With more than 50,000 supplements on the market, you can only imagine how many of these are marketed as weight loss products. It is a multi-billion dollar industry. So to try to find agreement on what the best weight loss supplement is the best.
Most weight loss supplements contain such common ingredients as vitamins, minerals, caffeine, fiber, protein, herbs and other plant compounds that are said to burn fat, increase energy, build muscle, lower blood sugar or simply improve nutrition. Many nutritionists and other weight loss experts have their favorite ingredients, while others think whole foods are the way to go. So choosing a pill, powder, gum or drink that can work best for you requires a bit of trial and error. The # 1 dietary supplement that works for others may not work for you, which is why it is important to read through your options – and talk to your doctor – to make a decision that makes sense for your body.
Do Weight Loss Supplements Work?
Many nutritionists and weight loss coaches sell their own formulations of their favorite ingredients or some manufacturers’ products; This alone should make you careful when considering weight loss supplements recommended by them.
New studies have questioned the effects of weight loss supplements, including a major review of 121 placebo – controlled studies of herbal and dietary supplements with almost 10,000 adults over the age of 16 recently presented at the European Congress on Obesity.
“Our careful assessment of the best available evidence shows that there is insufficient evidence to recommend these supplements for weight loss,” said Erica Bessell, a practicing dietitian, PhD student at the University of Sydney in Australia, and lead investigator of the studies. in a statement. “While most supplements seem safe for short-term consumption, they will not provide weight loss that is clinically meaningful,” she said.
A similar study published in International Journal of Obesity Supplements in 2019 focused on the effect and possible drug interactions of common ingredients used in dietary supplements. That research concluded that the effectiveness of weight loss supplements “is still not crucial and the cost of these products can be significant.” Study researchers concluded that “healthy eating and physical activity remain first-line weight loss interventions.”
Here are what some dietitians and other nutritionists we examined recommend as the best weight loss supplements. Be sure to read up on our list of 15 underrated weight loss tips that actually work.
The best way to ensure weight loss is to get enough dietary fiber from fruits and vegetables, he says Morgyn Clair, RD, a nutritionist for Sprint kitchen. The problem is that most people do not eat enough fiber-rich plants to get the recommended minimum of 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, so she recommends that you supplement it.
“People can easily get this through a non-prescription supplement like Benefiber,” she says.
The product is made from a soluble fiber called Inulin (chicory root fiber). Another popular soluble fiber supplement, Metamucil, uses psyllium fiber. If you do not want to take a fiber supplement, you can increase your fiber intake by adding flax flour to your soups, salads and smoothies. “It is an excellent source of fiber for those who have low fiber intake and it is tasteless,” he says Fiorella Di Carlo, RD, CDN, cooking video hosted by Lives in Italian.
Related: Best supplements for a longer life.
While most supplements at best give mild results, a good multivitamin containing polyphenols that fight free radicals and support a healthy metabolism can help your weight loss efforts, says Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, VD of NY Nutrition Group, and one of our medical experts board members. She recommends a special polyphenol multivitamin called Oh Grape by Groove.
“With 500 milligrams of resveratrol, this supplement offers antioxidant properties that fight free radicals, support a healthy hormone balance – especially insulin – and reduce inflammation in the body,” says Moskovitz.
This supplement also contains 2000 IU of vitamin D, which studies show can be directly linked to weight and metabolism and magnesium which can support blood sugar stabilization, appetite and energy.
“Oh Grape also contains vitamin C, which not only supports the immune system but helps fight inflammation in the body which along with other factors can contribute to weight gain over time,” she says.
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EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is a powerful catechin (natural flavonoid) found in green tea.
“EGCG supplements can helps you burn more calorieseven at rest and studies show that the association can lead to weight loss, says nutritionist Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN with Zhou Nutrition.
She points to a study in Journal of Nutrition which is linked to drinking green tea with increased exercise to accelerate belly fat loss in obese adults.
Check out the # 1 best green tea to drink, according to experts.
Berberine is a chemical compound found in certain plants that has been shown to help regulate blood sugar and blood fats so it is often taken for type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
“It works in various ways to help with weight loss – minimizing the absorption of carbohydrates and sugars with food, helping to reduce insulin spikes and activating AMP-activated protein kinase to support metabolism, which is why I use it in our Carb & Sugar Blocker supplement, says Stephanie Redmond, PharmD, CDCES, co-founder of DiabetesDoctor.com.
Some people who take berberine complain of stomach upset or constipation, but it is generally well tolerated, says Dr. Redmond, who notes that it can be used in combination with standard type 2 diabetes drugs such as metformin for added benefit as it works by a different mechanism.
“The best vitamins to increase metabolism are those that help your body create energy from food and the nutrients you take in,” says the nutritionist. Lisa Richards.
She recommends a B-complex supplement (which contains 8 B-vitamins) to help your body metabolize stored carbohydrates and fats for fuel, which helps to lose weight and increase metabolism.
“Magnesium and iron are two minerals used by the body to create energy from food,” she says. “Taking these two supplements in the morning helps your body use nutrients for energy rather than storing them as fat.”
If you want to lose weight “my tip is to organize your intestinal health because it is the core of all body functions that are involved in the weight loss process. Probiotics can help with this”, says rheumatologist Anthony S. Padula, MDat the Northern California Arthritis Center in Walnut Creek, CA. and a “Gut Council” member for Jetson Probiotics. “Your gut bacteria (your microbiome) can affect how you digest food, store fats and chemicals that make you feel full or hungry. Probiotic foods contain live bacterial strains that increase the population of good bacteria in the digestive system, while prebiotic foods contain types of fiber that acts as food for good bacteria. Both sources are designed to increase the number of bacteria in the gut and improve your microbiome. ”
The intestinal bacteria play many roles in both weight loss and weight gain, he adds Trista Best, RD, MPH, a registered dietitian at Balance when supplements. “When intestinal bacteria are shut down, the short-chain fatty acid production in the intestine is enhanced, which triggers appetite hormone production.” Probiotics in supplement form are live bacteria that provide countless health benefits when ingested, including improved appetite regulation, she says.
Inflammatory foods such as fried and highly processed foods can trigger inflammation in the body, which can impair the hormone insulin’s ability to function properly. It often leads to insulin resistance, which in turn can cause higher blood sugar and fat accumulation in the liver. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been shown to reduce inflammation.
“Turmeric can be an excellent addition to an existing weight loss because of its anti-inflammatory ability,” says Best. It can be taken in either capsule or powder form.
Collagen peptides are very small pieces of protein from animal collagen. Studies have shown that this protein supplement can help us feel fuller for longer, leading to fewer total calories consumed during the day, says Mackenzie Burgess, RDN, a nutritionist and recipe developer at Happy choices. Being a dietitian is one of my favorites to use Naked Nutrition Collagen Peptides Protein Powder. I love how it contains only one ingredient – collagen peptides for cattle – and provides 9 grams of protein per scoop. “She recommends adding it to coffee, a smoothie or oats overnight to pump up the protein and satiety effect.
Anxiety has been linked to weight gain because the stress hormone cortisol, which is released when you are tense, increases insulin levels, causing a drop in blood sugar that triggers cravings for carbohydrates and junk food. The problem with many weight loss supplements is that they are “fat burners and energy supplements, all of which cause some stress on our bodies and activate cortisol”, says Jacyln Bauer, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and founder of Daily supplement. Because she believes “the real reason why someone can not lose weight is stress,” developed Dr. Bauer a stress-relieving supplement that combines pharma-GABA, with lavender oil, lemon balm, flaxseed and theanine, an amino acid with anti-stress effects found in green and black tea.
As we suggested earlier, the effectiveness of most weight loss supplements has not been conclusively proven. But that does not stop millions of people from buying them to hopefully increase their chances of losing weight. However, there is an undeniable key to sustainable weight control: learning to eat right.
According to Medical news today, supplements that help suppress your appetite still do not teach you how to eat, so it is important to learn proper healthy eating habits for weight loss instead of simply relying on supplements to do it for you.
This can help: Intuitive eating can help you lose weight, say dietitians.
