If you are an avid dieter, you might have come across the world of weight loss supplements before, although maybe you have never been interested enough to try them. This might be because of the speculation behind them, although somehow, people have experienced positive results, so the question is, do they really work? Below are the arguments as to whether they are worth investing in or not.
Clinical Trials
Dietary supplements are not medicines, therefore, the companies who create them are responsible for conducting trials and making sure the products are accurately labelled and safe. It is rare that a company would market something to consumers that was unsafe; however, it has happened in the past, since these products do not need approval before release. The most common ingredients are herbs, vitamins, minerals, fibre, caffeine, and other plants. This means they are not likely to cause your body any damage, although they might not live up to their weight-loss, muscle building, fat burning qualities that are promoted.
One way to understand if a dietary supplement can really do what it says on the tin is to put it through clinical trials, such as with raspberry ketone, which was given to a sample of obese adults, while another sample in the same trial had a placebo. The dieters with the raspberry ketone lost the most amount of weight. However, this trial was only completed by 45 individuals within a short timeframe, and therefore cannot represent real-world situations.
Types of Weight-Loss Supplements
There are various ingredients that might be used in dietary supplements to promote weight loss, although it’s best to know their advantages and side effects before trying them out. Chitosan is known as a ‘fat trapper’ and is made from the shells of shrimps and crabs to bind to the fat in your food and prevent it from being absorbed. This supposedly works just the same as eating more fibre; however, it can have a negative impact on your body by preventing fat-soluble nutrients from being absorbed, such as vitamin A and D.
There is another category of supplements known as ‘fat-burners’ which rely on caffeine mixed with aspirin to raise your metabolic rate and burn fat faster, but these have been found to raise blood pressure, even after using the product. Instead, you could raise your metabolic rate safely and cheaply by eating a healthy diet and exercising.
Do Your Research
There are many products on the market to help you lose weight, but it is best that you research into the benefits and side effects using reliable sources before you begin to take anything because although the ingredients might be natural, they can still have negative impacts on your body. Once you have found a product that looks the most promising, visit an online chemist to find out more and to ask where you can purchase it.
Weight loss supplements can work; however, they are only effective when taken alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise. They may help to speed up the weight-loss process, but always ensure that you understand the precautions before you take something.
Additional Resources:
RxBar
Clif Bars
Water
Protein
Beef
Peanut Butter
High Fructose Corn Syrup
