Fat Loss Supplements Explained

For overweight and obese populations, weight loss can literally be a matter of life and death. For bodybuilders, who are already healthy and lean fat loss is all about getting “shredded, sliced and diced” to better show muscle definition. For others, fat loss might just be about fitting into a favourite pair of jeans.

Fat Loss Strategies Are As Complicated & Diverse As The People Trying to Lose Weight

We have all seen hundreds of fad diets, crazy exercise devices, and miracle pills that promise fat loss results. But which ones are real? Do any of them work?

One thing is for certain – none of these will have a chance to work unless you are eating healthy and exercising while you try to lose weight.

That said, there are several complementary strategies to diet and exercise that can help enhance your results. And one of the most effective strategies is to take fat loss supplements. Now, not all fat loss supplements work. There are probably 75+ that are claimed to help you lose weight, but the actual number that works is far fewer.

This article talks about 15 popular fat loss supplements, ranging from the best evidence-backed fat loss nutrients to promising newcomers that, for the moment, are only backed by early animal evidence.

But first, before we get into these supplements, we should discuss:

How Do Fat Loss Supplements Work?

Researchers in various studies have proposed that fat loss supplements might work by a few different mechanisms.

Energy Metabolism

Our cells’ mitochondria power plants are constantly sparking the energy metabolism that underlies all fat burning processes. Fat loss supplements can help to support peak cell energy metabolism by suppling the oxygen, fatty acids, and cofactors that are needed to spark and fuel are mitochondria. By increasing energy expenditure, these fat loss supplements may help you burn more calories.

Thermogenesis

When your body’s core temperature is higher, you burn calories at a faster rate. Thermogenesis refers to our bodies’ heat-production properties. Thermogenics are fat loss supplements that work to increase body heat, which may enhance calorie-burning and modestly accelerate weight loss.

Appetite Control

Out of control appetite can sabotage any diet. Some fat loss supplements help with this by making you feel fuller, thereby reducing food cravings; others work by promoting the brain chemistry of satisfaction; others may even work by reducing the tongue’s responsiveness to sweet taste.

Blood sugar

Blood sugar spikes and crashes can increase your appetite and make you more susceptible to feeding frenzies that you will regret later. Unstable blood sugar also makes it easier for the body to store fat. Some fat loss supplements include herbs that work by balancing blood sugar, helping to stabilise appetite, regulate fat storage and support weight loss efforts.

Lipolysis

Lipolysis refers to fat oxidation – when the body is preferentially breaking down and burning its fat stores. Some nutrients have been shown to stimulate, or even increase the body’s natural lipolysis activity.

Stimulation

Good old-fashioned stimulants speed up the body’s metabolism, so your basal metabolic rate is higher. That means whether you’re at rest, or highly active, you will be burning more calories than usual. This is why caffeine is so popular in fat loss stacks.

Carb-Blockers

Some weight loss supplements are designed to interact with the digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates. In blocking these enzymes, these fat loss nutrients are believed to reduce the absorption and net impact of dietary carbohydrates, thereby helping with fat loss and especially with low-carb diets.

Hormone regulators.

As we get older, hormonal changes can lead to age-related weight gain. Some supplements are designed to boost weight loss by addressing the endocrine system, in particular by restoring certain thyroid hormones and growth hormones that are associated with a healthy and youthful fat-burning metabolism.

Supplements for Fat Loss

There are a lot of supplements making a lot of claims to promote the above benefits and more. Below are 15 of the leading weight loss supplements, including some you have probably never heard of before.

PQQ

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) is an energising antioxidant that works directly on the cells mitochondria, helping to boost their power output for peak metabolic function. PQQ is a great fat loss supplement for promoting the robust energy metabolism of healthy weight loss.

CoQ10

Co-Q10 is another energising antioxidant, similar to PQQ, that is found in every cell in your body. CoQ10 is necessary for cellular bioenergetics, which powers all life on earth. Co-Q10 declines with age, potentially diminishing cell energy needed for peak fat burning efficiency.

ALCAR + R-Alpha Lipoic Acid

Research shows that in combination, these two compound synergistically boost mitochondrial performance and “put the pedal to the metal” on fatty acids that fuel cell energy -- ramping up power production to support efficient metabolism and fat burning.

Matcha Green Tea

Matcha is a special type of powdered green tea that is far more concentrated in a fat-burning compound called EGCG than regular green tea (which is a legendary fat burner). Matcha works by boosting metabolism & fat oxidation, and helping reduce the absorption of fat.

Konjac Root (Glucomannan)

This root is loaded with soluble fiber that swells in the stomach to give you a sensation of fullness when you are trying to diet. Any fiber will help with this, but konjac root has a reputation as the “fat loss fiber,” along with some good evidence for weight loss.

Cayenne pepper

Cayenne peppers supply capsaicin. It makes cayenne peppers hot, and also helps to raise body heat. Cayenne is one of the most effective thermogenics, helping to accelerate calorie burning and enhance fat oxidation. It may also have a mild appetite-suppressant effect.

Black pepper extract

Like cayenne pepper, black pepper helps to raise body heat for more efficient fat burning. A bonus benefit of black pepper extract is that it boosts the absorption of other nutrients, making it a popular ingredient in fat burner stacks supplements.

Caffeine

Fat loss supplements usually present this as caffeine anhydrous which really just means dried & powdered. Supplements can supply high doses of caffeine, up to 300 mg per serving or more, so be careful. It is also present in the herb guarana or in tea extracts.

Green coffee bean

Green coffee bean has nothing to do with caffeine – it taken for its active compounds called CGAs (chlorogenic acids). These CGAs are believed to help fat loss by balancing blood sugar, enhancing fat metabolism, and blocking the storage of fat.

B complex vitamins

B complex vitamins belong in all weight loss programs. They convert food into energy – a function that, when highly efficient, supports weight management. B vitamins are also needed for energy production in all cells, further supporting the metabolism of weight loss.

Chromium Picolinate

This trace mineral helps to counter the insulin resistance that makes it far too easy to pack on pounds, while balancing blood sugar to further support healthy insulin function and appetite control. It also helps with cell energy and fat oxidation.

5-HTP

This amino acid is a raw material used to make serotonin. We associate this “feel good” brain chemical with the brain, but it also exists in the gut. 5-HTP promotes brain and GI tract serotonin to instill a pleasant feeling of appetite satisfaction.

7-keto

DHEA is a powerful hormone regulator, purported to have dynamic anti-aging effects, including for weight loss. 7-Keto is the metabolite of DHEA that accounts for its fat loss benefits, but is far safer and gentler than DHEA, which has harsh side effects.

Garcinia Cambogia

You have probably heard of this Indonesian superfruit, touted on the U.S. Dr. Oz show is a miracle supplement for weight loss. While Garcinia is no “miracle,” it does have some interesting animal research suggesting benefits for appetite control and carb-blocking.

White Kidney Bean

White kidney beans block enzymes that break down and absorb dietary carbohydrates, so more pass through the system without being stored as fat. White kidney beans may also help with appetite control and seem to have a good effect on blood sugar.

Buying Tips

When buying a fat burner supplement, Look for:

• Branded ingredients that have a registered trademark. Most of them are high quality and some of them even have research studies backing them
• Standardised herbal extracts, which supply an exact level of the herb’s active ingredients.
• Concentrated herbal extracts, which distill an herb down to super high potency of active ingredients, up to 100X stronger than raw herb
• Synergistic combinations of fat loss nutrients. Combining fat loss nutrients that work well together can amplify their effects and max-out results.
• Black Pepper: A hallmark of affective fat loss supplements because it has thermogenic activity and boosts absorption of other fat loss nutrients

Conclusion

There are many different ways that these natural fat loss nutrients can help you to succeed in your weight loss goals, whether you are a bodybuilder looking to get shredded, or a middle-aged weekend warrior fighting the age-related Battle of the Bulge.

In combining the fat loss nutrients we talked about, along with some other effective fat loss nutrients we didn’t talk about, supplements stacks can help make the most of these variety of weight loss support mechanisms.

Even better still, some can be customised for the different weight loss needs and goals of different demographics, with special formulas for women’s weight loss, for bodybuilder shredding, for overweight and obese seeking to return to healthy weight, and for those who are at a healthy weight and want help maintaining it.