A Supplement Plan for Losing Weight
The first ingredients in any weight loss plan are of course the two that nobody wants to hear: eat less, and exercise. There is just no getting around it. There is no magic bullet. However, there are a few dietary supplements that may help improve the effectiveness of your efforts just a bit, giving you an edge. There is at least one pill that can help burn fat, as well as a few extras that can help increase metabolism and improve cardiovascular health. Eating the right kinds of foods is important too. You should always try to consume some alkaline foods throughout the day.
Weight Loss Pills
Available over the counter in the US under the brand name Alli, orlistat is probably one of the best diet pills as far as actual evidence of effectiveness goes. Safety is fairly well established, with the only real side effect being oily loose stool which can decrease over time. However, the FDA is investigating potential claims of liver damage in some rare cases. Weight loss is not exceptional; just a few extra pounds per year over what you would normally lose.
Other than orlistat, there really aren’t many effective supplements that will actually burn fat. There are quite a few with inflated claims, but ever since the FDA banned ephedra in 2004, most supplement makers have replaced the effective weight loss chemical with less effective substitutes, such as bitter orange or just caffeine.
Pills for Increasing Metabolism
In addition to straight weight loss, it can also be helpful to increase your metabolism slightly. There aren’t many ways to do this safely, as much of it is controlled by your genes. Exercise and more frequent small meals are the best way. As for supplements, green tea can help increase metabolism without negative side effects, although it probably isn’t enough to dramatically increase weight loss. Stimulants like caffeine may help a bit, although evidence is conflicting.
Pills for Cardiovascular Health
In addition to weight loss, you will want to improve the health of your cardiovascular system as well. Keeping your blood pressure low and your heart healthy should be a natural part of your general health plan. The best and primary way is of course via exercise, however, omega 3 fatty acids as found in fish oil has a definite improvement on cardiovascular health as well. Omega 3 helps balance the omega 6 that is high in most diets and has an inflammatory effect. Other fish oil benefits include an increase in metabolism and possible anti-depression.
Conclusion
Again, none of these supplements will have a huge impact. The bulk of your weight loss is going to come from eating less and exercising more. But a little increase in improvement may help your morale to keep going. Keep in mind that orlistat is not a magical pill, and is under investigation for liver damage. And other supplements that claim to help weight loss are almost certainly not effective at all.
