Weight Loss

Home | Article List | Weight Loss Tips | Assessment & BMI | Programs | Exercise | Menus & Recipes | Women


Natural Weight Loss Supplements

A Brief Overview of Natural
Weight Loss Supplements

Instead of an engineered chemical with side effects too numerous to count, many people are looking for natural weight loss supplements to augment their diet and exercise program. Walk into a natural health store sometime - the number of products out there can be overwhelming. Here is a brief summary (a snapshot) of some of the more popular natural weight loss supplements:

  5-HTP comes from the amino acid L-tryptophan. It is obtained by extracting it from the seeds of a legume called Griffonia simplicifolia, found in West Africa. Its purpose is to reduce carbohydrate cravings, thereby diminishing food intake, which then results in weight loss. It is available from natural health stores in both a capsule and a drink mix. It should be taken between meals (at least 30 minutes before each meal) to prevent its interaction with other amino acids and to ensure its effectiveness.

  7 KETO DHEA is a hormone metabolite that can safely boost immune function and help reduce body fat. It is a naturally occurring metabolite primarily produced in the adrenal glands and skin (though some production occurs in the brain as well). As we age, our bodies produce less of this, which is partially responsible for the increases in body fat and total body weight often seen in older people.

  Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a natural supplement whose main ingredient is found in certain meats and in poultry and dairy products. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study found that CLA reduces fat and preserves muscle tissue. Other benefits observed include increased metabolic rate, a reduction in abdominal fat (brought on by hormone imbalances as we age), and enhancement of muscle growth.

  One popularly-touted natural weight loss supplement to watch out for is chromium, usually marketed as chromium picolinate. Chromium is a mineral found in foods like American cheese, wheat germ, brewer's yeast and calf's liver that can aid in the processing of foods. While many claim that chromium helps them to lose weight, there is no scientific evidence that it does.

Natural supplements for weight loss seem to come and go with dizzying regularity. Natural substances like pyruvate, arginine, hydroxycitric acid (HCA) and others are promoted as enhancing weight loss. While it is true that many of these substances are indeed "natural" and they do provide benefit to the body, in many cases there is little-to-no scientific evidence that they specifically affect weight loss.

Bottom line: there's no getting around the fact that if you truly want to lose weight, modification in behavior (what you eat, how much you eat, and how much you exercise) is required. Additional supplementation to improve overall health can be an effective strategy. But using natural supplements for weight loss - by themselves - can be an expensive exercise in futility.

Healthy Chinese Recipes

500 Quick, Easy, Delicious, and Healthy Chinese Recipes from a Master Chinese Chef. Discover the Yin and Yang of fantastic Chinese cooking created for the busy American lifestyle.

More Articles in the Programs Section


Home | Article List | Weight Loss Tips | Assessment & BMI | Programs | Exercise | Menus & Recipes | Women




All information on this website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or care which you should always seek. Diet and exercise programs should not be followed without first consulting a health care professional. If you have any special health conditions requiring attention, you should consult with your health care professional regularly regarding possible modification of programs found on this website. Medical and health related information may change quickly and we cannot verify the accuracy or timeliness of any of this information.