7 Types of Fat Burning Supplements

There are many ways to burn fat:

Increase exercise and decrease food and alcohol consumption is the most obvious and safest answer.

Another idea is a “thermic diet”: a diet that increases your metabolic rate, such as consuming whey protein which requires more energy to digest than other foods

A third alternative is taking “fat burning” supplements.

With all the choices of “fat burning” supplements out there, it’s very confusing for the average consumer what the differences are. “Fat burning” supplements can be broken down into 7 categories, where the first 4 are stimulants:

1. Ephedrine and Ephedra. Ephedrine and its herbal forms Ephedra and Ma Huang are often included in supplements designed to promote fat burning and/or energy. About 5 years ago, Ephedra was in the news over the controversial death of a baseball player Steve Bechler and football player Korey Stringer during spring training. Many believe it was a combination of heat stroke, dehydration, and lack of conditioning. The results were inconclusive.

2. Caffeine and Guarana. Caffeine and its herbal form Guarana are often included in supplements designed to promote energy and/or fat burning. Caffeine is also known to suppress the appetite. Side effects include the jitters or nervousness and frequent trips to the restroom.

3. Ephedrine & Caffeine Combos. The combination of Ephedrine and Caffeine makes up the core of some popular supplements that has been proven to burn fat and while retaining lean muscle mass. The supplements below represent many variations of this popular combo or their herbal equivalents (Ephedra / Ma Huang and Guarana). Xenadrine is a popular brand in this category.

4. Synephrine Combos. The herbal form is Citrus Aurantium or Bitter Orange. These are thought to be easier on the Central Nervous System than supplements that contain ephedrine or its herbal equivalents. Synephrine is still a stimulant but is a milder alternative to ephedrine.

5. Thyroid Boosters. These are designed to preserve or increase thyroid output and increase the metabolic rate to promote fat loss stimulant free. This is an excellent alternative to supplements containing stimulants.

6. Insulin Mimickers are said to aid or act similar to insulin in order to help avoid large amounts of natural insulin from being secreted in the body - which would result in excess carbohydrates being stored as fat!
Chromium is the second best-selling mineral supplement in the United States, behind calcium. It is found in whole grains, wheat germ and nuts, and is poorly absorbed in our intestinal tract.
By combining Chromium with Picolinic Acid to create Chromium Picolinate reportedly improved absorption into the bloodstream. Evidence is currently inconclusive, and more research is required.

7. Carnitine and Actetyl-L-Carnitine. This is probably the lowest risk of the 7 types of supplements. Over 50 percent of our daily needs for Carnitine is normally supplied by the diet by meat, poultry and fish. Unless you are a vegetarian or a strict vegan, current research shows no evidence that it will reduce body fat.

Pick & choose your supplements carefully!

Disclaimer: Consult your physician before altering your diet or taking supplements. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, opinion or advice contained in the above article.