{"id":65539,"date":"2018-02-07T07:15:16","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T12:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=65539"},"modified":"2022-01-20T09:20:39","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T14:20:39","slug":"weight-loss-supplements-garcinia-cambogia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/weight-loss-supplements-garcinia-cambogia\/","title":{"rendered":"Hope or Hype: The Truth About Weight Loss Pills"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We\u2019ve all seen the ads: Supplements promising to help you lose weight, build lean muscle, rev your metabolism<\/a> and turn you into a fat-burning machine. We admit \u2014 the idea of popping a pill to lose weight<\/a> sounds pretty enticing. After all, it\u2019s so much easier than cleaning up your diet<\/a> and regularly sweating it out at the gym.<\/p>\n

Despite the rise and fall of weight loss pills (remember Fen-Phen, Dr. Oz\u2019s green coffee bean extract debacle?), supplements still line the shelves of most health food and drug stores.\u00a0Georgia Rounder, RDN, says, \u201cFor many individuals seeking to lose weight, weight loss supplements provide a \u2018quick fix\u2019 approach to meet their desired weight goals, especially products that are marketed in a flashy, convincing manner.\u201d But do they actually work?<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>50 Resources to Help You Lose Weight<\/a><\/p>\n

Weight Loss Supplements: Animal vs. Human Studies<\/h3>\n

The short answer is there\u2019s no clinical evidence to support the effectiveness of weight loss supplements.\u00a0Rebecca Ditkoff<\/a>, MPH, RD, says, “There are no real clinical trials to show that they work in humans.”<\/p>\n

While researchers have investigated the ingredients in diet pills, most studies are on animals. \u201cAnimal studies are done when initially researching a specific supplement, but human studies are necessary for confirming the effectiveness of the supplement in the body\u2019s physiological makeup,\u201d Rounder says.<\/p>\n

For example, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a supplement touted as a fat burner. \u201cSome research has shown that CLA may be beneficial in decreasing fat mass in animals<\/em>,\u201d Rounder says. But according to Rounder,\u00a0human studies are inconclusive and have an overall minimal effect on total body weight and body fat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Truth About How to Lose Belly Fat<\/a><\/p>\n

Garcinia Cambogia: Decoding Diet Pill Claims<\/h3>\n

For other supplements, the findings have been inconclusive. Garcinia cambogia is a supplement that comes from the pulp and rind of a fruit-bearing tree of the same name. \u201cMany weight loss benefits have been proposed for this supplement, including the suppression of food intake throughout the day. But short-term clinical trials completed up to this point reveal next to no effect on total body weight,\u201d Rounder says.<\/p>\n

Another example is raspberry ketones, a natural phenolic compound found in raspberries that’s believed to make it harder for your body to store fat. \u201cHowever, this particular supplement was primarily studied in combination with other ingredients. This prevents us from making conclusions about using it as a weight loss supplement,\u201d Rounder says.<\/p>\n

Industry partners or the supplement companies also sponsor some of the research on weight loss pills. \u201cThis can lead to a bias within the research and ultimately favor the industry\u2019s product or aim in some way,\u201d Rounder says. Plus, Ditkoff says some diet pills can have the opposite effect of wrecking your metabolism and causing\u00a0weight gain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Help! Why Did I Suddenly Stop Losing Weight<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Are You Getting What You Paid For?<\/h3>\n

Contrary to what you might think, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate weight loss supplements. Unlike drugs, which go through rigorous clinical trials, manufacturers don’t need to prove that dietary supplements are safe.<\/p>\n

So for advertisements that claim to help you burn fat 10 times faster than normal, the manufacturer doesn\u2019t actually have to demonstrate that those claims are true. What\u2019s promised on the packaging isn’t always in the pills, so there’s a risk you don’t get what you buy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince they\u2019re not approved by the FDA, you don\u2019t even know what\u2019s in them, which is pretty scary,\u201d Ditkoff says. \u201cThey can have fillers and additives. You don\u2019t know what else is in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, Vox<\/a> investigated current dietary and weight loss supplements on the market and found that many contained hidden drugs, including ones that have been pulled from the U.S. market. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine<\/a><\/em> found that 20,000 emergency room visits each year are from adverse reactions to dietary supplements. Think: palpitations, chest pain<\/a> and increased blood pressure. Nearly 72 percent of those cases are from weight loss or energy products.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Pre and Post-Workout Supplements<\/a><\/p>\n

A Smarter Weight Loss Solution<\/h3>\n

The truth is there isn\u2019t one pill that\u2019s going to fix everything. But if you want to introduce a new supplement to your regimen, talk to a professional. \u201cIf you\u2019re seriously considering taking any of these supplements on a routine basis, first consult your physician to get the final OK,\u201d Rounder says.<\/p>\n

Taking a weight loss pill can sometimes do more damage than good. \u201cDepending on the supplement and your medical history, the side effects of these supplements may include GI distress, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, brain fog<\/a>\u00a0and headaches. They may even interfere with the absorption of key vitamins and minerals,\u201d Rounder says. Ditkoff says the key to weight loss is lifestyle change. That means committing to eating a balanced diet<\/a> and getting more exercise. And be patient. While you may wish for instant, healthy weight loss is a long-term affair.<\/p>\n

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From garcinia cambogia to raspberry ketones, do weight loss supplement really work? Here\u2019s a closer look at the research behind the most popular diet pills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":65550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,18],"tags":[41,191,341,352,215,285],"class_list":["post-65539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-weight-loss","tag-diets","tag-supplements","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2weight-loss","tag-vitamins","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}