Popular Weight Loss Supplements

When you go to a health food store or browse the internet looking for weight loss supplements, you'll be bombarded with literally hundreds of choices. This article will help you make sense of the confusion that can result from the plethora of supplement choices you're offered. So let's take a look the eight most popular weight loss supplements...

Fucoxanthin

Fucoxanthin is an antioxidant that naturally exists in edible forms of brown seaweed. These seaweeds -Wakami is one variety we know in the West - have been used by the Japanese for centuries to make 'miso soup'. Although human clinical trials of Fucoxanthin have not been undertaken as yet, animal trials have and anecdotal reports from people who have taken the supplement strongly suggest that Fucoxanthin is effective in targeting and reducing abdominal fat deposits.

Hoodia

Hoodia is a well known herbal supplement which acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Again there have not been any clinical trials of this supplement but many who've used it swear to the product's effectiveness in reducing the cravings for food and reducing appetite. However, if you decide to buy and use this supplement, be sure that you buy it from a reputable dietary supplement supplier as reports indicate that counterfeit Hoodia sales are rife.

Guarana

Guarana is another natural herbal supplement that's sourced from the Amazon rain forests. Guarana is found in extremely high levels in caffeine but in supplements of Guarana, the level is double that which is in caffeine. For this reason, it's widely believed that Guarana works by stimulating energy expenditure, or put another way, it makes you burn calories faster because of increased activity levels.

Chromium

Chromium is a naturally occurring mineral which is required by the body to metabolise protein and fat. When it's used as a supplement, Chromium is widely reported to assist people to lose weight, especially those who have diabetes or who are insulin resistant. People with diabetes or people who suffer from depression, anxiety or other psychiatric conditions should consult their doctor before commencing a supplement program containing chromium.

Ephedra and Bitter Orange

Ephedra is a natural stimulant that was known to aid weight loss however it was banned in the US because of severe adverse side effects. Bitter Orange is also a stimulant herb similar in effect to Ephedra and which has been used instead of Ephedra since the supplement was banned in 2004. As a stimulant, this herb will increase your energy expenditure and speed up your metabolism.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

This supplement naturally occurs in milk and has been proven to assist with weight loss. Conjugated Linoleic Acid is believed to encourage decreased body fat and increased muscle growth.

Chitosan

Chitosan is another natural supplement which is sourced from 'chitin', a component of the shells of crustaceans. Chitosan has been proven to improve weight loss and works by binding to fat molecules in the intestines which then prevent the absorption of the fat.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar has long been used as a natural appetite suppressant and is now available in tablet or capsule form from dietary supplement suppliers. Apple Cider Vinegar is known to be effective in liquid form also. However there have been some reports of adverse effects associated with the use of Apple Cider Vinegar tablets so always check with your doctor before taking this supplement.

Popular Food Supplements For Weight Loss

Many people who would like to lose weight quickly and cannot stick to normal diets are turning to weight loss supplements to see results. Using this method of weight loss can show results in a matter of days and weeks rather than months.

A good thing is that most of these supplements come from totally natural sources, meaning they are not harmful to your body. They usually take the form of powders, tablets or drinks and contain these supplements.

Some of the ingredients have been known about and used for years but have only just recently been used to replace foods as part of a diet.

Apple cider vinegar.

You should have no problems finding this in your local health food shop or supermarket. Apple cider vinegar is known to help suppress a persons appetite. It has quickly become an easy way to help people who eat too much. Many diets use cider vinegar as a way of controlling how much people eat.

A small amount taken before meal times will help the person feel fuller quicker. As this liquid is an acid, you will need to be careful as it may have some side effects on your body. For this reason, some doctors do not recommend using apple cider vinegar to control weight.

Hoodia.

This is a popular herbal food supplement and can be used to suppress a persons appetite. Many have said that it is not very effective as the small number of clinical tests that have been carried out have not been conclusive on the results it delivers.

Hoodia also suffers from market saturation where many fake products are sold to consumers. It can be hard to tell which is the real product as companies often mount counter attacks on each other, saying that the other is not real. Stick to known brands if you are buying Hoodia from a shop or online.

Fucoxanthin

Commonly used in Miso soup, Focoxanthin is an edible brown seaweed. It is a very common food used as part of Japanese food and many of their recipes have this food included. It comes in two different types, Hijiki and wakame, each known for slightly different potencies and tastes.

If you are looking to buy this supplement, you can do so from any local Japanese food store or supermarket. It is also available online.

Chromium

Your body already uses chromium to help keep the levels of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in your body in check. The main purpose of chromium in the human body is to help get glucose around the body. Insulin controls the glucose release, so using chromium as a food supplement is good for those who suffer from diabetes.

There have not been many studies around the use of chromium as a weight loss aid. Some people who suffer from mental problems may find that chromium can trigger more severe symptoms.