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Common Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss

Sep 29, 2010 | By Brian Willett
Common Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss
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Although you can achieve lasting weight loss through dietary changes and increases in exercise, many people use dietary supplements to accelerate their results. Dietary supplements do not come without the risk of side effects---and relying on supplements may prevent you from having to make lifestyle changes that will help you maintain your target weight. Before taking any dietary supplements, you should carefully assess the ingredients, as many fat burners and weight loss pills contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants. You should also consult with your doctor before using supplements.

Pro Clinical Hydroxycut

Pro Clinical Hydroxycut is one of several weight loss supplements manufactured by the company Hydroxycut. According to the brand, the supplement's ingredients have been scientifically proven to reduce weight and fat more effectively than diet alone. Although the studies cited by Hydroxycut do show improvement in weight loss compared to placebo, both of the studies were funded by the creators of the product. In addition, studies mentioned by Hydroxycut tested certain ingredients in Hydroxycut, not the product itself.

Nutrex Lipo 6

Nutrex is a supplement company that produces a variety of products, including the Lipo 6 fat burner. This supplement was nominated for a 2010 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Award for best fat loss product. Nutrex Lipo 6 contains stimulants such as caffeine and yohimbine, as well as herbal ingredients such as guggulsterones and synephrine. Although yohimbine may promote an increase in your metabolic rate to encourage weight loss, research from the September 2001 issue of the journal "Pharmacology & Therapeutics" found yohimbine supplementation may also cause side effects such as anxiety, increased urination and increases in blood pressure.

Xenical

Xenical is a common dietary supplement that is considered an alternative to stimulant fat burners, as it contains no caffeine or other stimulants. Instead of producing an increase in your metabolic rate or an increase in fat burning, Xenical claims to interfere with fat absorption. According to the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, Xenical is the brand name of the ingredient known as orlistat, and it prevents your body from absorbing some of the fat that you eat. However, if you consume high levels of fat, you may experience diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues, according to PubMed Health.

Zoller Laboratories Zantrex-3

Zoller Laboratories Zantrex-3 is a commonly used weight loss supplement. This product is purported to have appetite-suppressing qualities in addition to helping increase your energy levels. These effects are due to the inclusion of many stimulants in Zantrex-3 such as caffeine, yerba mate, guarana, kola nut, damiana and green tea. According to research published in the June 2001 issue of "Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics," the combination of yerba mate, guarana and damiana may produce significant weight loss.

References

Article reviewed by RandyS Last updated on: Sep 29, 2010

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