If you are looking to burn fat and lose a few pounds or even get ripped then a fat burner can be a great help.
When it comes to fat burners though there are a lot of them out there and it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth your money and which to leave on the shelf.
It really isn’t that hard to figure out which ones really work though. Ignore the marketing and the fancy packaging. the ones with the best ingredients with proper dosing are usually the best.
Next time you buy a fat burner supplement make sure the ingredients below are in there so you get a product that works. First let’s take a look at how fat burners work and what to look for.
How Fat Burners Work
The main type of fat burners on the market are thermogenics. These work by boosting your metabolic rate which means you burn more calories throughout the day. Even if you are on the computer or watching tv your body will use more energy and burn more calories than normal. This makes it easier to get lean faster than you normally would.
Another thing fat burners do is suppress your appetite by making you feel full. This will reduce your cravings and have you consuming fewer calories throughout the day. Anyone who has been on a diet knows how hard the cravings can be and a good appetite suppressor can really help you keep them at bay.
By raising your metabolic rate and helping to reduce the amount that you eat, your body starts burning fat like crazy. This is why fat burners are effective and help you to lose those extra few pounds of stubborn body fat to take your body to the next level.
Watch Out for Proprietary Blends
These are a growing problem in the supplement industry, they aren’t quite as prevalent in fat burners as they are in other types of supplements like pre-workouts but you still should be on the lookout for them.
A proprietary blend is where the manufacturer will take several ingredients and mix them all together in a blend. The problem is when they label the product they don’t tell you how much of each ingredient is in the blend just the size of the blend itself. Therefore you have no way of knowing how much of each ingredient is in there. This is not how you want things to be in a supplement, everything should be out in the open so you know exactly what you are getting.
Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements for Weight Loss
Best Fat Burner Ingredients
These are the best ingredients to look for in a fat burner supplement.
Forskolin – This ingredient stimulates the release of fatty acids from stubborn adipose tissue. Forslean is the highest quality version of Forskolin. This study found that forskolin decreases fat and increases lean muscle mass in obese men in comparison to placebo. Then there is also this 12-week study that showed forsklin to be effective at reducing fat in obese people This is one is a real up and coming ingredient that is getting a lot of buzz.
Green Tea – This one has a long list of benefits for the body, one of which is aiding in fat burning. This is because green tea contains EGCG which is a powerful antioxidant that is known to boost your metabolism. This study shows that green tea decrease fat synthesis, increase the breakdown of fat, and increase the utilization of glucose.
5-HTP – This important ingredient sourced from the African shrub Griffonia Simplicifolia is an ingredient that has been shown to reduce appetite so you can consume fewer calories throughout the day and fight off cravings.
L-Theanine – This one is an amino acid that has a wide range of benefits including fat burning. This study showed that L-Theanine with caffeine (which is in most fat burners) reduces body fat.
Caffeine – Common in most fat burners, most people already know that caffeine increases energy levels. This study here shows caffeine can increase caloric burn by as much as 150 kcal per day. Some people out there have sensitivities to fat burners with caffeine in them, if you are one of these people the good news is that they do make fat burners without caffeine or other stimulants.
Cayenne Pepper Extract – Cayenne pepper contains capsaicinoids which can promote weight loss through increased thermogenesis. This study which was done by Purdue University also found that cayenne pepper reduces appetite. While this study showed it can reduce body fat.
Synephrine HCl – Sourced from citrus fruits this ingredient is an ingredient that has been shown it can help boost metabolism for increased weight loss. This ingredient is slightly controversial and some say is unsafe but many studies have found it to be safe. Study 1, study 2, study 3.
Glucomannan – An extract from the root of the konjac plant which grows in Asia is a fiber that swells in the stomach to make you feel fuller so you eat less throughout the day leading to more weight loss.
Green Coffee Bean – This is used as an extract from unroasted coffee beans which are extremely rich in Chlorogenic Acid. This is important because green coffee beans with Chlorogenic Acid have been shown to be possibly effective in the “inhibition of fat absorption and activation of fat metabolism in the liver”.
Raspberry Ketones – Ketones extracted from raspberries have become quite popular among fat burners the last couple of years. This study shows the ability of raspberry ketones to metabolize fat and reduce fat accumulation.
Fat Burning Ingredient That Don’t Really Work
Garcinia Cambogia – If you see this one as the main ingredient be leery. This ingredient has been shown to be minimally effective at best. This study also shows that Garcinia Cambogia is unproven. While this isn’t the worst ingredient there are many products out there that feature this as the main and sometimes the only ingredient, products like this should be avoided.
Wrapping Thing Up
There you have the best ingredients to look for when it comes to buying a fat burner. The more of these you can find in a product the better the product will be provided they use proper dosing and don’t skimp.
Just remember you can’t expect the fat burner to do everything for you while you are a couch potato. You need to put your workout in at the gym and follow a good diet. Then you will get the most out of your fat burner.
