Top 5 Supplements to Supercharge Fat Burning

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Getting rid of body fat can be a long process. You might be eating right and exercise, but the body fat is just not coming off quickly enough.

As we get older, our metabolism slows down, which makes it harder to convert fat into energy. One key to lowering your body fat by boosting the rate at which your body burns calories is to use metabolism boosting supplements. One of the following supplements may even encourage your body to favor fat as your energy source.

I use all the supplements below to achieve optimal fat loss. As usual, please consult a holistic or sports nutritionist or doctor before making major changes to your diet.

1. Chromium Picolinate

This supplement is a combination of chromium and picolinic acid. Chromium is directly involved in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. However, chromium is not something we get enough of in our modern diet. Yet, it is essential for sustaining normal insulin levels. Picolinate is added to the chromium for optimum absorption.

Why does it work?

Chromium picolinate aids in breaking down and metabolizing fat, thus regulating the fat-production processes in the body, preventing excess fat from forming. It may also aid in the development and conservation of lean muscle while dieting. Additionally, it is said to increase serotonin production, which helps to reduce appetite.

How much should I take?

The average person is said to get about 33mcg per day. The FDA recommended amount is 130mcg. For optimal fat burning, I take 600 mcg per day.

Where is chromium found naturally?

Broccoli is the food that contains the highest amount of chromium. However, a ½ cup serving only provides 11 mcg of chromium. That is a lot of broccoli to eat to reach the recommended intake amount! The next in line is grape juice, delivering 8 mcg per cup. Might not be a good choice as grape juice is high in sugar, which converts to fat pretty quickly.

2. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)

CLA is a natural occurring omega-6 related fatty acid. It helps the body increase metabolic rates, boost the immune system and keep cholesterol levels in check.

Additionally, CLA is found not only to reduce body fat, but to increase muscle strength and exercise endurance. Some findings suggest that CLA reduces the risk of breast cancer, improves immune system function, and decreases risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and even allergies.

Why does it work?

CLA allows the body to burn fat more efficiently. It won’t reduce body fat, but it keeps fat cells from getting bigger. This will alter the body’s fat to muscle ratio, resulting in more lean muscle and less body fat. One would think increasing fatty acids would lead to more fat, but it doesn’t always work that way.

How much should I take?

To receive the fat reduction benefits, it ‘s recommended to take at least 3,400 mg per day. I personally take 2,000 mg per day.

Where is it found?

CLA is found in low levels in beef, lamb, whole milk, eggs an other dairy products. It cannot be produced by the human body. In order to get high amounts of CLA from food, you would have to eat a lot of high fat foods as listed above.  So, the best solution for getting adequate amounts of CLA is through supplementation that includes a balance of safflower, linseed or flaxseed oils.

3. L-carnitine

L-carnitine is a metabolite, a building block for protein, which helps your body convert fat into energy more quickly. By speeding up the conversion rate, you burn fat calories faster each day. It’s used not only to aid fat loss, but also as an antioxidant. L-carnitine is commonly used to treat heart conditions, peripheral vascular disease, diabetic neuropathy, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and to increase sperm production.

Why does it work?

The fatty acids that are delivered to the cells from the circulatory system need L-carnitine to carry them through the mitochondria’s cell membrane. Fatty acids are broken down in the mitochondria to produce energy for cell functions. So L-carnitine assists fat loss by shuttling more fatty acids into the cell’s mitochondria to be used for energy. Because of this, L-carnitine ensures that less fat gets stored as body fat.

Additionally, L-carnitine also works as a detoxifier as it latches on to short-chain-fatty-acid waste products and shuttles them out of the mitochondria, allowing your body to more efficiently output energy.

How much do I need?

A person that eats meat regularly consumes from 100 – 300mg of L-carnitine daily. For purposes of weight/fat loss, you would need to take at least 500mg daily to see fat loss. I take 2,000 mg per day when I am reducing fat.

Where does it come from?

L-carnitine is derived mainly from muscles, kidneys, and livers of animals, such as beef, chicken, sheep, lamb, and rabbit. You can get it from plant sources as well, but the levels are very low. Avocado, alfalfa, and wheat germ contain less than 2 mg per 100 g of the edible portions.

4. Omega 3, 6, 9

Omegas are essential fatty acids (EFA). They are effective in weight loss by helping to stabilize your mood and keep your energy up. Omega fatty acids can also suppress appetite which helps in weight loss. Additionally, they have been found to block the genes that produce fat in the body and increase thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is basically heating your internal temperature to burn calories at a higher rate. You need this to keep your body functioning properly when you’re operating on a calorie deficit diet .

Why does it work?

In simple terms, you need good fat to release bad fat. This is where Omega 3, 6, and 9 come in. Generally when we are trying to lose fat, it’s because we have too much stored “bad” fat. When we begin to cut our fat intake, our bodies want to hold onto the fat and we have a very hard time actually getting rid of it. Our body needs to know that it will still get the fat it needs to survive, so we gradually replace the bad fat with good fats- Omega 3, 6, 9! Never go on a low-fat diet without taking Omega’s to supplement the fat intake.

Where do they come from?

Omega 3’s, DHA and EPA, come from fatty fish or algae. ALA comes from plants like flax seed. ALA is partially converted to DHA and EPA in your body.

Omega 6 is an unsaturated fat found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. It is good to replace the saturated, or bad fats, in your diet with this one.

How much should I take?

Taking the right ratio of 3, 6 & 9 is important as we don’t want to overdo specific, even healthy fats, in our diet. Too much fat is still too much fat! Because I don’t eat fish, I take an Omega blend of Omega 3 derived from krill and Omega 3, 6 ,9 from plant sources. I stick to the 2-1-1 ratio. The recommended amount is around 1000 mg Omega 3, 500 mg Omega 6, 500 mg Omega 9. When on a low fat diet, I take triple that per day.

5. Capsaicin

Capsaicin is a natural alkaloid found in chili peppers. Commonly included in the average fat burner supplement, capsaicin increases metabolism, supports the immune system, improves circulation, and promotes increased body heat.

How does it work?

Capsaicin activates the specific proteins that are responsible for burning fat, and suppresses the proteins that are responsible for generating and storing fat. Reports show that capsaicin can remodel body fat cells into mitochondrial-rich cells that have a higher capacity for fatty acid oxidation.

Capsaicin also decreases the production of the hunger-inducing hormone, ghrelin, causing you to eat less. When using long-term, it may be able to switch your body towards favoring using fat as an energy source and increasing fat burn.

Where does it come from?

Capsaicin is present in hot peppers. It is what makes them spicy. To get capsaicin as a supplement, look for supplements labeled as peppers (excluding black pepper).

How much do I need?

To get the thermogenic properties of capsaicin, it is recommended to use 135mg at each meal.

Hope Bundrant is a home school mom, entrepreneur and nationally qualified bodybuilding competitor. If you like this article, then visit Hope at BikiniHope.com for more fitness tips, recipes and personal development articles.

Sources:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional/
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/chromiumpicolinate.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/reform12.htm
http://experiencelife.com/article/cla-can-this-fatty-acid-help-you-get-thin/
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/carnitine-lcarnitine
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa53.htm
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/omega-3-fatty-acids-fact-sheet
http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/capsaicin-supplement-lose-weight#axzz2lLZnA3rK
http://www.mrsupplement.com.au/capsaicin

Hope Bundrant
Hope Bundrant is the Director of iNLP Center and Healthy Times Newspaper along with being a mother of six, homeschooling mom and a NPC masters bikini champion. It is her passion to help women achieve their goals, at any age, through personal development, encouragement and sharing of her knowledge. Life is hard enough, why wouldn't we help one another?