Effective And Safe Natural Weight Loss Products - Part 1

by Dr. George Best

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.

There are some natural weight loss products that are safe to use and can effectively enhance the effects of diet and exercise. You’ll notice that I said that they enhance the effects of diet and execise - no weight loss product should be considered a stand-alone weight loss program. Even the most effective natural weight loss products are minimally effective at promoting weight loss when used by themselves and without diet and exercise.

To get the most from weight loss aids, you also need diet and exercise. No matter how convincing the hype may be for a weight loss supplement, there really is no “magic pill” that eliminates the need for diet and exercise. Let me repeat that - there really is no “magic pill” that eliminates the need for diet and exercise. I know that you want to believe that there is, but if you really want to lose weight and keep it off, diet and exercise are required.

With that in mind, there are certain weight loss products available that do improve the efects of diet and exercise. These products may act through suppression of hunger, increasing metabolic rate, or by preventing the digestive tract from absorbing fat. The following is a summary of those products you may find useful:

Chitosan is a substance found in the shells of shrimp and other shellfish, so it should not be used by people with shellfish allergies. Chitosan assists in weight loss by binding fat in the digestive tract and keeps it from being absorbed. This in effect lowers the calories consumed in each meal. It should be noted though that chitosan can produce loose stools and occasionally a temporary loss of bowel control. There is also a potential for deficiencies of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K to develop with long-term use of chitosan. For these reasons, I do not recommend chitosan, but if you feel you must use it, a reasonably safe dosage is 1500 to 3000 mg per day split into doses taken with 8 ounces of water before meals. You may wish to consider supplementing with fat soluble vitamins between meals when taking chitosan.

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.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is questionable in whether or not it helps with weight loss in humans. Animal studies did show fat burning effects and enhanced lean muscle development, but the effects in humans are still under investigation. Even so, it does appear to be relatively safe in daily doses not exceeding 1800 mg, and 300 to 600 mg can be taken before each meal to hopefully enhance weight loss.

Green tea extract appears to boost metabolism through the effects of the catechins contained in it, as well as through the caffeine it contains. Due to the potential adverse effects of the caffeine for long-term weight loss, it is recommended that the decaffeinated extracts be used. A good-quality green tea extract is at least 90% catechins (the catechin content should be on the label). The recommended dose is 50 to 200 mg taken twice per day in between meals.

Part 2 of this article will continue with reviews of more popular natural weight loss aids.

About the Author:

Dr. George Best has been assisting people with weight loss since 1992. For more information, please visit his site on natural weight loss. For diet cooking tips, go to healthy eating meal plan. Click here for other unique ‘natural weight loss aids’ articles.