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Fat Busters Chitosan The Skinny: Chitosan binds to fat in lab tests - too bad it doesn't work so well in people. The Evidence: In research, Xenical (orlistat), a prescription drug with an effect similar to the one ascribed to chitosan, actually blocked absorption of about 30% of fat in a meal; by comparison, chitosan allowed all the fat in a meal to be absorbed. Most Outrageous Claim: TV ads featuring former baseball player Steve Garvey that suggest that Fat Trapper, which includes chitosan plus fiber, lets you enjoy delicious high-fat foods without worrying about weight gain. $10 Million Fine: In May 2000, Fat Trapper's manufacturer, Enforma Natural Products, agreed to pay $10 million to the Federal Trade Commission as a fine for this and other false advertising. The Bottom Line: If you insist on believing these silly claims, make sure you take a good multivitamin with minerals - just in case some fat-soluble vitamins get trapped in all that fat you "don't absorb!" |
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Chromium The Skinny: Chromium is an essential nutrient that helps regulate blood sugar, which in turn affects appetite. Weight loss claims were inevitable - and lack credibility. The Evidence: Chromium picolinate, a well-absorbed form patented by a company called Nutrition 21, is the most commonly touted product. Several mediocre, company-sponsored studies show that it helps dieters lose some weight and improves the ratio of fat to muscle. But far more credible studies find that extra chromium does not aid weight loss or fat loss or boost muscle mass in anyone who follows a sensible diet with regular exercise. Potential Side Effects: In addition, taking more than 200mcg a day of chromium increases your risk of headaches, sleep disturbances and mood swings. Most Outrageous Claim: Nutrition 21 was touting chromium picolinate for long-term weight loss, diabetes prevention or cholesterol reduction. Government Action: Back in 1997, the government ordered Nutrition 21 to stop making these claims. The company still claims the compound "can help you reduce body fat and preserve muscle." The Bottom Line: A good diet and multivitamin will give you all the chromium you need, with no risk of side effects. |
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CLA The Skinny: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that forms in the gut of cattle and gets into their meat and milk. It helps animals develop more lean tissue as they grow. It shows some promise in humans. The Evidence: The first human study of CLA was disappointing. University of Wisconsin researchers gave obese people 3 grams a day of CLA in capsule form with no weight loss benefit. But a new, unpublished Wisconsin study is more positive: 71 obese men and women on a diet and exercise program swallowed either CLA (3g/day) or a placebo. After 6 months, all subjects lost about 5 pounds, but those who took CLA found it easier to stay on their diets and had fewer bouts of ravishing hunger. When the study participants started regaining weight after going off their diets, the placebo takers gained about equal percentages of muscle and fat, but those who took CLA gained back more muscle. The Bottom Line: CLA appears to be safe, but it's too soon to tell if it will help you stick to a diet or gain less fat if you revert to old eating habits. |
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Dieter's Tea The Skinny: Most dieters' teas contain herbal laxatives like senna, cascara sagrada and aloe. Any temporary weight loss comes from diarrhea and dehydration, which can become serious and cause weakness and severe abdominal pains. The Bottom Line: Just say no! |
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Ephedra The Skinny: Ephedra-containing supplements, including the mega-selling Metabolife 356, may boost metabolism temporarily, and several small studies carried out up to about six months show it to be better than a placebo in assisting weight loss. But ephedra-containing supplements have shown serious side effects:
In the most extreme cases, they've been linked to deaths from heart attacks, strokes and seizures. The FDA and the dietary supplement industry have been engaged in an ongoing battle over how ephedra-containing supplements should be regulated. The Bottom Line: Stay away from ephedra-containing supplements. That warning goes double if you have high blood pressure, heart or thyroid disease, diabetes or neurological disorders. Kids and pregnant and lactating women should never take them either, except under a doctor's supervision. |
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Glucomannon The Skinny: Glucomannon is a dietary fiber extracted from the konjac root. Unlike much of the fiber we get from food, glucomannon doesn't pass through the gut unchanged. It's metabolized by the bacteria that live in the GI tract. There's good evidence in animals that it might help reduce cholesterol levels. The Evidence: The plausible theory is that glucomannon, once swallowed, swells in the stomach as it mixes with liquid and makes you feel full so you eat less. Two small studies in people show a minor benefit. The Bottom Line: Experts are unconvinced the results are any better than what you'd get by simply adding more fiber to your diet and drinking plenty of liquids. |
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Green Tea & Green Tea Supplements The Skinny: Green tea's antioxidant polyphenols, especially EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), have health potential. Some evidence suggests EGCG plus the tea's caffeine boosts the rate at which we burn calories, especially fat. The Bottom Line on Green Tea: No one has shown that drinking a few cups a day helps with weight loss. But it's a healthy habit, so drink up! The Bottom Line on Green Tea Supplements: |
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HCA The Skinny: HCA comes from an Indian fruit (garcinia cambogia). In animals, HCA reduces appetite and leads to weight loss. The Evidence: Studies in humans find that it doesn't burn excess calories. A recent well-done study found that HCA was no better at melting away fat than a sugar pill. It's not clear that the compound even retains its activity after it is extracted from the fruit, or whether we can absorb it. Side Effects? Although HCA seemed to cause no problems in humans who took it for several months, when drug giant Hoffmann-La Roche tested HCA as a potential weight-loss drug in the 1980s, it found it caused serious side effects in animals - including a shrinking of testicles in males. The Bottom Line: No one can yet vouch for HCA's safety. If you want to act as a human guinea pig, it only costs about 40 cents a day for the typical 1.5-gram daily dose. But when you balance the lack of proven results and possible risks, the price may be greater than meets the eye. |
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Pyruvate The Skinny: Your cells are making pyruvate now. It helps convert blood sugar to energy. It's also found in food. Could larger doses help you burn more calories? Maybe. A little. The Evidence: In two studies, people who ate only 500 to 1,000 calories per day - an unhealthy calorie level - and taking more than 20g per day of pyruvate lost a bit more weight than dieters who took a placebo. A more recent study put people on a more reasonable 2,000-calorie diet along with 6g of pyruvate and had them do regular exercise. Over six weeks, they lost an average of 2.6 pounds more than those taking a placebo. Most Outrageous Claim: Enforma Natural Products, the outfit that gave us the probably worthless concoction Fat Trapper, call their pyruvate-containing supplement Exercise in a Bottle. Sorry, but there's no such thing. Deceptive Ads: The federal government ordered the company to pull deceptive advertising. The Bottom Line: Is it worth it? It's up to you. A 6g dose costs about $3 for unproven benefits. You do the math... |
Paul R. Thomas is editor and publisher of The Dietary Supplement, a newsletter for healthcare professionals and consumers.
( thedietarysupplement.com )