The Top 3 Fat-Burning Supplements Backed by Science (3rd is Most Effective)
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a magic pill?
A magic pill that helped you to lose weight? Not only helped you lose weight but also solved all your problems?
Well what if I told you that that’s something that we sell?!
I’d be lying; we don’t have anything like that.
But what we do have is something that’s not as quick, but may be just as valuable: knowledge.
If you have knowledge about what supplements to take, when to take them, how much to take, and the certainty that they’re genuinely beneficial and not just some “snake-oil” being sold to you, then you’re already on the right path to better health. And that is what we’re going to give to you.
In this post, we’ll be breaking down the three best supplements for weight loss (not including GLP-1). These are simple, all natural ingredients that will help with boosting your metabolism and help you to burn fat without breaking a sweat.
As a disclaimer: These aren’t supplements that you take and you wake up the next morning and have miraculously lost 50lbs. However, they will produce small changes; and if paired with other healthy choices, as well as patience, they will create results over time.
Are these supplements safe for me to take?
Yes, they are, as long as they’re taken in a safe, mature dosage. All of these supplements are completely natural, evidence-backed, and not dangerous.
So at this point you’re probably getting intrigued and want to know what they are, right? Well not so fast.
Before you take anything, based upon my professional expertise, here’s what I recommend to friends and family if they ask me about this: focus on the basics first.
When I say basics, I mean your overall diet; never in a million years would I recommend someone to take supplements if all they consume is McDonald’s and Mountain Dew! First focus on what you’re consuming overall. Conveniently enough, the more “natural” the foods are you eat, and the less processed they are, generally that leads to less overall calories consumed.
And if you read last article, 5 Most Effective Tips to Burn Fat (All-Natural Solutions), you would have more knowledge and know that fat is, in the simplest sense, stored calories. Therefore, if we’re consuming less calories, we will have less fat. Simple, right?
Not only does focusing on your diet and eating let you consume less calories (which is the absolute best method for weight loss), it does other things that will aid in less fat mass and more healthy weight (muscle, bone density, etc.):
Consume more protein.
Retain less water-weight.
Improve sleep, which in turn improves your Cortisol, Ghrelin, and Leptin levels (which you would know if you, again, READ MY LAST ARTICLE).
One additional point I want to bring up to tie this all together is this: if you eat a healthier diet (meaning whole foods, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, complex carbs, lots of protein, etc.), you will be consuming more of the vitamins and minerals that are recommended for the average person.
I know you’ve heard this before. So why am I telling you to eat your fruits and veggies?
I am going to bring up an analogy I heard from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)… Think of your body like a car. What is the main thing your car needs to run? In the most basics sense, it needs gasoline. What does your car need to run smoothly? Engine oil!
Think of the calories you consume as the gasoline, and think of the vitamins and minerals you consume as the oil. Your car may still be able to run, but would you really want to drive a car with not enough oil? Or with old oil in it? You’d definitely be able to notice it as you’re driving down the freeway, and your car would take a toll.
That’s what you’re doing when you’re not consuming the recommended vitamins and minerals. That’s what most of the United States is doing as well! According to PubMed Central, “…almost 90% of the US adult population takes less than the estimated average requirement for vitamins D and E, 51% for vitamin A, 43% for vitamin C, 61% for magnesium, and 49% for calcium.”
Although I wanted to bring up the obvious side effects it can take on your overall well-being, here’s the main reason I wanted to bring up your diet and being deficient in vitamins and minerals: being deficient can negatively affect your metabolism.
A study was done by PubMed Central to study this and see if there was an effect on micronutrient supplementation and metabolism. Here’s the first sentence in the conclusion: the results of the current study suggest that simple supplementation with micronutrients… can increase fat oxidation and total somatic energy expenditure… following a single dose, and increase energy expenditure following 8 weeks supplementation.
In short, being deficient on micronutrients can hinder your metabolism, and being sufficient in them can bring them up to optimal, healthy levels. Before you take these three supplements, make sure your diet is on point.
Before you read on to the three supplements…
I want to preface something that I hold important to me, regardless of if people are looking for a “quick-fix” for their weight.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, 43% of adults were overweight and 16% were obese. And according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, approximately half of all US adults take a multivitamin.
Isn’t that interesting? Half of all American are trying to be healthy, and yet such a large number of them are either overweight or obese.
Don’t waste your money for good health.
Focus on the basics first. You can take all the multivitamins you want in the world, but if you’re not properly fueling your body, eating junk food consistently, not getting any movement in, and taking a multivitamin to convince yourself you’re healthy, then you’re doing yourself a disservice.
Here’s my professional opinion: focus on the basics first and eat a good overall diet. After you’ve got that handled, then I would recommend taking a multivitamin to fill any gaps and give your car the oil it needs.
All this being said, let’s jump in! Here’s the three best supplements for weight loss, starting with #1.
1. Capsaicin
Do you remember that one time you were eating a chili pepper and thought, “Man, this Capsaicin tastes really good!”
Yeah… me neither. I’m sure no one’s said that before, and 99% of people have probably never heard of it. But now you’re part of that 1%! Congrats!
When you eat something such as a chili pepper or habanero, the spicy feeling you get is from Capsaicin. It’s a chemical compound that can be found in them.
How does this help with weight loss?
Although it does not have any life-changing health benefits, it does have some that may lead to weight loss.
A study was published on PubMed Central assessing the effects of a Capsaicin supplement. Although there were no ground-breaking benefits discovered, at the end, they concluded, “Indeed, chili-eaters were found to live longer and stay healthier than their compatriots who favored bland food.”
More importantly, they also concluded that Capsaicin, “…is not a magic “exercise in a pill”, though there is good evidence that capsaicin-sensitive afferents play an important role in body weight regulation.” In short, there are mild benefits to reducing bodyweight when you consume Capsaicin - assuming that you haven’t been eating spicy foods so much that you’ve become desensitized to it.
Putting this into numbers, some studies have shown that Capsaicin can burn up to 50 calories per day.
Although this may not be significant, over the long-term it can make a difference.
How much should you take?
Although there is no universally agreed-upon dosage to take, experts generally recommend taking 2mg of Capsaicin orally per meal to support weight loss while limiting gastrointestinal side effects.
In conclusion, out of the three supplements in this article, this is the least effective. It is your choice to take it, as long as you do it safely, but it may be a hassle and will have minimal effects.
2. Protein Powder
You may not be a “gym bro” and stand in front of the gym bathroom mirror flexing your biceps after every workout, but no matter who you are, protein powder can still help!
How does this help with weight loss?
If you want to lose weight, consuming more protein will generally yield positive results. It does so my increasing satiety, burning more calories through the digestion of protein (your body burns more calories digesting protein than Carbohydrates or Fat), and aiding in the rebuilding of muscle when paired with exercise, thereby burning more calories.
However, out of these three benefits, increasing satiety is hands down the most beneficial. After all, as stated earlier in this article, the best way to less weight is to consume less calories; therefore, if a higher percentage of your diet is comprised of protein, you will feel more full and overall consume less calories.
For some, trying to consume more protein in their diet is difficult, and a majority of adults don’t consume nearly enough protein. Considering that the average protein shake has 10 to 30 grams of protein, this makes it a very simple, quick, and easy solution to get more in your diet.
For my clients - the same as with a multivitamin - I would recommend trying to get as much of your protein as possible from whole, natural sources. This is due to the vitamins and minerals that they contain, and will generally make you feel more full due to their volume than protein powder will.
If you feel like you’re trying to get a good amount of protein in, then I would say go for using protein powder!
How much should you take?
I would limit it to one to two scoops per day - this would equate to 20 to 60 grams of protein.
Although there are no currently known negative side effects to consuming too much protein powder, to be on the judicious side, and to limit the bloating effects it can have, I recommend limiting it to no more than two servings per day.
3. Caffeine
Who would’ve thought that one of the best fat burning supplements was under our nose the entire time… that is, under your nose when you had that cup of coffee this morning.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring central nervous system stimulant. Although the effects of caffeine on weight loss aren’t significant, they are more noticeable than Capsaicin and it is more readily available and studied.
According to the University of Georgia, Caffeine raises the following:
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Respiration rate
Stress hormones
Kidney and bladder activity
How does this help with weight loss?
While there has been conflicting evidence as to the effects of Caffeine on weight loss, here are several benefits of Caffeine that will lead to positive effects:
Increased Thermogenesis - After consuming caffeine, the rate at which your body functions, as well as how quickly food is broken down, is increased.
Suppressed appetite - Although the results are mixed, drinking coffee can mildly suppress your appetite.
Improved workouts - Caffeine helps to give you a boost of energy, allowing you to push yourself more in your resistance training/cardiovascular workouts and burn more calories.
Although some studies suggest that Caffeine can aid with weight loss, results are still mixed. Some studies show that Caffeine makes you crave food more, increases Cortisol, and can contribute to Insulin Resistance.
Overall, if you’re using it as a weight loss tool, I would say take it, but with skepticism in mind. What I would recommend is to take some at the most one hour before your workout to help increase Thermogenesis, as well as to improve the performance of your workout. You can take this in whatever form you like (e.g. Coffee, Tea, Energy Drink, etc.)
How much should you take?
Although there is no hard number that is recommended, studies generally say consuming no more than 400 to 500 milligrams of Caffeine per day is safe. That’s the equivalent of the Caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of soda or two "energy shot" drinks.
In Conclusion
Whether you take Capsaicin, Protein Powder, or Caffeine, what’s going to have the biggest impact on you getting to your dream body is this formula:
Calories In = Calories Out
You can take these supplements, and they may likely have an effect, but it’s not a “magic pill.”
Remember the tried-and-true principles: eat less calories, get consistent movement in throughout the day, and eat whole foods! Not only will you lose weight, but you’ll feel overall better too! You’ll feel more motivated, less lethargic, and happier. Who doesn’t want that?
Have you been struggling with weight loss for a long time?
If it’s been a long time and you’ve been stuck in limbo and feel frustrated, consider this a wake-up call.
You deserve to feel happy and confident. You deserve to feel good about yourself when you look in the mirror. When you wear clothes and are out in public. When you step on that scale every time and wish it would just go down.
If this sounds like you, then sign up. We do weight loss better than everyone, and we give you results. We turn a program that probably seems intimidating at first, and we make it so it’s like you’re talking to a good friend rather than a coach. You see noticeable results in the first 30 days, and if you don’t, we have the best money-back guarantee in the industry.
Make the right choice.