Safe And Effective Natural Weight Loss Aids – Part 1

Just because a product is marketed as a natural weight loss aid does not mean that it’s necessarily safe or effective. Simulants, even if they are natural, can cause adverse health effects and despite short-term weight loss with these products, they invariably result in the overproduction of cortisol, a hormone that in the long run actually stimulates weight gain.

So, what supplements and products are there that can safely and effectively enhance natural weight loss? Well, first of all we need a reality check. Nutritional supplements and herbal weight loss products should be considered an aid for weight loss, not a weight loss program in and of themselves. Even the most useful of the natural weight loss supplements (and for that matter, even diet drugs) provide only very modest benefits when used alone, without also being on a good diet and exercise regimen.

In order to get maximum benefit from any natural weight loss product, you must combine it with diet and exercise. No matter how good the advertising sounds and no matter how much you want to believe that a pill or potion is all you need to lose weight, the simple truth is that diet and exercise are absolutely necessary to effective lasting weight loss.

That being said, there are some herbs and nutrients that do appear to enhance the weight loss effects of diet and exercise through either appetite suppression, increased metabolism, or the blocking of fat absorption from the digestive tract. Here’s a rundown of things that may help:

Chitosan is a supplement that prevents the absorption of fat from the food that you eat. It is derived from the shells of shrimp and similar marine animals, so it is not appropriate for anyone with shellfish allergies. Chitosan, by blocking fat absorption essentially decreases the amount of calories you absorb from a meal. Chitosan can cause loose, greasy stools and sometimes a loss of bowel control, so be careful with it at first. In addition, because it blocks fat absorption, it can also block the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, which are A,D,E, and K. Because of this, I do not usually recommend chitosan, but if you do use it, you may wish to supplement with the fat-soluble vitamins between meals. A reasonably safe dosage for chitosan is approximately 1500 to 3000 mg each day split into equal doses taken before each meal with at least eight ounces of water.

The suggested dosage for chromium nicotinate assist with weight loss is about 200 to 400 mg per day, which is best taken divided into two or more doses taken with food. Although chromium picolinate has been more widely promoted as a weight loss aid, chromium nicotinate has had more consistent results with weight loss in the research studies that have been done.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) at a dosage of 300 to 600 mg before each meal (with a maximum safe daily intake of 1800 mg) may help with weight loss. It has demonstrated fat burning effects and enhanced ability to develop lean muscle mass in animal studies, but so far it remains questionable as to whether it promotes weight loss in humans.

Green tea extract containing at least 90% total catechins appears to increase metabolism. This effect appears to be separate from the metabolic effects of the caffeine, and because of the problems with stimulants in long-term weight loss, the decaffeinated extract is recommended. The suggested dose is 100 to 400 mg per day, best split into two or more doses and taken in between meals.

In part 2 of this article, I’ll continue with more popular natural weight loss aids.

About the Author:

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare practitioner in San Antonio, Texas. For more information, please visit his site on natural weight loss. For diet cooking tips, go to healthy eating meal plan.