A Review of the Best Diet Supplements
Weight loss is a huge need in today’s world. Cases of overweight and obese individuals seem to be at an all-time high. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2015 and 2016 about 93.3 million American adults were affected by obesity. You can read about it here.
This shows how serious the subject of weight loss has become. It gets even worse when we consider all the health risks associated with being overweight and obese. This is one of the reasons why the demand for diet supplements has continued to grow as more and more people seek to address their weight issues.
As a way of helping people who fall into this class, we will review some of the best diet supplements out there so people can choose the ones that best suit their unique needs.
What are diet supplements?
Before we go into the review proper, let us first explain what these supplements really are. Supplements are products that are manufactured and offered as a means of supplementing the body’s dietary needs. They are usually ingested orally and can be presented as pills, capsules or liquids.
These supplements can be extracted from natural foods or they can be synthesized.
Types of diet supplements
For those looking for diet supplements for the purposes of weight loss, there are three types of supplements you will come across. They are: appetite suppressants, absorption suppressants and metabolism boosters.
Appetite suppressants
Supplements that fall under this category act by reducing your desire to eat. Some make you feel full, so you can reduce your food intake. This is a critical aspect of any weight loss program. The idea is to ensure that you never eat more than what your body really needs.
Absorption suppressants
This is a type of supplement that reduces your body’s ability to absorb food. Some of these supplements have been so hyped that many folks beInlieve they can eat as much as they like and the supplements will prevent their bodies from absorbing the food. The extent of absorption prevention may not be as described by many.
Metabolism boosters
This third class of suppressants helps burn off calories by increasing the body’s metabolic rate. This ensures calories are burned faster. Overall, your aim is to ensure that you do not have any excess food to store in your fat cells. This means eating little and burning off everything you eat.
Top diet supplements
In this section, we look at some of the best diet supplements out there. We will look at specific products and briefly describe how they function. Hopefully, this will make it easier for you to choose the product that is right for you.
Appetite suppressants
Glucomannan
This supplement, which is a type of fiber, is sourced from Konjac, the elephant yam. When it is ingested, it draws water into itself and then becomes gel-like. In this state, it literally settles in the stomach, making the individual feel heavy and full. This ensures you won’t eat as much as you normally would have.
From available studies, this supplement has been proven to work. A few possible side effects include a feeling of being constipated, flatulence etc.
For best results, take this supplement about 30 minutes before your meal.
Garcinia Cambogia Extract
As the name suggests, thsupplement is extracted from the Garcinia Cambogia, which is a small, green, pumpkin shaped fruit. The active ingredient, hydroxycitric acid, is contained in the fruit’s skin.
When taken, this extract helps reduce hunger pangs by increasing serotonin levels and also inhibiting the production of enzymes that produce fat in the body.
It has no known serious side effects, and there are also no studies that really show how efficient it is.
Absorption suppressants
Orlistat (Alli)
This supplement can be gotten either as a prescription or over the counter. As an over-the-counter drug, it is called Alli and as a prescription drug it is sold as Xenical.
The supplement makes it difficult for fat to be broken down for absorption into the body. This means less fat gets into you. Studies have shown it to have some level of success with weight management. It also helps in the management of blood pressure and curtailing of type 2 diabetes.
Some of the side effects include digestive issues, flatulence and hard to control bowel movements. As a result of the way it functions, it can result in a deficiency in fat-soluble vitamins.
Meratrim
This supplement combines extracts from two plants. This allows it play two roles. First, it inhibits the multiplication of fat cells and then it boosts the burning of stored fat.
Studies have shown that this supplement is significantly effective. They also showed no serious side effects.
Metabolism boosters
Hydroxycut
This is a really common supplement that includes ingredients such as caffeine. From the presence of caffeine, it should be obvious that it boosts the body’s metabolic rate, allowing it burn calories faster.
Studies have shown that it is very effective. However, it is not ideal for anyone who is sensitive to caffeine.
Raspberry Ketones
This supplement contains synthesized raspberry ketones. It is believed to facilitate the breakdown of fat and at the same time, increase the production of certain hormones that aid weight loss.
Unfortunately, there is no study to confirm its effectiveness for use as a weight loss supplement.
The above are the few diet supplements. Review them and see which provides the best solution for you.
Article written by Shynet Berou
This article was written by the guest author listed at the end of the article.