Synephrine is a dietary supplement aimed at encouraging fat loss. While its effectiveness is widely debated, it has gained significant popularity as an alternative to the (U.S.) banned ephedra. Synephrine is derived from the fruit plant zhi shi, also known as green orange, sour orange, and bitter orange.

Claims

• Fat burner
• Increases energy levels
• Increases metabolism
• Promotes weight loss

Synephrine Is Not Neo-Synephrine

There has been some confusion surrounding synephrine and phenylephrine (a.k.a. neo-synephrine). While virtually identical in chemical makeup (C₉H₁₃NO₂) the hydroxyl group in phenylephrine is located on the number three carbon of the benzene ring, whereas in synephrine the hydroxyl group is located on the number four carbon. This small difference manifests changes in the stereochemistry that may alter the biological activity of the two compounds. Therefore, they should not be seen as equivalents.