Clean 9 Detox Diet Review — What Is It and Does It Work? - Healthline

The Clean 9 diet includes three supplements that are claimed to help you detox and lose weight.

Aloe Vera Gel

The main supplement in the Clean 9 diet is aloe vera gel.

Aloe vera gel is made up of the inner gel and pulp of the aloe leaf. The rind and outer leaf are removed during processing.

The inner part of the leaf is made up of 98.5–99.5% water. The remaining part contains some soluble fiber and sugars.

It also contains small amounts of amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, some organic acids and anthraquinone, a known laxative.

Aloe vera gel has been linked to benefits such as improved digestive health and weight loss. It's also thought to have anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, antioxidant and anti-tumor properties (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Yet the evidence for these effects is mostly anecdotal or based on animal studies. There are very few quality studies in humans to back this up.

One study in rats found that aloe vera may show promise as a weight loss agent (7).

One human study has also been conducted. It followed 136 obese people with untreated type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, and found that those taking aloe vera capsules lost 4% more body fat than those taking a placebo (8).

Nonetheless, the study had some flaws that make it unclear if the fat loss was caused by the aloe vera.

Garcinia Plus

Garcinia Plus capsules contain garcinia cambogia extract.

This is a weight loss supplement processed from a fruit of the same name.

Garcinia cambogia contains high levels of hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which is the main active ingredient (9).

Some claim it helps you burn more fat when taken as part of a diet and exercise program, and that it helps keep hunger at bay by reducing your appetite.

Animal and human studies investigating these claims have found mixed results (10).

One recent review found that people who took garcinia cambogia lost 2 lbs (0.88 kg) more weight than those taking a placebo. There was no difference in weight when they only looked at the most reliable studies (11).

Overall, it's not clear if garcinia cambogia reduces appetite and helps you burn fat. The evidence is mixed (9, 12).

Forever Therm

The Forever Therm herbal supplement in the Clean 9 diet is claimed to give you an energy boost and increase your metabolism.

The main active ingredients in this supplement are raspberry ketones and green tea extract.

Drinking green tea has been linked with an increase in metabolism (13, 14, 15).

However, its impact on fat burning is thought to be minor and may not apply to all people, especially if you regularly drink beverages with caffeine.

Raspberry ketones are natural compounds found in red raspberries, which have been investigated as a weight loss agent.

To date, nearly all the studies on raspberry ketones have been carried out in animals or test tubes. In these studies, they have been linked with fat burning, but only at very high doses (16, 17, 18, 19).

It would be impossible to reach an equivalent dose in human cells without taking 100 times the maximum safe dose, which is not recommended.

Only one clinical trial has investigated the effects of raspberry ketones in humans. This study did show some weight loss (20).

However, this study doesn't really support any of the claims about raspberry ketones because it also used diet, exercise and other supplements (20).

Bottom Line:

It's not clear whether the supplements included in the Clean 9 diet will help you lose weight or reduce your appetite. The evidence is mixed.