Successful and healthy fat loss can be achieved by proper diet and appropriate exercise alone. There is no magic bullet for weight loss. Some supplements and pills can provide an edge - but will only give you that extra 5-10% 'boost'.

If you intend to use diet supplements, try and get the basics right first - diet plan, weight training, cardiovascular exercise, goal-setting and consistency.

The Truth about Diet Supplements

There are a multitude of diet pills, diet supplements, and weight loss formulas to choose from. This is a multi-million dollar industry in the US alone.

The reality is however, there is a risk of side effects from virtually all diet pills. What's worse is that some simply don't work at all. There is a lot of deceptive marketing that goes on when advertising weight loss supplements - if you are taking care of your diet and exercise, it is difficult to tell exactly how effective the supplement is.

Having said all this, many people report success, but be aware that advertising on these products is often very overrated. There are some ingredients, such as Green Tea Extract, L-Tyrosine, and Flax oils, that research suggests DO work.

Supplement Brands

Most weight loss supplements are simply a collection of (mostly) the same ingredients - at varying quality (see ingredients below). Some brands are heavily advertised and receive celebrity endorsement: TrimSpa, Hydroxycut, Relacore, Zantrex. Due to the removal of Ephedra - these are all Ephedrine-free - something that many believe has made the pills less effective.

Do not confuse herbal diet supplements with prescription diet pills. Diet Supplements are available over-the-counter at health shops.

Herbal Ingredients

Chromium
Available in the form Chromium Picolinate. Research has produced conflicting results - but Chromium is certainly no miracle weight loss nutrient. However some people are chromium deficient and should aim to supplement their diet (from whole foods or supplements). See Chromium Supplements

Ephedra
Recently banned by the FDA due to some unfortunate incidents. When Ephedra is often combined with Caffeine (called EC) research has shown that weight loss has occured (due to an increase in thermogenesis). However the side effects presented a risk (often due to people overdoing their dosage).

Synephrine / Citrus Aurantium / Bitter Orange
Synephrine is found in Citrus Aurantium and is a similar to Ephedra (with similar side effects). However research remains unconvincing as to its affect on weight loss.

Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an amino acid that acts as a mild stimulant. Tyrosine assists in maintaining a higher metabolic rate. As for weight loss, Tyrosine provides assistance really only when snyergistically combined with other ingredients.

DHEA
DHEA is a hormone produced in the body and is marketed as a general health tonic. DHEA levels fall off as we get older. As a weight loss supplement there is little or no proof that DHEA causes fat loss. However as a general supplement - many people swear by it.

Green Tea
Green Tea Extract is found in most weight loss formulas. There are many many health benefits arising from green tea (provided the extract is a good one). There are many studies that have shown green tea (in quality form) HAS resulted in increased metabolism and fat loss. See more about Green Tea.