Cytoburn claims to target cytokines within your body, turning them into fat-burning molecules that accelerate weight loss. Is any of this backed by science? Can you really transform immune cells into fat-burning cells?
First, it helps to understand what cytokines are. Cytokines are small secreted proteins released by cells. They have a specific effect on the interactions and communications between cells. There’s no single “cytokine” cell; instead, there are multiple types of cytokines that affect different parts of the body. Specific types of cytokines include lymphokine (cytokines made by lymphocytes) and interleukin (cytokines made by leukocytes).
Your body has both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Some cause inflammation, while others reduce it. When your body detects infections or diseases, for example, it sends cytokines to the area. Chemotherapy, for example, involves manipulating cytokines (called chemokines) to move towards a target.
For decades, there was limited evidence connecting cytokines to weight loss. In 2021, however, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania unexpectedly found cytokines led to a significant reduction inabdominal fat and weight loss.
Researchers treated obese mice with the cytokine known as TSLP, which led to a significant reduction in abdominal fat and weight loss compared to a placebo. Researchers described it as a “completely unforeseen finding,” but found thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a type of cytokine involved in immune system activity, helped obese mice “shed 40 percent of their body weight by secreting fat through their skin.”
However, it’s unclear how Cytoburn impacts cytokines in your body, activates TSLP, or raises TSLP activity within your body, among other effects. Instead, the formula mostly contains a blend of natural laxatives and natural fibers. These ingredients are linked to weight loss, but they’ve not been proven to activate TSLP.
In this 2019 study, researchers found a specific connection between fiber intake and weight loss in a group of overweight adults. Researchers told adults to follow a calorie-restricted diet. Some adults took more fiber than others. Adults in the fiber group were better able to stick to the low-calorie diet, and they lost more weight.
Cytoburn also contains natural laxatives like prunes and aloe vera extract. Prunes are one of nature’s best-known laxatives, and science backs up that claim. In this 2014 study from the University of Liverpool, for example, researchers found eating dried prune fruit was associated with significantly more weight loss than a placebo. Researchers found eating prune enhanced feelings of fullness, making it easier to stick to a diet plan.
Overall, Cytoburn contains a collection of ingredients that should help you feel fuller, making it easier to stick to your calorie-restricted diet. If you’re struggling with weight loss because of poor dietary habits, or if you need extra help, then Cytoburn may be able to suppress appetite and encourage weight loss. However, there’s limited scientific evidence proving it changes your immune system’s general cytokines into fat-burning TSLP cytokines.