As we all know, there is never a quick and easy path to lose weight. Even with a healthy diet and exercise plan, it sometimes seems impossible to lose this stubborn fat. Some people prefer to use fat burners that might help to speed up weight loss.
Nowadays, weight loss pills and fat burning supplements have flooded the health and supplement market in the past decade, and they can be a big benefit. However, such products can also be harmful. Most fat burners and some questionable quick fixes contain long lists of artificial ingredients and can have unpleasant side effects. So it can be a good idea to choose natural fat burners or only proven brands. Let’s explore the top ten natural supplements that can help you burn more fat and, as a result, lose some kilos.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a commonly used natural stimulant derived from different plants, including coffee, guarana, tea, cocoa beans, etc. It increases your adrenaline levels, making your fat cells release fatty acids from your blood for energy. Taking one capsule of caffeine burns about fifteen calories throughout the day. Plus, this compound boosts your metabolism and is an excellent appetite suppressant. However, drinking caffeine too often might change your body’s tolerance to its effects.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is a supplement delivered from the green tea plant. It is simply a concentrated form of green tea that provides all the benefits of green tea in convenient forms of capsules or powder.
Green tea extract is also loaded with caffeine and the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which can help you burn fat. What’s more, the two components complement each other and might help you burn fat through a process called thermogenesis, when the body burns calories to produce heat.
CBD Oil
CBD (cannabidiol) is a natural and non-psychoactive compound obtained from the Cannabis and Hemp plants. Through interaction with special receptors of the body’s endocannabinoid system, CBD is able to provide various benefits, including improving your metabolism, reducing your appetite and helping you to burn more fat.
Studies show that CBD oil can turn white fat into brown fat, which is easier to burn away. Cannabidiol also has a thermogenic effect, causing your body to generate more heat, which in turn stimulates fat burning. It also can be taken in various ways such as orally through CBD capsules or edibles, sublingually by putting the oil under the tongue or inhaling through a vape pen.
Protein
While we might all know that protein works as a key building block for muscle, it is less known that it is also a vital compound for weight loss. Protein can promote fat burning and weight loss in many ways. For instance, people who eat foods rich in protein can feel fuller for longer. Eating protein might also speed up your metabolism, allowing your body to burn fat more efficiently.
Grapefruit
Active ingredients in grapefruit may be able to improve metabolism, reduce your appetite, lower cravings and provide you with a mild dose of uplifting energy. Some studies have found that the enzymes in fruits help the body break down sugar, and as an added benefit, many individuals find that citrus aroma eliminates cravings for sweets. It also can act as a diuretic remedy and lymphatic stimulant.
One study found that consuming grapefruit before meals helped to boost HDL while another showed improvements in glucose levels 2 hours after eating.
Turmeric
Turmeric is believed to cause “browning” of white fat cells through changes in cell gene expression or epigenetic modifications. It also may activate the production of new mitochondria, improve lipolysis (fat degradation) and inhibit lipogenesis (growth of new fat).
Additionally, turmeric is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties, so there is some speculation that this is the reason why it has an anti-obesity effect. As an antioxidant, it can suppress the inflammatory messaging in fat, muscle cells and pancreatic, which can help to reduce high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and other metabolic conditions.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is also recommended for weight loss due to its high content of soluble fibre, which slows down the absorption of food in the colon, making you feel fuller for longer. Plus, flaxseeds are loaded with insoluble fibre, which promotes the growth of good bacteria. This helps our digestion, which in turn promotes the production of short-chain fatty acids that help to increase metabolic rate.
Flaxseed also contains high levels of essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6, which help to decrease fat cravings and improve metabolism.
Probiotics
The balance of bacteria in our digestive tract can significantly affect our nutrient absorption, insulin sensitivity and other factors that contribute to fat loss. Probiotics are involved in energy homeostasis, storage of fat, regulation of appetite and dietary intake.
Consuming probiotics might improve the natural balance between harmful and helpful bacteria in the gut. Many foods include probiotics such as yoghurt and kefir and fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and tempeh. Probiotics are also available online as nutritional supplements.
Yohimbine
Yohimbine is a compound extracted from a plant growing in Central Africa. It has a thermogenic effect and works by blocking receptors called alpha-2 adrenergic receptors, which usually suppress fat-burning. As yohimbine can block these receptors to prolong effects of adrenaline, it might encourage the breakdown of the body’s fat for fuel. However, yohimbine can cause unpleasant side effects in some individuals such as anxiety, panic attacks, nausea and high blood pressure due to elevated adrenaline levels.
Chromium
Chromium is commonly used to control hunger, cravings and binge eating and reduce food intake, which in turn can be beneficial for weight loss and increase of lean muscle mass.
However, chromium is thought to have minimal effect on body fat and body weight. The good news is that it also poses no risk when taken low to moderate supplementation (25-45 mcg/day for adults). Although headaches, constipation or watery stools might occur at higher doses.