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Fat-burning supplements, also known as calorie-burning supplements or weight-loss supplements, are dietary supplements that claim to help you lose weight. While it might sound amazing to find a fat-burning supplement that really works, there are good reasons to be cautious when it comes to these substances.
If you’ve heard about a fat-burning supplement that you want to try or you’re interested in finding a natural fat burner, here’s what you need to know. Remember to talk to a healthcare provider before you start taking anything new. Your doctor will help you stay safe and make good choices about what to put in your body.
Different fat-burning supplements claim to work in different ways. They don’t say they'll work by making your fat disappear. Instead, they claim to work by changing how much you eat or what your body does with the food you consume. Most fat-burners claim that they’ll do one or more of the following:
If these supplements actually had the benefits they claim to have, they might help with weight loss. However, the evidence for most of them is questionable at best. Some ingredients in these supplements simply haven’t been studied in robust and meaningful ways.
There are numerous ingredients in over-the-counter fat-burning supplements that the creators of these supplements claim lead to weight loss. It’s impossible to review all of them because new ones are being created all the time. However, here is a summary of the scientific evidence available for some of the most common ingredients.
Caffeine is known to stimulate your central nervous system, and it may help you burn more calories or change the way your body absorbs fat. There are a few studies that look at caffeine and body weight, though many of them test products that also contain other ingredients. The products claim that caffeine may help you lose weight or at least lower the amount of weight you gain. However, there’s not enough evidence to say whether it works for sure. If you’re planning to take more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, you may experience significant side effects like jitters, nervousness, a rapid heart rate, and vomiting.
Capsaicin is extracted from chili peppers in the Capsicum genus, and some supplements are also advertised under that name. It’s supposed to have several effects on the body, including lowering your appetite and making you feel full, raising your metabolism to help burn fat, and changing how your body handles fats. A few studies suggest that it might help you eat less, but they also say that it doesn’t cause weight loss. It can cause intestinal issues as well as raise your insulin levels and lower your good cholesterol levels.
Carnitine is a catchall name for several different products. Your body makes carnitine naturally, or you can find it in meat and other animal products. It may help the body metabolize fat differently, rather than store it. Several studies show that carnitine may lead to a very small amount of weight loss. Carnitine supplements may be connected to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, though researchers need to do more work to fully understand this risk.
Garcinia cambogia is a tree that produces fruit high in hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which some claim helps with weight loss in a variety of ways. The evidence on it is contradictory, however. Some small studies have found that it helps with limited weight loss, while others have found that it doesn’t help at all. Some people who take it have mild side effects, like headaches or stomach issues. A few have experienced a psychological condition called mania, and others have had liver issues.
Hoodia is a succulent (a kind of plant). The San people of the Kalahari Desert have used it for generations to help them feel less hungry on long hunts. A few animal studies have shown that it may help lower appetite, but this effect hasn’t been shown in humans. Hoodia can make your blood pressure and heart rate go up, and it has been connected to changes in liver enzymes (chemicals that help the liver work).
Green tea or green tea extract is said to help you absorb less fat from your food and burn more calories. It contains several substances that may be connected to weight loss, including caffeine and catechins. These two ingredients may work together to raise your metabolism and help you absorb less fat. However, you should have low expectations about how much weight loss, if any, you’ll experience. Green tea itself is pretty safe, but the extract may lead to liver problems in some people.
Soluble fibers are supposed to help you eat less by making you feel fuller, and they may help you absorb less fat, too. Common soluble fiber ingredients include beta-glucans, guar gum, and glucomannan. Some are marketed under names like KetoBod. Beta-glucans have been studied a little, and they don’t seem to lead to weight loss or weight management. There are some good studies on guar gum that also indicate it won’t help you lose weight. Glucomannan hasn’t been studied as well, but it also doesn’t seem connected to lowering body weight. If soluble fiber has side effects, they seem to affect the stomach and intestines.
Yohimbe is usually used for male sexual dysfunction, but it may also help with weight loss and muscle gain. There’s very little research on it and even less of good quality. However, it seems unlikely to help you build muscle or lose weight. Additionally, even small doses can raise your blood pressure, and larger ones can lead to serious heart problems and even death. If you really want to try yohimbe, make sure you work with your healthcare professional to use it safely and monitor your health while you’re on it.
As discussed above, different supplements have different risks. Some of them may be riskier for people living with obesity, too.
Obesity is connected to insulin resistance, which can cause blood sugar spikes and, eventually, type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is also connected to metabolic syndrome, which itself can raise your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. High blood sugar, low good cholesterol, and high blood pressure are all signs of metabolic syndrome. Thus, taking supplements that can lead to these problems while living with chronic obesity may raise your risk even more for cardiovascular and other complications.
If you already have sleeping issues associated with obesity, supplements that stimulate you and keep you awake can worsen those as well.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t test fat burners for safety or effectiveness. This means that manufacturers can make claims about them that aren’t true. It also means that each package may or may not actually contain the advertised amount of the active ingredient. This can make it hard to know if supplements are safe or not.
Some supplements can also interfere with other medications you take for obesity or other health conditions. For instance, glucomannan may interfere with diabetes medications. You need to talk with your doctor, not only to make sure you’re taking a supplement safely, but also to ensure that it won’t cause unwanted changes in the way your medications work. Good self-care means ensuring you’re using supplements wisely, and your doctor can help you do that.
On MyObesityTeam, people share their experiences with obesity, get advice, and find support from others who understand.
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