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News-ConsLab Weight Loss

by | Jan 19, 2015

Post Categories: Uncategorized

Which Weight Loss Supplements Are Best?

Dozens of supplement ingredients have been touted for weight loss, but which have the strongest evidence showing they work and, among those, which products are highest in quality? To answer these questions, ConsumerLab.com, the independent health and nutrition product evaluator, reviewed the clinical evidence for more 20 ingredients and tested the quality of more than 50 products.

ConsumerLab found that no supplement has a large weight-loss effect, but certain ingredients may have a modest, short-term effect equating to 1 to 3 pounds lost in a month. From a quality standpoint, however, more than one-third of products used for weight loss have failed to pass ConsumerLab.com’s testing, most often for containing less ingredient than claimed.

Shown in the table below are the supplement ingredients which, in ConsumerLab.com’s assessment, may have a modest weight loss or slimming effect and the percentage of products selected for testing which were CL Approved for quality. Ingredient names link to ConsumerLab.com’s reports which provide quality ratings and reviews of specific products, by brand, and information about efficacy, dosage, and side effects.

Supplements that May Help with Weight Loss as Evaluated by ConsumerLab.com

Weight Loss Effect Percentage of Products Passing All Quality Tests
7-keto DHEA 1 May provide additional weight loss in overweight people on calorie-reduced diets. 100%
CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) 2 May help with slimming by increasing proportion of lean body mass to fat. 75%
Garcinia cambogia 3 May cause modest weight loss. Appears to work better in women than men and when person is not markedly obese. 46%
Green coffee bean extract 4 May cause modest weight loss. 50%
Green tea extract 5 May aid weight loss and protect against weight gain. 75%
Herbal stimulant blends 6 Caffeine from herbs may help with weight loss None approved (due to potentially dangerous high caffeine content)

Although they were not tested, ConsumerLab.com has summarized the evidence for many other ingredients in a comparison table within its Weight Loss Supplement Review, including cha de bugre, chitosan, diuretic herbs, ephedra, glucomannan, hoodia, L-carnitine, pyruvate and 1-dihydroxyacetone, raspberry ketone, açai, stimulant laxatives (such as aloe and senna), and white kidney bean extract. ConsumerLab.com has also tested products with calcium, chromium, and vitamin C which, although proposed for weight loss, do not appear to be effective for that use.

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ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available  online, providing immediate access to independent reviews of more than 1000 products. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with  PharmacyChecker.com, an evaluator of online pharmacies, and  MedicareDrugPlans.com, which reviews and rates Medicare Part D plans. 

Notes

  1. Weight loss supplement review (7-keto DHEA and stimulant blend supplements) [Web page]. ConsumerLab.com. https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/weight_loss_supplements_7-keto-dhea/WeightLoss.
  2. Review of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) supplements for slimming. [Web page]. ConsumerLab.com. https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/CLA_Conjugated_Linoleic_Acid_for_Slimming/CLA.
  3. Garcinia cambogia (HCA) supplements [Web page]. ConsumerLab.com. https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/garcinia_hydroxycitric-acid_HCA-weight-loss/garcinia.
  4. Green coffee bean extract supplements for weight loss. [Web page]. ConsumerLab.com. https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/green_coffee_%20extract_weight_loss/greencoffee.
  5. Green tea supplements, drinks, and brewable teas review. [Web page]. ConsumerLab.com. https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/Green_Tea_Review_Supplements_and_Bottled/Green_Tea.
  6. Weight loss supplement review. Op cit.

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