The Bottom Line on Weight Loss Supplements

In the weight loss supplement debate, who is correct: proponents or opponents? Are any weight loss supplements beneficial? The answer is complicated.

The opponents of weight loss supplements have the bulk of research on their side for two primary reasons. Weight loss studies using dietary supplements have a lack of consistency in the form of the supplement used, the combination of nutrients in the supplements, and the methodology. That can include everything from the amount of the key ingredient being examined to the number of subjects in the study. The second reason is that some studies examining weight loss supplements on humans don’t control for confounding variables such as age, menopausal status, gender, and type of diet and exercise used to lose weight.

That doesn’t mean that opponents of weight loss supplements have evidence on their side—just the lack of consistent evidence. The problem is a lack of research that demonstrates a significant and permanent impact on body weight. In addition, some weight loss supplements may have potentially negative side effects, so the opponents have the advantage.

Another reason for the opponents’ advantage is the overselling of weight loss benefits based on marginal research. Remember what I began these memos with: “The fat will melt away!” I wish that were true, but there’s no supplement that directly does that. Even if we go back to a banned weight loss supplement, ephedra, it didn’t burn fat. It helped control appetite and may have increased metabolism slightly. There are no safe dietary supplements that do that to any significant degree. Small studies in rodents or even test-tube studies show the potential benefit of many types of herbs, but there are few human trials.

The problem for those selling weight loss supplements is that the type of research that would satisfy the opponents will never be done—it simply costs too much money. While the weight loss supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in total, no single product comes close to generating that kind of revenue. With the type of clinical trials necessary to satisfy critics, there would be no profitability, especially when any other company could put out a competing product with the same ingredient in a different dose and say it’s just as good.

Bleak picture? It depends on how you look at it. Let me give you my perspective.

 

My Take on Weight Loss Supplements

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time checking out weight loss supplements. Is the research perfect? No. But if a nutrient or herb has at least some positive outcome helping people lose weight, I’m fine with that. If it’s mostly theory and animal research with poor human trials, I let it go until they prove something. With that in mind, I think there are some supplements that have consistently shown a benefit in helping people lose weight. The reason they work is not always what is purported to be the reason. The results will be different for different users based on their genetics, their microbiome, and their environment.

So here goes. In my opinion, the weight loss supplements that have shown the most benefit helping people lose weight when they eat less and move more are:

• Chromium picolinate
• Garcinia cambogia
• Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
• Green tea extract

Why do I think these will help? For one reason: they give people an edge in their effort. They positively affect carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, may help increase overall metabolism, and help control hunger. They will never help people lose weight without diet and exercise, but they will give those who are trying an edge in their efforts. To me, that’s worth the cost. That’s why I use most of them myself.

The opponents of weight loss supplements offer nothing other than an opinion. To me, that may be intellectually correct but it’s morally corrupt. With 70% of the population overweight, we don’t need naysayers and obstructionists. We need alternatives that work.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet