DNP Steroid for Fat Burning, Weight Loss: What to Know

DNP, which stands for 2,4-Dinitrophenol, is a drug that’s sold illegally as a weight-loss supplement. Online retailers who sell DNP often target bodybuilders and extreme dieters and promise miracle results.

DNP is very dangerous and can be potentially lethal to even young, healthy adults.

The drug can cause a rapid increase in both your metabolic rate and body temperature. This can lead to serious side effects such as organ failure.

Online retailers sell DNP under a long list of different names. But no matter what it’s called, it’s not fit for human consumption.

Here’s a look at what DNP is, how it originated, and why it’s so dangerous.

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), DNP is usually sold in the form of a yellow powder, but it also comes in capsules and creams.

When ingested, it acts on structures inside each of your cells called mitochondria. Your mitochondria convert calories from your food into energy — called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — that your body can use.

A 2015 study showed that DNP makes energy production in your mitochondria less efficient. This means your body needs to burn more calories to produce the same amount of ATP. Energy from the extra calories is converted into heat and released from your body.

However, — and this is the dangerous part — the same process that increases the number of calories you burn can easily overheat your body and lead to dangerous side effects.

Many illegal sellers specifically target bodybuilders or people on extreme diets by promising miracle weight loss. They sell DNP under a long list of different names, such as:

Aldifen
Chemox
Cawell No.392
Dinofan
Dinosan
Dnoc
DNP steroid
Fenoxyl-
Nitro Kleenup
Nitrophen
Osmotox-
Sulfo
Solfo Black
Tertosulphur PRB

According to a 2018 study, DNP was originally manufactured in France during the First World War to make dyes and explosives.

But a 2011 research review showed that in 1933, a researcher at Stanford University named Maurice Tainter discovered it could be used for weight loss.

From 1933 to 1938, it was sold over-the-counter to more than 100,000 people. However, in 1938, DNP was pulled from the market due to safety concerns as cases of poisoning, deaths, and other serious complications emerged.

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, a new law that established higher quality standards for drug manufacturers, labeled DNP as “extremely dangerous and not fit for human consumption.”

A 2018 case report showed that DNP is currently used to make:

wood preservatives
dyes
explosives
pesticides

But numerous retailers still sell the drug illegally for weight loss. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, at least three Americans died in 2018 from DNP usage.

It’s not illegal to possess DNP in the United States. However, a 2018 study showed that the sale of DNP is prohibited around the world, and DNP has never been approved by the FDA.

Sellers of DNP can face heavy fines and jail time if caught. According to the FDA, in 2003, one online seller was sentenced to 5 years in prison after one of his customers died from DNP use. The WADA has also banned DNP for competitive athletes.

Healthy weight loss requires making sustainable changes to your eating and exercise habits over months and years. However, many people are lured by DNP’s promise of quick and miraculous weight loss without dieting.

According to a 2015 study, athletes and dieters who want to lose weight quickly, as well bodybuilders, may be at a higher risk of abusing DNP.

DNP is extremely toxic and has a high potential for overdose. According to a 2016 case report, ingestion of doses as low as 10 to 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (4.5 to 9.1 milligrams per pound) can be fatal.

A 2018 study showed that DNP’s harmful effects are dependent on your individual tolerance. What’s considered safe for one person could be deadly for somebody else.

The most common cause of death from taking DNP is hyperthermia — a dangerously elevated body temperature.

Hyperthermia can result in a breakdown of essential enzymes in your body. This can lead to cardiac arrest and coma. Additionally, according to a 2016 case report, hyperthermia can also lead to organ failure.

DNP can also cause a number of other side effects such as:

Numerous case studies and news stories have been published documenting deaths from DNP such as this 2020 BBC story that describes a 21-year-old, Eloise Perry, who died after taking eight DNP capsules.

The FDA and other international regulatory bodies routinely take legal action against websites illegally selling drugs, such as DNP. However, many companies evade authorities. Social media also makes it easier for sellers to target potential buyers.

DNP can be legally sold as a fertilizer in many countries and many retailers use this as a loophole to sell it as a weight-loss drug.

Many companies selling DNP are based in the United States and ship packages illegally in a way that makes them unlikely to be seized by border control agents in other countries.

In the case of Eloise Perry reported by the BBC, the sellers shipped DNP into the United Kingdom from China using oil drums.

As more people become aware of the dangers of DNP, sellers are more likely to refer to DNP under one of its many alternative names.

Warning

Try to avoid any drug or supplement that claims it can cause weight loss without the need for dietary changes or increased exercise. Any product that claims this is either ineffective or dangerous.

DNP is an extremely dangerous weight-loss drug that can be potentially lethal even in young and healthy individuals. Many companies sell it illegally online and target bodybuilders or people looking to lose weight without dieting.

Despite what some companies and products tell you, there’s no such thing as a miracle weight-loss drug. Healthy, safe, and effective weight loss requires consistent changes to your diet and exercise habits over months and years.