Home Ingredients FB3 Fusion® (Fat-Absorption Botanical Blend — Bio Actives Japan)
Weight ManagementMetabolic Health

FB3 Fusion® (Fat-Absorption Botanical Blend — Bio Actives Japan)

Evidence Level
Preliminary
0 Clinical Trials
4 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

FB3 Fusion® is a weight-management blend from Bio Actives Japan and American Medical Holdings that combines three standardized botanicals, Coleus forskohlii, Salacia reticulata, and sesame (Sesamum indicum). The blend is promoted for reducing the absorption of dietary fat, but no cited study measured fat absorption. The published research covers single components, with three trials of Coleus forskohlii and three papers on Salacia (two on Salacia reticulata and one on the related Salacia chinensis). None of it tests the finished blend, and no study of the sesame component is cited. Published data for the specific blend are limited.

Studied Dose No dose of the finished blend has been studied in a published trial. The cited trials dosed single botanicals, not FB3 Fusion. Follow the product label.
Active Compound Blend of Coleus forskohlii (forskolin), Salacia reticulata (salacinol and kotalanol), and Sesamum indicum (sesamin).

Benefits

What the Coleus forskohlii trial measured

FB3 Fusion is marketed as inhibiting the absorption of some dietary fat, but no study cited here measured fat absorption. One randomized trial in overweight and obese adults on a reduced-calorie diet gave Coleus forskohlii extract and tracked metabolic syndrome risk factors; body weight and waist changes did not differ from placebo. It tested one botanical on its own, not FB3 Fusion.

Studied for insulin response in a Salacia-only trial (not the blend)

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 35 healthy volunteers, an extract of the related species Salacia chinensis taken with a sucrose drink lowered the insulin response at 300 and 500 mg versus placebo; the smaller glucose rise was not significant. Salacia is studied mainly as an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, which slows starch and sugar digestion, not fat. Not a test of the blend.

What has and has not been tested

Each botanical has individual research, but no published trial tests the finished blend. The cited references cover single components: three trials of Coleus forskohlii and three papers on Salacia (one trial used the related Salacia chinensis). Nothing cited here tests the sesame (Sesamum indicum) component, and nothing cited here tests the three botanicals together.

Body fat results in single-botanical trials, not this blend

Tested as single botanicals, never as FB3 Fusion, and no study measured fat absorption. Forskolin (250 mg of 10% extract twice daily, 12 weeks) lowered DXA body fat vs placebo in 30 men but not in mildly overweight women, and a third trial found no weight difference vs placebo. A sponsor-funded Salacia trial in 133 adults cut fat mass about 0.48 kg vs placebo, but body fat percentage did not differ. Overall, mixed results.

Mechanism of action

1

Alpha-glucosidase inhibition from Salacia

Salacia reticulata is best characterized as an alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibitor, which slows the digestion of starches and sugars. That is a carbohydrate effect, not a fat effect. In the cited crossover study of the related Salacia chinensis, it showed up as a smaller insulin rise after a sucrose drink. No cited study measured how much dietary fat was absorbed.

2

Proposed fat-metabolism pathway

Forskolin from Coleus activates adenylate cyclase and raises cyclic AMP in laboratory work, which is the proposed basis for an effect on fat breakdown. Sesamin is the compound named for the sesame part of the blend. Neither pathway was measured in the studies cited on this page, and no sesame study is cited at all.

Clinical trials

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated.
Mild digestive upset, gas, bloating, or looser stools can occur. Unabsorbed fat is one possible cause, and undigested carbohydrate is another, since alpha-glucosidase inhibition from Salacia slows the breakdown of starches and sugars.
Take with meals to assess tolerance. This blend contains sesame (Sesamum indicum), a major food allergen in the United States, so anyone with a sesame allergy should avoid it.

Important Drug interactions

Blood pressure medication: laboratory studies suggest forskolin lowers blood pressure, so effects could add up; Memorial Sloan Kettering advises against combining them.
Diabetes medication: Salacia is studied for lowering blood glucose and insulin after carbohydrate; monitor blood glucose if you take glucose-lowering medicine.
Tell your doctor about all supplements if you take medication.

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Frequently asked questions about FB3 Fusion® (Fat-Absorption Botanical Blend — Bio Actives Japan)

What is FB3 Fusion?

FB3 Fusion® is a weight-management blend from Bio Actives Japan and American Medical Holdings that combines three standardized botanicals, Coleus forskohlii, Salacia reticulata, and sesame (Sesamum indicum). The blend is promoted for reducing the absorption of dietary fat, but no cited study measured fat absorption.

What is FB3 Fusion used for?

FB3 Fusion is researched primarily for Weight Management and Metabolic Health. FB3 Fusion is marketed as inhibiting the absorption of some dietary fat, but no study cited here measured fat absorption. One randomized trial in overweight and obese adults on a reduced-calorie diet gave Coleus forskohlii extract and track…

What is the recommended dosage of FB3 Fusion?

No dose of the finished blend has been studied in a published trial. The cited trials dosed single botanicals, not FB3 Fusion. Follow the product label. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is FB3 Fusion safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for FB3 Fusion include: Generally well-tolerated. Mild digestive upset, gas, bloating, or looser stools can occur. Unabsorbed fat is one possible cause, and undigested carbohydrate is another, since alpha-glucosidase inhibition from Salacia slows the breakdown of starches and sugars. It may also interact with some medications. FB3 Fusion is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does FB3 Fusion interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Blood pressure medication: laboratory studies suggest forskolin lowers blood pressure, so effects could add up; Memorial Sloan Kettering advises against combining them. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for FB3 Fusion?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for FB3 Fusion as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 7 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(7 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Loftus HL, Astell KJ, Mathai ML, Su XQ. Coleus forskohlii Extract Supplementation in Conjunction with a Hypocaloric Diet Reduces the Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome in Overweight and Obese Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2015;7(11):9508-22. doi: 10.3390/nu7115483.PubMedUsed to support: Human randomized controlled trial in overweight and obese adults testing Coleus forskohlii extract alongside a hypocaloric diet, with metabolic syndrome risk factors as the reported outcomes. It did not measure fat absorption. Evidence is for the Coleus forskohlii component on its own, not for the finished blend. The full text reports no significant effect on body weight or other body measures compared with placebo.
  2. Jeykodi S, Deshpande J, Juturu V. Salacia Extract Improves Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Response: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled, Crossover Study in Healthy Volunteers. J Diabetes Res. 2016;2016:7971831. doi: 10.1155/2016/7971831.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 35 healthy volunteers given Salacia chinensis extract (200, 300 or 500 mg; a related species, not Salacia reticulata) with a sucrose drink. The 300 and 500 mg doses lowered the insulin area under the curve compared with placebo; the glucose area under the curve decrease was not significant (full text). It did not measure fat absorption and did not test the blend. Authors were employed by the extract's maker, OmniActive.
  3. Medagama AB. Salacia reticulata (Kothala himbutu) revisited; a missed opportunity to treat diabetes and obesity? Nutr J. 2015;14:21. doi: 10.1186/s12937-015-0013-4.PubMedUsed to support: Review article, not a clinical trial. It summarizes human and animal evidence for Salacia reticulata and describes alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibition, which slows carbohydrate digestion rather than fat digestion. It does not test this blend, and its discussion of treating diabetes and obesity is not a claim made for FB3 Fusion.
  4. Godard MP, Johnson BA, Richmond SR. Body composition and hormonal adaptations associated with forskolin consumption in overweight and obese men. Obes Res. 2005;13(8):1335-43. doi: 10.1038/oby.2005.162.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 30 overweight and obese men: 250 mg of 10% forskolin extract twice daily for 12 weeks significantly lowered DXA body fat percentage and fat mass vs placebo; lean mass rose only as a trend. Forskolin alone, not the blend.
  5. Henderson S, Magu B, Rasmussen C, Lancaster S, Kerksick C, Smith P, Melton C, Cowan P, Greenwood M, Earnest C, Almada A, Milnor P, Magrans T, Bowden R, Ounpraseuth S, Thomas A, Kreider RB. Effects of coleus forskohlii supplementation on body composition and hematological profiles in mildly overweight women. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2005;2(2):54-62. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-2-2-54.PubMedUsed to support: Double-blind randomized trial in mildly overweight women (results for 7 on extract and 12 on placebo): 250 mg of 10% Coleus forskohlii extract twice daily for 12 weeks gave no significant difference in fat mass (p=0.16) or body fat (p=0.40) vs placebo; the authors conclude it does not appear to promote weight loss. Forskolin alone, not the blend.
  6. Park SH, Lee JE, Bae SG, Kim J, Baek KS, Gwon Y, Youn SJ, Choi Y, Choi YJ, Shin SM. A 12-Week Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Salacia reticulata Extract for Fat-Mass Reduction in Adults with Overweight/Obesity. J Med Food. 2026;29(11):627-636. doi: 10.1177/1096620X261453229.PubMedUsed to support: Sponsor-funded 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a Salacia reticulata extract in 133 adults with overweight or obesity (mITT): total fat mass fell 482 g more than placebo (95% CI -907 to -58 g), but the co-primary body fat percentage endpoint was not significant, and registration was retrospective. Salacia alone, not the blend.
  7. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Forskolin (About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products) MSKCC Integrative Medicine Service. 2023;Web monograph, last updated June 2, 2023..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (clinical herb monograph). Lists hypotension, tachycardia, headache and digestive symptoms including diarrhea as adverse reactions of forskolin. Advises against use with blood pressure medicines (beta-blockers, vasodilators, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers) because laboratory studies suggest forskolin lowers blood pressure, and with warfarin or other blood thinners because forskolin inhibits platelet aggregation in laboratory experiments. Advises avoiding it with polycystic kidney disease.