A powder to stimulate fat burning, a pill to boost metabolism. Dietary supplements are supposed to help with weight loss. We will tell you whether the supplements keep what the manufacturers promise and whether certain nutrients can really help you lose weight.
People in Germany spend around two billion euros a year on food supplements. Most want to use vitamins and minerals to improve their health or increase their fitness. But some nutrients and protein shakes are also said to help with weight loss. Is it all just wasted money or do the funds help in striving for the desired figure?
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Weight loss booster: do dietary supplements help you lose weight?
Dietary supplements and nutrient preparations are now available in all drugstores, supermarkets and online shops. We’ve taken a close look at the three most common forms of “weight loss boosters” and supplements that are supposed to boost your fat metabolism and tell you whether they can really help you lose weight.
1. Diet Pills
Pills that are supposed to help you lose weight come in a variety of forms: There are appetite suppressants , for example , which suppress your feeling of hunger so that you simply eat less. There are also so-called fat blockers that inhibit the absorption of fatty acids in the intestine, which reduces calorie intake. However, such drugs almost always have undesirable side effects and sometimes interfere with important processes in your body, such as the digestion and absorption of nutrients, in a dangerous manner. In some diet pills, which are available on the Internet and are advertised with large customer success, illegal and dangerous active ingredients such as sibutramine were sometimes even found – an amphetamine similar to the drug crystal meth, which can cause stroke or heart attack.
2. Formula diets
So-called formula diets are not intended for the average consumer. They usually contain high concentrations of micronutrients and protein and serve as a complete meal replacement. Such formula shakes can actually help people with severe obesity to achieve rapid weight loss in the short term without risking nutrient deficiencies. However, such products should never be used on your own, but always under medical supervision and supervision. Formula diets are also not a permanent solution, as they are always accompanied by an enormous calorie deficit. They are just a first step in obesity therapy to reduce dangerously high excess weight and initiate a fundamental change in diet.
3. Dietary supplements
- L-carnitine
L-carnitine is one of the most popular dietary supplements among people who want to lose weight and athletes. Many hope that the nutrient will increase fat burning and provide better energy during endurance sports. And in fact, results from animal experiments have shown that the addition of L-carnitine can lead to a reduction in body fat in laboratory animals. However, such effects could not be shown in studies in humans, which is why the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)Manufacturers are not allowed to advertise that the L-carnitine in their dietary supplements can reduce body fat or otherwise interfere with fat metabolism. The excess carnitine was simply excreted in the urine. Dietary supplements with L-carnitine are therefore not fat burners or weight loss boosters. - Zinc and chromium
The two minerals zinc and chromium are popular additives in nutrient mixtures because certain health claims – statements about the health benefits of the nutrients – are legally permitted for them. Products containing zinc, for example, are permitted to be labeled “Zinc contributes to normal fat and carbohydrate metabolism” , which gives some consumers the impression that zinc can increase fat metabolism. However, zinc is only involved in the metabolism and an additional supply of zinc cannot further increase it. So always be skeptical and don’t be misled by packaging or advertisements in which a slim person is promoting a dietary supplement containing zinc.
Conclusion: Dietary supplements do not lead to success in losing weight. It only makes sense to take preparations with vitamins, minerals or other nutrients if your doctor recommends taking them because of a deficiency that has been diagnosed by a blood test. As is so often the case, there is no way around a fundamental change in diet when losing weight. In addition, strength and endurance training as well as more exercise in everyday life can promote success in losing weight.
Sources: efsa.europa.eu, aerzteblatt.de, Verbraucherzentrale.de, Lebensmittelklarheit.de
