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Guest Article

Making Sense of Natural Weight Loss Supplements

By Elaine Munro

When a crisis hits home, our reaction is usually to grab the nearest life jacket. In the case of weight loss, people look for a magic pill; a product that will help them lose weight while they sleep.

Many people don’t begin to deal with a problem until it becomes a crisis. The way we handle weight loss in North America is a prime example. Not only is being overweight a personal health crisis, it is now a widespread economic crisis that we all pay for. In 2002, the U.S. Surgeon General estimated that 65 percent of the population was clinically overweight! This figure was based on a benchmark of a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or more. What we pay in health care costs to deal with the implications of obesity is in the range of $150 billion dollars per year and the momentum towards this issue and its related illnesses continues to grow.

When a crisis hits home, our reaction is usually to grab the nearest life jacket. In the case of weight loss, people look for a magic pill; a product that will help them lose weight while they sleep. Unfortunately (despite the billions of dollars spent on these quick-fix solutions) our continent is still getting fatter.

A real long term solution to obesity requires that many factors be addressed. We all know that exercise and balanced nutritious meals are the foundation of maintaining a healthy body composition. Poor food choices and bad exercise habits clearly need to be reversed as well. However, even when a person commits to making these changes they can lose motivation if results are slow to materialize. A natural weight loss supplement helps by allowing people to see results sooner.

This new century has brought with it a new evolution of natural health products that can be considered “smart formulas.” While there are still many simple and basic ingredient products on the market, the healthy trend has been to see formulas that are geared towards bringing the body back into balance.

As a consumer, it is possible to look for products that target specific functions in the body in order to address the long term solutions you’re looking for.

Burning Body Fat

This category is ripe with magic bullet claims. The reality is that there are some amazing natural ingredients that work with the human body to begin to break down and utilize existing fat stores. These are often referred to as having “thermogenic” properties. One of the newer ingredients appearing in this category is an extract from the cocoa plant, theobromine. In the methylxanthine category of components, theobromine is effective at stimulating overall metabolism, in particular body fat metabolism.

Coleus forskholii, an Indian herb used in Ayurvedic compounds, is an important catalyst in increasing cAMP levels in fat cells, which in turn activate other enzymes to break down stored fat, a process known as lipolysis. Coleus forskholii is also known for lowering blood pressure, a known complication of obesity.

Citrus aurantium, known as “zhi shi” in Chinese medicine, has traditionally been used to increase energy levels or “chi.” One of the key compounds found in this bitter orange fruit is synephrine, which stimulates the metabolic rate and the utilization of body fat. Another component found in the plant is octopamine, which appears to aid with appetite control.

Guarana multitasks as an ingredient. In addition to increasing energy, reducing fatigue and suppressing appetite, it accelerates the utilization of body fat stores, especially when taken in combination with citrus aurantium.

Green tea extract is a multifunctional ingredient that’s probably lesser known for its properties of oxidizing fat for energy and increasing caloric expenditures than it is for its antioxidant properties. Green tea extract also reduces LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. One of the side effects of the breakdown of existing body fat stores is the release of fat-stored toxins into the system. In this event, the antioxidant properties of green tea extract help to support the body’s response.

White willow bark, a natural source of salicylates (similar to aspirin), enhances weight loss when combined with other ingredients.

Blocking Fat Absorption

Green tea extract reduces the absorption of dietary fats through the intestinal wall. Lipase is a fat-specific enzyme that reduces the accumulation of fatty tissues and is responsible for the breakdown and utilization of healthy dietary fats.

Blocking Carbs

One of the most interesting new ingredients to be accessible in natural weight loss products is white kidney bean extract. A very simple and accessible raw material, this extract can provide active ingredients with as much as 13,500 to 15,000 units of amylase inhibitor (an enzyme that breaks down consumed starches) per capsule. What does that mean? When starchy carbs are consumed, there will be fewer enzymes to convert them to blood sugar, which, if unused for energy expenditure, is stored as fatty tissue. By taking white kidney bean extract prior to or during meals, up to 50 percent of consumed starches are blocked from being absorbed. Banaba leaf (or corosolic acid) is primarily used to stabilize blood sugar levels. In some cases, fluctuating blood sugar levels have been correlated to appetite levels and food cravings.

Conclusion

Today’s smart formula choices can help you achieve your weight loss goals. The ingredients we’ve discussed will not only help get your body systems back on track—they’ll pave the way for better lifestyle choices.

Adding high quality protein supplements (especially whey protein powders that contain micellar casein for sustained release) to your diet can accelerate cellular recovery, stabilize blood sugar levels, moderate appetite levels and protect lean tissue as you shed body fat. Choosing healthy fats also stabilizes hormone levels, cardiovascular functions and food cravings.

There’s a whole new world of choices to break the vicious weight loss cycle.

In a matter of a few healthy choices, you’ll feel the difference and see the results!

About the Author:

Elaine Munro, an active businesswoman and training athlete, conducts seminars on active lifestyle and healing nutrition, and raises consumer awareness about the natural health industry.

To read more of Elaine’s articles visit www.vistamagonline.com