Which Weight Loss Pills Work Best?
The culture of “pill popping” our way to better health and thinner thighs has grown exponentially since the early 90’s. Sales of dietary supplements in the US have grown from $3billion in 1991 to over $10billion in recent years. Are food supplements a safe and effective way to shrink our waists, or are do they just shrink our wallets?
In the multi-billion dollar industry of food supplements, pills marketed with the promise of fast and effective weight loss, take the bulk of the market share. Commercials advertising these products invariably feature glamorous mothers with enviable physiques, tiny bottoms and a beaming smile, with the claim that all this can be achieved by leading a normal life - all you’ve got to do is pop a few pills.
The one question on all dieters’ hips (I mean lips), is whether there any such supplements on the market which actually deliver their promise?
These are a selection of some of the most popular weight loss supplements and what extensive research has discovered about them.
Dandelion Root
One commercial that is regularly shown in the UK, promotes a product that promises fast and effective weight loss, by simply swallowing a small herbal pill. Intrigued with this claim, I set out to discover its active ingredient, which is responsible for putting such a wide smile (and tiny bum) on the yummy mummy in the advert. Speed? Thyroxine? No, a herbal ingredient called dandelion root, a well known diuretic.
So, the hopes of thousands of women up and down the Country are lead to believe that this pill, containing an ingredient that makes you have to visit the restroom 10 times a day, is going to help melt away the excess fat.
You may very well lose 6lbs in a week by consuming dandelion root but unless you are running a marathon a day or are seriously ill, that weight loss will come from the excess water you pass, rather than fat.
Carnitine
L-Carnitine is a naturally occurring amino-acid found mainly in meat products. It is an essential nutrient required in the formation of the transport system responsible for moving fat to the mitochondria, where it can be burned and used as fuel. Without sufficient Carnitine, this transport system is unable to work effectively, thereby reducing the amount of fat we are able to use as energy.
Of all the weight loss supplements on the market, Carnitine is probably one of the most researched. Although it inevitably has its critics, provided you exercise regularly and eat a well balanced diet, there is plentiful evidence to suggest that Carnitine may be able to help you lose a few extra pounds - but don’t expect miracles.
Chromium Picolinate
Relatively little is know about the mineral Chromium and how our body utilizes it. However, we do know that one of its roles is to work in synergy with the hormone insulin to help with the metabolism of sugar. A dietary deficiency in Chromium can reduce our body’s ability to balance and stabilise blood s
ugar, leading to hunger, sugar cravings and ultimately over eating.
There is conclusive scientific evidence that Chromium helps with the control of blood sugar and tests with supplementation have proven to help over half of all patients with incipient type two diabetes and glucose intolerance.
What is not conclusive scientific fact however, is whether popping a chromium pill is going to help you slim down and get you back into a size 6 dress. There have been countless studies on the effects of chromium supplementation and weight-loss with mixed findings, but there are some studies that have suggested that Chromium may indeed help. One such study involved patients taking 3 different dosages of Chromium – 0 (a placebo), 200 micrograms and 400 micrograms. Over the 10 week trial period, the groups taking 200 and 400 micrograms lost an average of 4.2lbs, compared to the placebo group who lost just 0.4 lbs. As promising as this may sound, caution must be taken when supplementing with Chromium Picolinate and advice from your physician is strongly suggested.
Hydroxycitric acid (HCA)
Hydroxycitric acid is a compound found in the Garcinia cambogia fruit and it is claimed by some supplement companies to help you lose weight.
The theory is that this acidic compound can help combat a growing waist line for four reasons - it can inhibit the body’s ability to store fat, use fat as an energy source during prolonged exercise, help to reduce appetite and stop the body converting sugar into fat. Surely there is a catch? Yes, sadly there is – it doesn’t work. The bulk of studies performed on Hydroxycitric acid have been inconclusive and therefore the claims of the manufacturers of this supplement are a little inaccurate.
Whether science has proven their efficacy or not, using dietary supplements to help you squeeze back into your skinny jeans are not going to produce miracles. You are far better off cutting out the odd doughnut or upping you exercise levels. Popping pills may sound like the easy option but despite the aggressive marketing, they are unlikely to make much impact unless you change your lifestyle.
If you are interested in using some of the mentioned supplements (i'd only reccommend carnitine or chromium picolinate) click on the logo below where you can buy products which are as good as anywhere and at pretty reasonable prices.