Relacore

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Relacore is a herbal supplement marketed by "The Carter Reed Company", a front for Basic Research of Salt Lake City, Utah.^[1] The company claimed that the product reduced cortisol, which was linked to the sole occurrence of body fat in women over 30. In October 2004, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged that marketers of CortiSlim and CortiStress (similar products to Relacore) were making false or unsubstantiated claims in their advertising. Since then, the makers have changed their marketing claims.^[2]

New advertisements in January 2006 tout Relacore vaguely as a "feel-good pill" that can "reduce stress" by unspecified means. The idea is that excess cortisol is a product of stress. The main ingredient, as it pertains to cortisol control, is Magnolia bark. Here's what Supplement Watch has to say about Magnolia bark...

"... a small dose of honokiol, or a magnolia bark extract standardized for honokiol content, can help to "de-stress" you without making you sleepy, while a larger dose might have the effect of knocking you out. When compared to pharmaceutical agents such as Valium (diazepam), honokiol appears to be as effective in its anti-anxiety activity, yet not nearly as powerful in its sedative ability."

Relacore's website claims that its product is stimulant free, although its effects sound similar to stimulant based diet pills which give the user increased energy and a sense of well being.

It is made and produced by the same company that makes Leptoprin and Leptopril. These other products have been accused of scandalous advertising claims as well.