DNP

2,4-Dinitrophenol, dinitro, nitrophen, dinosan, dnoc, solfo black, aldifen and chemox.

2,4-Dinitrophenol, otherwise referred to as DNP, is an active compound that essentially disrupts normal cellular respiration ¹. DNP, or 2,4-Dinitrophenol, is a biochemically active organic compound that is capable of hindering cellular ATP production.

Due to the very severe side-effects, which includes death, there are no medical usages ².

It is considered an industrial chemical. DNP is used in developing photography, killing fungi, and as an industrial pesticide. So while it does work well at burning fat, you’re ingesting an industrial poison to do so, and that is no hyperbole ².

The chemical is a yellow crystalline powder that has a sweet, musty odour and is soluble in water. The dose of DNP per capsule varies from website to website but it is most commonly sold as either 100mg or 200mg capsules ³.

Nowadays, DNP is sold mostly over the internet under a number of different names, see the Also known as section above. The dose of DNP per capsule varies from website to website but it is most commonly sold as either 100mg or 200mg capsules. Some internet sites have DNP available in bulk quantities, allowing users to purchase kilograms of DNP powder or hundreds/thousands of DNP-containing tablets, as well as offering free anabolic steroids and thyroxine to use in combination with the DNP ⁴, ⁵.

Websites often offer some advice for users around the use of DNP, although this is often targeted towards bodybuilders rather than for generic weight loss. A typical regimen would include starting with one capsule of DNP for the first few days followed by increasing doses to a recommended maximum of 400 mg/day, which is then used for up to 2 weeks in duration ⁴, ⁵. These regimens may also include the use of anabolic steroids and/or thyroxine to increase muscle bulk. There is also the suggestion that ‘crystalline’ DNP is more potent than ‘regular’ DNP and therefore users should ensure they are aware of which type they are using and additionally, should limit the dose of crystalline DNP to no more than 200 mg/day. These websites additionally describe the potential toxicityThis is when too much of something is taken over a short period of time More associated with the use of DNP including the potential for hyperthermiaThis is a condition in which the body's temperature is higher than normal More and death. Advice is provided to users on how to prevent hyperthermiaThis is a condition in which the body's temperature is higher than normal More developing, including use of air conditioning/fans and only exercising in cool areas whilst on the DNP phase of a ‘treatment cycle’ and carrying a thermometer to monitor body temperature ². They recommend that should body temperature rise above 38.9’C/102’F, the user should lower the DNP dose, take a very cold bath and ensure adequate hydration with water and juice-based drinks ⁶.

DNP is not commonly available. You will not find the compound on any pharmaceutical market in any country around the world. This is strictly a compound found on the black market, and even then it can be hard to find. If you do happen to find it, there will be no way to determine if the labelled strength is accurate. You will also have no way to determine if any other ingredients are in the compound. This presents another risk when buying DNP. You will find some steroid suppliers who carry it, but not most, and very few of the generally respected large suppliers will carry the compound ⁷.

The dnpdnpdnp.com website offered DNP at various prices, with 200mg capsules selling at €160/£134 for 100, and 250g of the powdered form, enough to make 1,150 capsules, for €300/£250 ⁶.

There is no hard data available on dosing DNP because it’s been banned for almost a hundred years. There is no legitimate testing available so most dosage recommendations are the consequence of trial and error ².

One of the risks of DNP is that it accelerates the metabolism to a dangerously fast level. Our metabolic system operates at the rate it does for a reason – it is safe. Speeding up the metabolism may help burn off fat, but it can also trigger a number of potentially dangerous side-effects ⁹, such as –

• fever,
• dehydration,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• restlessness,
• flushed skin,
• excessive sweating,
• dizziness,
• headaches,
• rapid breathing,
• rapid or irregular heartbeat, known as tachycardiarapid pulse rate ⁹,
• yellow bodily fluids,
• shortness of breath,
• depletion of electrolytesthese are certain nutrients (or chemicals) present in your body that have many important functions - from regulating your heartbeat to allowing your muscles to contract so you can move,
• insomniadifficulty in going to sleep or in getting enough sleep,
• increase in appetite,
• shortness of breath,
• decreased insulin production,
• decreased T3 levels,
• yellow skin ¹⁰.

The combination of these side-effects can have an extremely damaging effect on the body and can result in coma and, especially, death.

Long-term use can lead to the development of cataracts and skin lesions and may cause damage to the heart and nervous system. There is also evidence from animal studies that DNP is carcinogenicsomething that tends to produce cancer. More and increases the risk of birth defects ⁹.

It should be noted that these side-effects are far from mild. Most individuals who take DNP experience most of these side-effects ¹⁰.

The risks from taking even small amounts of DNP massively outweigh any benefits you may get. It is not a long term solution to weight loss, and it’s incredibly dangerous and unregulated, avoid it at all costs ¹. The UK Food Standards Agency go further and state “DNP is poisonous to humans” ¹³.

DNP has led to the death of at least eight people in the UK since the start of 2015, with a number of others becoming seriously ill ¹³.

Originally used as an explosive, a pesticide ¹⁴, as well as a range of other industrial processes including – dye, wood preserver, herbicide and photographic developer ³.

It was discovered to cause rapid weight loss in 1933 by Stanford University researcher Maurice Tainter who subsequently marketed the drug as an over-the-counter dietary aid ¹⁵.

DNP was, after a very short period on the market, classed as ‘extremely dangerous and not fit for human consumption’ by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938.

In 1981 it made a reappearance when a product called Mitcal became available via private practice ¹⁶ – however, the comeback did not go well and many side-effects, as well as one death, were reported. In 1986 the physician who was administering the drug was convicted of drug law violations, and finally jailed for fraud in 2008 due to unsubstantiated medicinal claims ¹.

The French used DNP in the manufacture of munitions during the First World War ¹⁷, ¹⁸. Since then, it has also been used as a dye, wood preserver, herbicide and photographic developer. It was Maurice Tainter at Stanford University in 1933 who discovered that the human consumption of DNP led to significant weight loss and soon it was popularised as a weight loss drug ¹⁵. It was included in over-the-counter medications and was sold to the public without requiring a prescription.

Its use for those wishing to lose weight was encouraged by reports of rapid, safe weight loss ¹⁸, ¹⁵. DNP can cause a significant increase in the basal metabolic rate ¹⁸, ¹⁵. This leads to weight loss by burning more fat and carbohydrates ¹⁹, and weight loss of up to 1.5 kg per week is reported without significant side-effects. However, there seems to be significant variation in individual responses with an average metabolic rate increase of 11% for every 100 mg of DNP when taken regularly ⁸, ²⁰, ²¹. As more side-effects, especially cataracts, were reported, DNP was labelled as ‘extremely dangerous and not fit for human consumption’ by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 ²², ²³.

After 1938, medical prescription of DNP stopped and cases of poisoning due to medical intake were no longer reported, but case reports of deaths associated with the ingestion of DNP still emerged ²⁴, ²⁵. It is anecdotally reported to have been prescribed to the Russian soldiers during World War 2 to keep them warm ²⁶, ³.

In 1981, a physician named Dr. Bachynsky, in Texas, USA processed industrial DNP into tablets which he marketed/dispensed under the trade name Mitcal through his private weight loss clinic ²⁶. He advertised that weight loss occurred using Mitcal through a mechanism he called intracellular hyperthermiaThis is a condition in which the body's temperature is higher than normal More therapy. It is alleged in subsequent court proceedings that over 14,000 people were treated by Dr. Bachynsky. Individuals using Mitcal started reporting adverse effects, such as fever, shortness of breath and sweating, to the US Food and Drugs Administration in late 1982. Additionally, there was a fatality associated with an intentional overdose of ‘Mitcal’ in 1984. Following further investigation, Dr. Bachynsky was convicted in 1986 of drug law violations, fined and prohibited from dispensing DNP to any patients. However, he continued to use DNP for a variety of different ‘medicinal claims’ and was eventually jailed for fraud in 2008 in the USA in relation to the marketing of a company that was developing DNP being used in Europe as a cancer treatment known as intracellular hyperthermiaThis is a condition in which the body's temperature is higher than normal More therapy ²⁷.

The UK Food Standards Agency issued a warning in 2003, labelling DNP as ‘not fit for human consumption’. This warning was aimed specifically at bodybuilders, to avoid its use due to significant potential for short-term and long-term harm, following the hospitalisation of a Finnish bodybuilder after having taken DNP ¹³.

Despite this, DNP remains widely available and can be purchased over the internet, particularly from online pharmacies. As noted above, DNP has been banned as a weight loss drug in the USA, and in the UK, it has been labelled as a hazardous chemical under the Clean Air Act ²², ¹³. Despite this legislation and warnings of harm associated with its use, reports of deaths due to the use of DNP have increased in the last few years, and the last decade has seen the highest number of case reports from death due to intentional dinitrophenol overdose ³.