Supplements for Weight Loss: Do They Work?

There was ongoing debate about whether weight loss supplements work and whether they fulfill their promises.

In this study, researchers reviewed 315 existing clinical trials of weight loss supplements and alternative therapies as part of the study. They found that most studies were biased.

Only 16 studies were able to demonstrate weight loss in participants, ranging from less than £ 1 to £ 11. Weight loss was also inconsistent among study participants.

Researchers have reviewed the following 12 ingredients:

• Calcium and Vitamin D
• Chitosan
• Chocolate / cocoa
• chromium
• Ephedra or caffeine
• Garcinia and / or hydroxycitrate
• Green Tea
• Guar gum
• Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
• Green beans
• Phenylpropylamine
• Pyruvic acid

Other non-supplement therapies studied included acupuncture and psychosomatic interventions such as mindfulness and meditation.

“One of the main reasons I wanted to do this review was to determine the quality of the evidence to guide my membership. [of The Obesity Society].. The results suggest that higher quality evidence is needed before making solid recommendations, “said the corresponding author. Dr. John Basis, Associate Professor, Department of Geriatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel (UNC) School of Medicine, and Faculty of Nutrition, Faculty of Global Public Health, UNC Gillings.

Sharon Zarabi“Because obesity is a very complex disease and there is never a magical drug to cure it,” said RD, program director at the Katz Women’s Health Institute in Northwell Health, New York City and Westchester. Said not surprising.

“Supplement is not regulated by the FDA, even if there are effective supplements, ingredients, herbs, tinctures, etc. Understand manufacturing practices, the degree, dosage, quality, and effectiveness of active ingredients and fillers. What you do is impossible to formulate, “she told the Healthline.

Zarabi pointed out that changing your lifestyle is likely to be the only way to manage your weight.

“Your body is always protecting you from weight loss, so if you don’t change your lifestyle, taking cocoa pills or ginseng supplements will never work, and you’re healthy to prevent it. You have to be active in your life-even with surgical procedures (weight loss surgery), “she said.

This study participates in other studies that question the efficacy and safety of these supplements.

Also conducted by Australian researchers Global review Examine 121 trials of herbs and diet supplements, including approximately 10,000 participants.

They found that taking these drugs did not result in clinically meaningful weight loss, in other words, no more than 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds).

The authors of the Australian review also said more research is needed on the long-term safety of supplements.

In addition to the lack of evidence to support the claim that weight loss of these tablets is easy, some of these supplements are associated with significant health risks.

A 2019 study Between 2004 and 2015, about 1,000 people under the age of 25 experienced dietary supplement-related health problems, according to the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Of that number, 166 were hospitalized and 22 died.

The market for vitamins, herbs and supplements is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Lack of oversight can make it difficult to determine which brands and products are of high quality and which brands and products can endanger your health.

The FDA brands dietary supplements as foods, not pharmaceuticals. Therefore, their effectiveness, safety, or quality is not evaluated.

Supplements are not in the same category as prescriptions, and FDA-approved anti-obesity drugs include:

• Orlistat (Xenical, Ali)
• Naltrexone-bupropion (control)
• Phentermine-Topiramate (Qsymia)
• Liraglutide (Saxender)
• Semaglutide (Wegovy)

Not all people who are overweight or obese want to lose weight. However, it can be difficult for those who do so to get medical care.

According to experts, this new study shows why we need to improve access to tested weight management approaches such as behavior therapy, diet changes, and surgery.

And more data is needed to understand how obesity affects a person’s overall health and how different treatments affect long-term weight loss.

“The next step is for partners and stakeholders (researchers, funders, industry, etc.) to work together to design high-quality research that minimizes bias and assesses effectiveness.” Batsis told Healthline.

Even if many people have proven effective treatments, they may not be covered by health insurance and may be difficult to access.

And like all cures, they don’t work for everyone.

Some people who try medically approved treatments for weight loss may not actually lose weight. It may drive them to look for alternatives like dietary supplements.

Dr. Mitchell RoslinThe head of obesity surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City said that many may want medical professionals to just push expensive medicines, but the truth is most medical professionals. Just wants to follow science.

“Your background always leads to some prejudice, but the truth is, you just want to read the data, not the anecdotes,” Roslin said.

Roslin said the nutrition and supplement industry is “full of unfounded claims,” ​​and when it comes to weight loss, “there are no procedures or medications to supplement an inadequate diet.”

He said long-term weight loss is a difficult task and emphasized that there is no quick solution.

“No matter which method you choose, you have to do it forever. [weight] It is inevitable to get it back, “he said.

A New research Obesity published in the journal found that dietary supplements, as they claim, do not result in dramatic weight loss.

In fact, studies have shown that people taking these supplements rarely lose significant weight.

In the United States, supplements are classified as food rather than pharmaceuticals and are not FDA regulated.

According to past studies, weight loss supplements can cause health problems for people who are actually taking them, leading to other proven weight loss strategies such as diet, exercise, FDA-approved medications and weight loss surgery. We know that it is not a substitute.