EASNA review the best weight loss supplements.
It's no secret that the modern US lifestyle has become a sedentary one, as a result obesity rates have hit as high as 40% in the USA[1] so it's no surprise that that people look for any help they can get with losing weight. This is an increasingly prevalent issue with office workers with occupation being a significant risk factor for obesity rates, as you'd expect sedentary administrative roles we're most at risk[2].
Whilst weight loss pills shouldn't be the first option for anyone trying to lose weight, healthy diet and exercise will always be the first port of call there are some weight loss supplements that can be effective at making the process of weight management easier.
Weight loss aids come in a variety of forms, some work, some don't. Some are glorified vitamin pills and some contain things that actually work. Regulations vary quite wildly from country to country and unfortunately for us, the USA is actually quite lax and not all supplements are created equal.
What Do We Look For In Weight Loss Pills?
Weight loss supplements work (or claim to work) in one of just a couple of ways, they either suppress appetite, raise thermogenesis (the amount of calories you burn), supress cravings or raise energy levels whilst you're in a caloric deficit (dieting). There are relatively few components that actually work and they tend to be repeated throughout all of the best weight loss supplements, with varying blends designed to focus on different elements.
The most effective way to lose weight is through diet control. Hours of exercise can be undone in minutes with high calorie food, so appetite suppressants are always going to be the most effective weight loss supplement. The next most effective element is craving support followed by increasing energy levels, with thermogenesis coming in last. The reason for this is improved thermogenesis realistically tops out at adding about 100 calories to your maintenance calorie rates and improved energy levels help you keep what we call a consistent NEAT. NEAT or (None Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) refers to the amount of activity you do that burns calories that isn't for accounted for by exercise. Typically people who are dieting move less, whether they notice or not, and this can account for 3-400 calories burned per day.
The best ingredients for each of these categories are Glucomannan for appetite suppression (in some countries it's the only supplement advertisers can actually claim works) which swells to 50X it's size, 2 capsules add up to about the size of a bagel, this makes you feel less hungry, caffeine and vitamin complexes for energy and 5HTP for craving suppression, although there are some other methods for doing this successfully. Lastly is thermogenesis and that's where things start to get a little more complicated.
Best Weight Loss Pill Ingredients
Glucomannan
Glucomannan is by far the best over the counter appetite suppressant and as a result makes an appearance in all of the most effective weight loss pills. It works by swelling up to 50X it's original size in the stomach and the standard dosage (2000mg) swells up to about the same size as a bagel. There are some prescription weight loss pills which use a similar ingredient that swells 100X the size, although it tends to be dosed around 1000mg meaning that there is functional no difference in how much they help you lose weight.
Caffeine
Whilst this doesn't make it into all of the contenders for the best weight loss supplement as it's relatively easy to substitute into your diet yourself, and if you're already a heavy coffee drinker, it may not be a good idea to add extra caffeine into the mix. However, caffeine has been proven to both suppress appetite and raise your NEAT (None Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), put simply this means how many calories you burn by moving normally through the day. NEAT tends to drop when you reduce your calorie intake, lowering the efficacy of dieting. This is where caffeine is particularly useful in a weight loss supplement.
5HTP
5HTP was originally only available via a clinician, it's been shown under brain scans to actually lower our interest in unhealthy high fat and high sugar foods when compared to when people were shown said foods having taken the placebo. It help you lose weight by helping you eat healthier. This is particularly common in the best weight loss pills for women who tend to struggle more with cravings. There were even some suggestions that it shouldn't be used because it was too effective.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract has been used to help control body weight reasonably effectively for some time. It's not the best weight loss supplement available, it is generally what we consider to be a "B Tier" ingredient. It's effective, but shouldn't be the main ingredient in any weight loss pills. Green tea extract is a thermogenic fat burner, meaning that it does raise the amount of calories you burn at rest. The effect however is relatively modest weight loss, but it is still effective.
Coffee Beans
Most weight loss pills include coffee beans, some studies have shown that supplementation can cause significant weight loss, although most suggest it to be relatively modest. Again they're quite well backed at this point and make a good addition to your fat burning arsenal.
Capsimax
Capsimax comes from cayenne pepper, it's one of the most effective weight loss pill ingredients for thermogenesis aside from caffeine. Again thermogenic fat burners are typically the least effective element in weight loss pills, so it's a nice inclusion, but the focus should always be on appetite suppression and energy increase as these are the most effective factors in helping you lose weight.
References
1 - https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html - USA obesity rates
2 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2894850 - Occupational risk of overweight and obesity
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Opens in a new window.