Weight Loss with Fat Burners

References

Vitamin-mineral paks. Muscle-builders. Herbal tonics. Energy pills. With as many promises in the weight-loss market as there are products, it’s important for retailers to offer only quality products marketed responsibly.

According to a recent survey by Prevention Magazine, more than 158 million consumers use dietary supplements—and the most popular supplements noted are fat burners. With thermogenic fat-burners being this in-demand, they command responsible marketing. Without it, not only are consumers led astray with promises of "magic pills" that will melt away unwanted pounds, but unstudied products may pose significant health consequences to individuals who may be overweight, and simultaneously give responsible products and marketers a black-eye.

As the name suggests, thermogenics has to do with temperature—fat burners induce thermogenesis, which is the process the body uses to burn fat by altering metabolism. It translates to the production (genesis) of heat (thermo).

The thermogenic process can be jump-started by a number of factors including cold, exercise and nutritional ingredients. With thousands of thermogenic dietary supplements on the market, the choices can be overwhelming. Most thermogenic products contain similar ingredients, just in varying amounts. Formulators have a challenge in developing efficacious thermogenic products. It must help curb the appetite, speed up metabolism and create internal heat, but ideally not deliver unwanted side effects such as jitteriness, nervousness or heart palpitations.

The thermogenic category had a huge heyday following the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act (DSHEA) in 1994, with ephedra (ma huang) leading the charge. Studies supported its efficacy; however, serious concerns were raised about its impact on blood pressure and heart health. After years of internal debate and concerns from federal regulators—both FDA and FTC—about product claims, safety and marketing, FDA published a final rule in 2004 stating dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury.¹ And in response to advertising claims that the ephedra supplements caused rapid, substantial, and permanent weight-loss without diet or exercise, Health and Human Services secretary, Tommy G. Thompson responded: "Obesity in America is at epidemic proportions and we will not tolerate companies making false claims promising easy fixes."

In the wake of the ephedra ban, the weight loss category sagged, but consumers still showed great interest in efficacious, natural products to fight the war over unwanted and unhealthy weight gain. Formulators have the answers in a new wave of ingredients offering a healthier approach to thermogenesis.

There are many ingredients that enhance thermogenesis. Green tea extract has been associated with increased weight loss due to diet-induced thermogenesis, which is generally attributed to the catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).³ The catechin-polyphenols are capable of inhibiting the enzyme that degrades norepinephrine, which may explain why EGCG is effective in stimulating thermogenesis. In a 12-week randomized, controlled trial involving 60 overweight to obese Thai adults, subjects consumed a diet of 65 percent carbohydrates, 15 percent protein, and 20 percent fat.⁴ Body weight, body mass index (BMI), body composition, resting energy expenditure, and substrate oxidation were measured at baseline, and during weeks four, eight and 12 of the study. The results suggested green tea may reduce body weight by increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation.

The herb Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) was one of the first "substitutes" in "ephedra-free" thermogenic supplements.⁵ In fact, a study in California found 2 percent of survey respondents (n=4,140) had taken a dietary supplement containing bitter orange during 2004; their reasons included energy enhancement, weight loss and appetite suppression. A review out of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine called the evidence supporting the use of bitter orange as a thermogenic aid "promising", but suggested larger and more rigorous clinical trials are necessary to draw adequate conclusions regarding its safety and efficacy.⁶

In one study on efficacy, researchers at Greenwich Hospital, Conn., documented a significant loss of body weight and fat in a trial where subjects received 975 mg Advantra Z® (a patented extract of bitter orange supplied by Nutratech), 528 mg caffeine and 900 mg St. John’s Wort daily, when compared to those in the placebo group.⁷

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