When ephedra was banned from the weight loss marked in the United Sates, diet pill companies scrambled to come up with a new combination of effective ingredients that would help stimulate weight loss just as well. For NVE Pharmaceuticals, that meant creating Stacker 2.

Stacker 2 says that its formula, when taken as directed, “may help burn fat, cut cravings, and boost a sluggish system without the use of ephedra.” Any advertiser that premises its product with the word “may” catches our attention, so we decided to look more closely at Stacker 2 before we give you the go ahead to try it out.

Ingredients and Mechanism of Action

Stacker 2 uses a stimulant-based mix that is likely to increase metabolism and possibly produce a thermogenic effect. They use many ingredients that have recently been popularized in the diet industry such as:

• Caffeine is often included at least partially in weight loss pills because of its ability to create thermogenesis in the body. Caffeine boosts weight loss by heating up the body and speeding up metabolism, however products that rely too heavily on caffeine are usually ineffective.
• Kola Nut operates similarly to caffeine by giving you energy and alertness to get more out of your workout.
• Yerba Mate is a tree native to South America. It has been clinically shown to help suppress the appetite and reduce obesity in mice, but it is also linked to heart-muscle dysfunction.
• Green Tea is consumed for weight loss because of the caffeine content and antioxidant nature of the drink.
• Gymnema is often used to treat diabetes and metabolic syndrome through its ability to lower blood sugar. However, it can also cause liver inflammation and fertility problems in women.

The website boasts a number of positive customer testimonials that seem to attest to its usefulness in promoting weight loss. However, these are common attributes of every diet pill website.

Side Effects

Results in the case of Stacker 2 do not come without negative side effects. With the high levels of caffeine included in Stacker 2, side effects include nausea, headaches, accelerated heart rate, insomnia, anxiety, and diarrhea.

Some would go with the policy of forgive and forget. However, in the case of products that have used ephedra before the ban, there is a definitive pattern established.

All of these products took the easy and popular way before, without doing their own research and studies to protect the consumer. Unfortunately, they continue in this pattern, even after the extreme loss of revenue all of them experienced with the ban of ephedra. Stacker 2 is no exception. Their ingredients in some cases are effective, but they are popular and can be found in every other diet supplement on the market.

Overall Impression of Stacker 2

Stacker 2 may produce some results, but not without major unwanted side effects. All of the positive testimonials posted also complain of these side effects. Stacker 2 has a history of taking the easy and popular way and not doing their homework. This product seems to be little more than a glorified caffeine pill.

As such, I would look for a company and a product with a better reputation.