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Plenity Reviews - What Is It?

Our Team

Plenity is an FDA-approved weight-loss product specially designed to provide you with the feeling of fullness to make you eat less and lose body weight. The pills are claimed to be even more effective when combined with low-fat diet and regular exercise plan. It was not available for buying at the time of publishing this review. The most interesting thing about this product is the method it uses to give you the feeling of fullness, which we'll discuss in the next section.

This weight-loss supplement is the brainchild of the biotech company called Gelesis. Yishai Zolar is CEO and founder of Gelesis. He is a pharmaceutical entrepreneur who invented the treatment in cooperation with Dr. Alessandro Sannino, Gelesis' lead project scientist. The company's leadership consists of seven members five of which have doctorate degrees. Two of the five have pharmacology doctorate degrees. But is Plenity really an effective huger suppressor? Can it lead to effective weight loss? To answer these and many other questions let us take a look as how this weight-loss treatment works, its ingredients, customer reviews, pros and cons.

Plenity

Ingredients of Plenity - Does It Really Work? Is It a Scam?

Plenity is a product in the form of oral capsules that promote the feeling of fullness and satiety. It is a non-systemic supplement that works in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The official website of the product gives loud claims about the ingredients in Plenity but there is lack of proper description. Well, we've learnt that the supplement is made from two natural compounds, citric acid and cellulose. They create a three-dimensional matrix that is supposed to occupy the inside of the stomach and small intestine, since the main goal of the product is to create a feeling of fullness.

According to the company's website, each capsule contains thousands of superabsorbent hydrogel particles (0.75 grams per capsule). Each particle is about the size of a grain of salt. It is recommended to take three capsules with plenty water before lunch and dinner. The working process looks as follows. The capsules get into the stomach and release the particles, which can absorb up to 100 times their original weight. As a result, the particles occupy about 25% of stomach volume. As food gets into the stomach, the particles mix with it, creating a volume with higher viscosity and elasticity in the stomach, promoting the sensation of fullness. The manufacturer claims that Plenity particles pass through the digestive system, supporting their three-dimensional structure before breaking down in the colon. Then the water is released and absorbed by the body. The particles leave the body through normal bowel movements. They are never absorbed by the body.

So, Cellulose is the major ingredient of the supplement. It is a non-digestible plant fiber. The cellulosic material is removed from the body in the feces. This is what happens with all non-digestible fiber, in fact. So, there is nothing special about the ingredients of Plenity. Unfortunately, the manufacturer of the product doesn't tell us how much fiber is in every pill, so we are not aware of its impact on the human gut health.

The company claims that the research conducted on the product really proved it works. However, the truth is that this weight-loss study was sponsored by the manufacturer. The FDA approval was based on that very study. It involved 324 people within the period of six months, but 112 left the study for personal reasons. Participants stuck to a low-calorie diet and consumed 300 calories below than necessary based on their energy needs. They were also involved in some moderate exercise, like a 30-minute walk. Those who took Plenity lost 6.4% of their body weight compared to 4.4% for those who took a placebo. Those who took the supplement have reported side effects including nausea, abdominal distension, diarrhea, infrequent bowel movements, constipation, flatulence, and abdominal pain. There were significant differences in the weight-loss results (6.4 percent compared to 4.4 percent). However, the study didn't focus on the types of foods the participants were instructed to eat. It is not mentioned whether people taking the product ate less food. The matter is that most people make their own food choices in real life. It may be hard to make correct food choices with the variety of foods available at present.

Customer Reviews - Does It Have Any Side Effects?

We have learnt more about Plenity and encountered a few key important points. The product is approved for individuals without health conditions and with a body mass index (BMI) of over 25. At the time of publishing this review, the manufacturer of the supplement, Gelesis, noted that there are some types of individual for whom Plenity is not suitable. Those people include patients with Crohn's disease; with allergies to citric acid, cellulose, sodium stearyl fumarate, titanium dioxide or gelatin; anomalies in their esophagus; people with "prior gastrointestinal surgery", GERD, heartburn or ulcers. There is high risk of experiencing side effects.

Another important factor concerns the instructions of the healthcare professional indicating how Plenity may interact with other medications. We searched for this information and found out that all drugs that are taken once a day should be taken in the morning or before going to bed, while Plenity has to be taken separately. These instructions should be followed, otherwise one may experience undesired side effects. Conditions that the participants of the research experienced ranged from constipation, bloating, and diarrhea to nausea, gas, and headaches. Other undesired symptoms were abdominal pain and infrequent bowel movements.

There are certain precautions to be taken into account before using Plenity. Patients need to contact a healthcare provider if they experience a severe or continued adverse event. If severe abdominal pain, a severe allergic reaction, or severe diarrhea occurs, one should stop using the product. People with symptoms of dysphagia are likely to have difficulty taking the capsules. Do not consume the supplement if the package is damaged or if any of the capsules are crushed, broken, or damaged. The product has to be used with caution by people with active gastrointestinal conditions such as ulcers, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), or heartburn. The supplement should be avoided by patients with Esophageal anatomic anomalies, including diverticuli, webs, and rings, complications from gastrointestinal surgery, suspected strictures.

Since Plenity has not been introduced to the market yet it has no customer reviews, but we have found a few experts' opinions that can be interesting for potential consumers. If you are considering this sort of treatment, continue reading.

"Plenity doesn't differ from just consuming more fiber, however, it strikes me with side-effects I has caused in the participants of the research. If this medication is just mechanically operating on the stomach, it should not lead to any adverse reactions. Even so, I think many people will want to try it, at least initially."

"Plenity is not based on some great doctoral. The creators of this product do not focus on how serotonin affects weight loss and appetite. It means that Plenity works in the same way as any fiber would. In fact, this supplement should be very cheap. The only advantage of Plenity is that it doesn't use affect your brain."

"Plenity does seem to work. According to the study done by Gelesis (the manufacturer). But there is one drawback. Their study was conducted over six months only, which is a quite short period of research for anew medication. It does not provide any guarantee that anyone who takes the pills will lose weight. Personally, I don't foresee any long-term benefits of this treatment."

Where To Buy Plenity?

Since the product has not entered the market yet, there is no information about its cost. I suppose, it will be a rather expensive weight-loss supplement, especially taking into account technology it uses. At the same time, the ingredients found in its formula are not very expensive. The number of users will certainly depend on how much the drug will cost and whether people will be able to use their insurance plan.

My Final Summary

I have a big question: do we really need Plenity? The weight-loss industry includes a great number of weight-loss pills and diets. If you want to be healthier, don't stress too much, eat more vegetables, and move your body as much as you can walking, running, dancing, doing yoga. These things are really helpful, while these pills don't seem to address any of them. Plenity was FDA approved only based on the manufacturer's research, which is a big mistake. This weight-loss supplement can cause undesired reactions and lead to serious health risks. I remain skeptical because people may suffer from some adverse effects. Based on Gelesis documents, the average person may experience only four-pound advantage when taking Plenity. You can lose more weight when sticking to the proper diet and exercise routine. With these thoughts in mind, I cannot recommend Plenity.

References:


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