In the weight loss pill world, supplements that burn fat – or that claim to – are very easy to find. What isn’t as easy to discover are the options that not only claim to provide this benefit, but that actually live up to their promises.
While the first step before choosing any supplements that burn fat is to speak with your doctor, your second step should be to conduct a bit of your own research into what science is actually saying about these different substances in terms of effectiveness and safety.
The following are some of the supplements that burn fat and that have the research to stand behind their claims. By understanding this list, it can help you to avoid some of the ingredients that have gained a great deal of hype through claims in the media from people such as Dr. Oz, who has recommended a large number of supplements that are considered to be unproven by the medical community – meaning function, effectiveness, dosage, side effects and safety are all actually unknown.
These, on the other hand, have been studied by the medical community in order to be better understood:
Capsaicin
Have you ever wondered what makes chili peppers hot? It’s’ the capsaicin. Spiciness isn’t the only effect this substance has on the body. If you’ve noticed that people eating hot chili peppers will often sweat, then you’ll understand some of the effect of this ingredient. It causes the body temperature to rise. To produce that heat, the body has to use energy, which it gets from food calories or stored fat. Research has also shown that consuming capsaicin will cause both mice and humans to eat less in a meal. Study results have also indicated that it might also boost fat oxidation in animals and humans when taken before exercise.
Caffeine
Yes, the same stuff that wakes you up when you drink your first cup of coffee in the morning. While it helps you to become more alert, it also boosts your body’s rate of fat burning. This helps to explain why so many supplements have used it as an ingredient. Just make sure to ease into these pills if you’re sensitive to stimulants or you could end up with jitters for the first while.
Synephrine
Like caffeine, this is a stimulant that boosts fat burning and alertness, but unlike caffeine, the FDA has issued a warning to consumers against using synephrine (which can also go under the names “bitter orange” or “citrus aurantium”) for weight loss purposes due to the side effects it causes. Moreover, it has also warned against the common combination of synephrine and caffeine, as using these substances together increases a user’s risk of heart attack and stroke.