanthin with irvingia?

I'm not a fan of fucoxanthin at all. The so-called science that was presented about that product is, in my opinion, completely bogus.  I think Garden of Life made a huge killing on that product, and while I like many of their other products, I'm still mad at them over that one...what a crock.  Others like Mercola and even LEF, I think, tried to get on the bandwagon with their own product, but it's the same stuff.

Thanks again for your feedback.