Weight loss supplements are becoming very popular these days, but they often contain a huge list of ingredients that many of us have never heard of. The manufacturers claim that these substances can help to burn fat, suppress your appetite and cravings, boost your metabolism, and increase your energy.
Others claim they can help you to lose weight by improving your mood or helping you to reverse the effects of genetic obesity. There is still a lot of research that needs to be conducted on many of these ingredients to prove which are really effective for weight loss.
To help explain what is in the different products, here are some of the most common ingredients found in the top weight loss supplements.
Caffeine
Many weight loss supplements contain stimulants, which are included to give you more energy and facilitate the burning of calories. Some of the most popular diet pills contain fancy-sounding ingredients like yerba mate and guarana, but generally speaking, this usually just means caffeine. We all know the effects that caffeine has on our energy levels and concentration, but there is also some evidence that it will help you to burn calories. With the increase in metabolism, however, many people will also experience an increase in blood pressure and heart rate so you should always take caffeine sparingly.
Herbal Laxatives
Laxatives are often included in weight loss supplements under the claim that they can help you to pass food that you haven’t digested yet, helping you reduce your calorie intake. Some of the herbs with laxative properties that are commonly used include rhubarb root, cascara, aloe, senna, and buckthorn. The jury is still out on the effectiveness of these substances for weight loss as critics say that they just speed up your bowels so what you expel has already been through the process of digestion. There are also some studies that suggest chronic laxative use could have other negative effects such as dependency, dehydration, and the imbalance of electrolytes in your system.
Diuretics
As well as laxatives, there are various ingredients in weight loss supplements that work as diuretics. These are usually natural substances like wild pansy, cherry stalks, and green coffee. Diuretics cause you to urinate more resulting in the loss of water weight. This may reduce your weight temporarily but you will need to drink a lot more water to stay safely hydrated.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is an ingredient usually extracted from chili peppers. It is added to weight loss supplements because there is research that suggests it can speed up your metabolism , suppress your hunger, and increase the rate you burn fat. There still needs to be more research conducted to ratify these findings, however, which is a common thematic issue for many of the most common ingredients used in weight loss supplements.
Catechins
Green tea extract is found in various weight loss supplements for its caffeine, but also because it contains catechins. These are polyphenols that can help you to burn fat and lose weight long term, especially as part of a healthy diet and with regular exercise. As with many ingredients in supplements, there still needs to be more studies conducted into their efficacy, but there does seem to be positive evidence that points to catechins being a positive weight loss substance.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid
CLA is a fatty acid that occurs naturally in dairy products and to a lesser extent in meat. It is taken for various reasons by different people but is included in many weight loss and fitness supplements. There are various studies that have shown CLA to be effective in helping people to lose weight but one 2010 Health Canada report found that the evidence was still incomplete and inconclusive. Anecdotally, however, many people find that CLA works well for them, either as a stand-alone supplement or as part of the formula of an all-inclusive weight loss supplement. There are many varieties of CLA, so you may need to try a few out and see what works for you.
Fibre
A good amount of fibre in your diet is very effective in filling you up so that you don’t feel hungry. This is why many people eat a lot of fibre at breakfast time so that they are full until lunch and don’t need to snack through the morning. Many of the top weight loss supplements include fibre, but the amounts are often very small. There may be some positive effects from their inclusion but you may also want to start eating more fibre in your diet or take an additional fibre supplement such as generic psyllium.
Chitosan
Chitosan is a substance that is cultivated from the shells of various crustaceans and is very fibre-like in its composition. There have been various studies that show that chitosan blocks fat absorption but more in-depth controlled experiments need to be conducted to measure the true levels of its effectiveness. There have been some studies that suggest one possible side effect of chitosan is that it may also block the absorption of vitamins that are soluble in fat. These include vitamins A, D, E, and K. Due to the source of cultivation, you should not take any weight loss supplements which include chitosan if you are allergic to shellfish.
Vegetable Extracts
There are various supplements that contain vegetable extracts that are touted as having incredible weight loss potential. They usually contain extracts of greens like spinach, sprouts, and broccoli, as well as garlic, tomatoes, blueberries, and soybeans. You may also find products that have extracts from tropical fruits such as pineapple and papaya because they contain enzymes that facilitate digestion.
Tips When Buying Weight Loss Supplements
Aside from the ingredients, it’s also essential to check the nutritional information of top weight loss supplements.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates weight loss supplements in Australia, as they are considered medicines. Due to this classification, many of the supplements that are available to be bought online may not be considered safe to use, as they may contain some ingredients that are banned in Australia. If you’re looking for a wright loss supplement, always look for one that has been approved for sale by the TGA. If you’re unsure, you can always check their website.
People who follow specific diet plans in an effort to lose weight tend to miss getting the important nutrients they need from food sources. As such, it’s important to consider taking BioCeuticals vitamins and supplements or other vitamins and supplements.
Before buying supplements, ensure you’re dealing with a trusted food supplement company. The market competition is tough, and many online stores are increasing, offering cheap food supplements with questionable product quality.
Deal with a company that can show proof of regulation from the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Don’t forget to check the expiry dates of the dietary supplement before buying and taking them and consult your doctor if you’re taking prescription medications for assessment, recommendations and advice.
There are many different weight loss supplements available on the market which many people have found to be very effective. Critics of these supplements say that there isn’t enough evidence yet to prove this, and while certainly more in-depth research needs to be done, they appear to have helped a lot of people to lose weight. You should always take supplements as part of a healthy diet and overall healthy lifestyle and then you can judge their effectiveness for yourself.