We are a nation that wants to lose fat. Do you want to get in shape? If you do, a whole slew of companies are willing to offer cutting edge supplements that will make fat loss a cinch.
But there is a catch. Said companies are NOT regulated by the federal government. In fact, they could literally put anything in a bottle and not get slapped by the FDA until someone got sick.
However, could it really be possible that most supplements are useless? The real truth is that very very few supplements actually work. And once you do find a supplement that works, you then have to find a company that can guarantee purity.
Nonetheless, here is my review of popular supplements for losing fat:
1. Branched-chain amino acids. The claim is that amino acids increase energy levels and help build more muscle. What the marketers fail to reveal is that amino acids provide an extremely small percentage of energy compared to macro nutrients. Moreover, taking a huge amount of one amino acid can block the absorption of another.
2. Carnitine. This nutrient helps transport fatty acids across the cell membrane and into mitochondria, cells that produce energy. Supplementing with it is useless, however, because the body produces its own supply and does NOT need extra for optimal fat loss.
3. Chromium picolinate. Some initial studies showed that this supplement was effective for reducing waist lines. However, since then, this supplement has failed to live up to expectations. And some research has shown it to be toxic. I recommend saving your money and buying some healthy food instead.
4. Powders. By powders I mean meal replacements. The term is very contradictory. After all, a packet of powder cannot match up to a fully balanced meal loaded with nutrients. Use meal replacements in only the most extreme situations. And even bars would be a better option here.
The gyrations supplement companies will go through to push their products are endless. And more often than not, it can be very hard for the average consumer to sift through all the hype without an advanced degree in exercise science. So stick to natural food and avoid all the enticing claims!
Writer Katherine Crawford, an exercise physiologist and recent arm fat sufferer, instructs on how to lose arm fat. Figure out how to get sexy and sculpted arms by visiting her blog with superb arm exercises for women now!
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