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Product review by Allison “Ali” Van Heusen, BS

Do you have a special occasion coming up and want to look extra slim? Want to kick-start your diet and exercise routine? Is your “plumbing” a little backed up? Max Cleanse & Lean is a fast and easy way to drop those last few pounds, slim up your midsection, and clean out your colon. Get ready for a good cleanse, and to get lean.
Max Cleanse & Lean™ (MC&L) was developed to relieve digestive issues, as well as a way to remove excess water and waste from your body. It contains scientifically supported ingredients including cascara, senna, turkey rhubarb, and aloe vera to increase bowel movement; psyllium to provide fiber; and slippery elm to coat and soothe the digestive tract.

The brilliant part of the MC&L herb and plant extract blend for cleansing the colon is its balance. The ingredients are not just laxatives, which can have an unpleasantly severe effect, they serve many other important functions.

For example, some ingredients soften the stool while others decrease bowel irritation. Ingredients like senna are classified as antharaquinones, under the stimulant laxative category. But, they also keep more water in the intestinal contents, which produces a softer bulkier stool, making it easier to pass and reducing diarrhea. Slippery elm has been used in North America for centuries to treat both constipation and diarrhea. It is thought that slippery elm has demulcent properties, which means that it forms a soothing film over the surface of mucous membranes (i.e. the inside of your intestines).

Psyllium, a soluble fiber, has been studied extensively and shown to relieve constipation. And, unlike some other fiber supplements such as wheat bran, psyllium generally does not cause excess gas and bloating. So, as you can see this coleretic blend is not only extremely effective, but gentle as well.

The diuretic component of MC&L was just as thoughtfully designed. Dandelion is a natural diuretic that increases urine production by promoting salt and water excretion from the kidneys. It has been shown to improve digestion, has antioxidant properties, and has an advantage over other natural and synthetic diuretics. Dandelion is a source of potassium, a crucial component of electrolyte balance, which is often depleted by other diuretics. Horsetail is recognized as a diuretic by professional herbalists and has been shown to help increase calcium absorption in women. Finally, barberry, for which medicinal use dates as far back as ancient Egypt, helps to increase the diuretic effects of dandelion and horsetail.

MC&L provides a quick and easy way to cleanse your system and reduce bloating and water retention. It can help you bounce back from an overindulgent weekend, give you a clean start for a new, healthy eating and exercise routine; or, help drop those last few pounds for a special occasion. But, you should not use MC&L as a permanent weight loss solution. The results you get will be temporary. You may be more likely to maintain the initial weight loss by following your cleanse with a balanced diet high in nutrients and low in fat and salt. So, again, this product is designed as a quick fix, not a permanent solution.

You should consult your health care provider before taking MC&L to check for interactions with prescription medications, especially if you are currently taking a prescription diuretic, alone or in combination for high blood pressure; if you are currently taking antibiotics, particularly a quinolone like ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin; or if you are taking Lithium. Although unlikely, there are some possible interactions between a few of the ingredients in MC&L and these medications, though this is not an exhaustive list.

Once you have the OK from your health care provider, start by taking one capsule to determine tolerance. Effects may take up to 12 hours, so wait, and if necessary take two capsules per dose as needed for regularity and bloating. Do not exceed four capsules per day. I usually recommend my clients to try one MC&L capsule after dinner, on a weekend they don’t have much planned. This way 12 hours has usually passed by the time they wake up, they can see how their body reacts, and take more if necessary. See your local Max Muscle Sports Nutrition staff for more information and to get started on Max Cleanse & Lean™.

References:
Rotblatt M, Ziment I. Evidence-based Herbal Medicine . Philadelphia, Penn: Hanley & Belfus, Inc.;2202:337-338.
Duke JA. 1985. Turkish rhubarb. In Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, p. 404; Emodin. p. 572.
Sweeney B, Vora M, Ulbricht C, Basch E. Evidence-based systematic review of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) by natural standard research collaboration. J Herb Pharmacotherapy. 2005;5(1):79-93.
www.umm.edu. The University of Maryland Medical Center. Complementary and Alternative Medicine.