Good Supplements to Take for Weight Loss

There are basically two big groups of supplements in the weight loss markets: those meant to make you eat less and those that will prevent the calories you eat from settling in your body. While the claims of the weight loss industry are many and varied, few supplements live up to the hype and most should be taken only after careful consideration.

Appetite Suppressants

• Appetite suppressants do just what their name implies: make you feel fuller so you eat less. Hoodia is the best-known appetite suppressant in the market and is supposed to act by affecting the part of your brain that controls satiety. There are no definitive studies available, but hoodia is considered safe and you could try it to see if it works for you. Other appetite suppressants available include green tea extract, CLA and country mallow. Fiber supplements can also be used to control appetite, as they provide a feeling of fullness, thus reducing your need to eat large portions.

Fat Burners and Blockers

• Fat burners are supplements that purport to increase the number of calories burned during normal, day-to-day activities. Fat blockers, on the other hand, are meant to prevent your body from absorbing the fat you ingest in your diet. Fat burners (also marketed as metabolism enhancers) include bitter orange, country mallow, chromium and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), all of which claim to reduce body fat and increase metabolism. Of the three, only CLA is recognized by the Mayo Clinic as effective in decreasing body fat and increasing muscle. The effectiveness and long-term effects of the others is unknown.

  Fat blockers block the absorption of dietary fat, preventing the body from storing the excess of calories consumed in any given day. Guar gum and chitosan have long been touted as fat blockers, and while no definitive studies exist as to their effectiveness, both are relatively safe to consume. Alli, a fat blocker that can be bought over the counter, is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved weight loss supplement. It works by decreasing the absorption of fat by the intestines. Fat blockers have unpleasant side effects, especially when the total amount of fat consumed in a day is excessive. Side effects include cramps, gas with oily spotting, diarrhea and indigestion. Fat blockers are effective when consumed along with a reduced calorie, low fat diet.