There are an awful lot of diet pills out there, and most folks are pretty wary of them, with good reason too. With obesity on the rise, however, more and more people are looking for weight loss supplements that actually work – without any of the harmful side effects so prevalent in the industry. So let’s look further and see if Proactol Plus might fit the bill.

If you’re looking for a diet pill that is 100% natural, made with organic ingredients, and boasting no significant side effects, it may be worth your time to consider Proactol Plus as an option.

What is Proactol Plus?

Very simply, Proactol Plus is a fiber complex natural weight loss supplement. It is a combination of fiber, herbal ingredients, and its primary ingredient: prickly pear.

Opuntia Ficus-Indica, the main ingredient in Proactol, is derived from the prickly pear – a cactus fruit native to Mexico. This fleshy, juicy fruit has long been consumed world-wide, from Africa to Australia to South America; however, it has only recently made its name in the weight loss industry. Prickly pear is not only rich in amino acids, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium, but it has also shown to effectively lower bad cholesterol levels by up to 34 percent (without affecting good cholesterol levels).

Capitalizing on the nutritional value of this fruit, the manufacturer claims that science has taken it a step further, extracting a fiber complex from dehydrated prickly pears. This resulted in a medicinal supplement called NeOptunia, which is the primary active ingredient in Proactol Plus.

Also found in Proactol Plus:

• Microcrystalline cellulose, which is a flavorless, odorless powder that helps to naturally replace fats that are removed from the food you eat, thus aiding in weight loss.

• Calcium hydrogen phosphate dehydrate

• Silica

• Povidone

• Magnesium stearate

These are all natural ingredients, sans artificial colorings, preservatives, flavorings or allergens, and serve to enhance the fat binder effects of the Opuntia Ficus-Indica.

How does it work?

The NeOptunia in Proactol Plus is said to work as a fat binder on lipids in the intestines, preventing their absorption. This fat binder works like a fat magnet, collecting and binding fat molecules before they can be digested and absorbed into the body. The fat molecules are bound into a gel in the stomach, making it indigestible, and thus, it is passed through and eliminated in the stool.

Is it effective?

Proactol Plus has been extensively tested to ensure not only its effectiveness, but its safety as well. In each test, the results clearly showed the effectiveness of Proactol Plus as a fat binder and aid in losing weight. Some examples:

In one study, Proactol was tested in a gastrointestinal model. The goal was to test the early hypothesis about NeOptunia’s effectiveness as a fat binder. Foods were placed in two test models and left for four hours to "digest". To one model, researchers added two grams of NeOptunia, and the other was left to mimic natural digestion. The NeOptunia in the first model prevented the absorption of 23% of the lipids contained in the meal.

A second study was performed with ten healthy volunteers, divided randomly into two groups. Both groups received a standard diet, rich in fat. One group received a sample of Proactol, while the other group received a placebo. When the feces of both groups were examined, the group that had received Proactol had a mean increase of 27.4 percent of excreted fat.

Is it safe?

Studies have further proved the absolute safety of this product, with no adverse side effects in any users. Interestingly enough, while Proactol Plus is a very effective fat binder, it does not result in vitamin deficiency.

Some fats are needed for proper absorption of vitamins, so fat blockers commonly result in a vitamin deficiency in the body. Proactol, however, showed no negative impact on the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, as vitamins A and E did not bind to NeOptunia.

The bottom line

The digestive processes are naturally slowed down as a result of using Proactol Plus. Cravings for carbohydrates and fatty foods are also said to be reduced. Thus, the manufacturer claims, users generally see a two to four pound weight loss per week with Proactol alone.

If you combine the effectiveness of Proactol Plus with a healthy diet (limiting calories as needed), and a moderate amount of exercise, you are likely to see much greater results.