Some products promoted as natural weight loss aids are not particularly safe. Products that act as stimulants, even if they are "natural" can be hazardous and despite the fact that they may promote fast weight loss early on, because they cause the body to overproduce the stress hormone cortisol, they actually promote weight gain in the long run.
So, what supplements and products are there that can safely and effectively enhance natural weight loss? Well, first of all we need a reality check. Nutritional supplements and herbal weight loss products should be considered an aid for weight loss, not a weight loss program in and of themselves. Even the most useful of the natural weight loss supplements (and for that matter, even diet drugs) provide only very modest benefits when used alone, without also being on a good diet and exercise regimen.
In order to get maximum benefit from any natural weight loss product, you must combine it with diet and exercise. No matter how good the advertising sounds and no matter how much you want to believe that a pill or potion is all you need to lose weight, the simple truth is that diet and exercise are absolutely necessary to effective lasting weight loss.
With that in mind, there are certain weight loss products available that do improve the efects of diet and exercise. These products may act through suppression of hunger, increasing metabolic rate, or by preventing the digestive tract from absorbing fat. The following is a summary of those products you may find useful:
Chitosan is a supplement that prevents the absorption of fat from the food that you eat. It is derived from the shells of shrimp and similar marine animals, so it is not appropriate for anyone with shellfish allergies. Chitosan, by blocking fat absorption essentially decreases the amount of calories you absorb from a meal. Chitosan can cause loose, greasy stools and sometimes a loss of bowel control, so be careful with it at first. In addition, because it blocks fat absorption, it can also block the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, which are A,D,E, and K. Because of this, I do not usually recommend chitosan, but if you do use it, you may wish to supplement with the fat-soluble vitamins between meals. A reasonably safe dosage for chitosan is approximately 1500 to 3000 mg each day split into equal doses taken before each meal with at least eight ounces of water.
Chromium nicotinate can be taken at a level of 200 to 400 mg per day, preferably split into two or more doses taken with meals. It should be noted that this recommendation is for chromium nicotinate, NOT picolinate. Although chromium picolinate is often promoted as a supplement for weight loss, and it may in fact be an effective weight loss aid, the research on the picolinate form of chromium for weight loss has been contradictory, but there has been consistent indication that the nicotinate form does enhance weight loss.
CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid can be taken in doses of 300 to 600 mg taken before each meal (no more than 1800 mg per day). CLA has been shown to promote fat burning and the development of lean body tissue in laboratory animals, but the effects in humans remain uncertain.
Green tea extract can be taken in total dosages of 100 to 400 mg per day, recommended to be split into two or more doses per day and taken between meals. Look for standardized extracts containing at least 90% total catechins for best results. Catechins from green tea appear to increase metabolism, and this occurs separately from the metabolic effects from the caffeine in the tea. Although the naturally-occurring caffeine in green tea tends to increase the effects of the catechins, because of the previously mentioned adverse long-term effects on weight loss from the use of stimulants, it is recommended that decaffeinated green tea extract be used.
I'll continue with more popular natural weight loss aids in part 2 of this article.
So, what supplements and products are there that can safely and effectively enhance natural weight loss? Well, first of all we need a reality check. Nutritional supplements and herbal weight loss products should be considered an aid for weight loss, not a weight loss program in and of themselves. Even the most useful of the natural weight loss supplements (and for that matter, even diet drugs) provide only very modest benefits when used alone, without also being on a good diet and exercise regimen.
In order to get maximum benefit from any natural weight loss product, you must combine it with diet and exercise. No matter how good the advertising sounds and no matter how much you want to believe that a pill or potion is all you need to lose weight, the simple truth is that diet and exercise are absolutely necessary to effective lasting weight loss.
With that in mind, there are certain weight loss products available that do improve the efects of diet and exercise. These products may act through suppression of hunger, increasing metabolic rate, or by preventing the digestive tract from absorbing fat. The following is a summary of those products you may find useful:
Chitosan is a supplement that prevents the absorption of fat from the food that you eat. It is derived from the shells of shrimp and similar marine animals, so it is not appropriate for anyone with shellfish allergies. Chitosan, by blocking fat absorption essentially decreases the amount of calories you absorb from a meal. Chitosan can cause loose, greasy stools and sometimes a loss of bowel control, so be careful with it at first. In addition, because it blocks fat absorption, it can also block the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, which are A,D,E, and K. Because of this, I do not usually recommend chitosan, but if you do use it, you may wish to supplement with the fat-soluble vitamins between meals. A reasonably safe dosage for chitosan is approximately 1500 to 3000 mg each day split into equal doses taken before each meal with at least eight ounces of water.
Chromium nicotinate can be taken at a level of 200 to 400 mg per day, preferably split into two or more doses taken with meals. It should be noted that this recommendation is for chromium nicotinate, NOT picolinate. Although chromium picolinate is often promoted as a supplement for weight loss, and it may in fact be an effective weight loss aid, the research on the picolinate form of chromium for weight loss has been contradictory, but there has been consistent indication that the nicotinate form does enhance weight loss.
CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid can be taken in doses of 300 to 600 mg taken before each meal (no more than 1800 mg per day). CLA has been shown to promote fat burning and the development of lean body tissue in laboratory animals, but the effects in humans remain uncertain.
Green tea extract can be taken in total dosages of 100 to 400 mg per day, recommended to be split into two or more doses per day and taken between meals. Look for standardized extracts containing at least 90% total catechins for best results. Catechins from green tea appear to increase metabolism, and this occurs separately from the metabolic effects from the caffeine in the tea. Although the naturally-occurring caffeine in green tea tends to increase the effects of the catechins, because of the previously mentioned adverse long-term effects on weight loss from the use of stimulants, it is recommended that decaffeinated green tea extract be used.
I'll continue with more popular natural weight loss aids in part 2 of this article.
About the Author:
Dr. George Best has been assisting people with weight loss since 1992. For additional resources, please visit his site on natural weight loss. For diet cooking tips, go to healthy eating meal plan.
