We have all seen the commercials on television for them; some are endorsed by pseudo-celebrities, others by normal people (though not actors). Yes, I am talking about fat burners. Hydroxycut, Xenadrine, and Stacker-3 are, to name a few. The main question is, what exactly are they, do they really work and are they safe?
Fat burners are essentially pills that contain certain herbal ingredients like ephedra, HCA, chitosan, and pyruvate, all of which claim to increase energy, boost your metabolism, and / or suppress your appetite. These supplements are supposed to work by increasing thermogenesis, that is, turning more of the food you eat into heat before it can be stored as fat. Being able to do this safely would, of course, be a welcome way to avoid fat accumulation and keep the extra pounds off.
It is difficult to say if they really work. Finding a conclusive study on almost any dietary supplement, including so-called fat burners, can be a long day. What we do know is that most supplements need further study. The supplements are not standardized so you don’t know if what is on the bottle is what you are getting. Also, no one knows what the long-term effects of these supplements are and, even scarier, how they interact with other medications. So to answer the question of whether fat burners work, I have to say … I don’t know.
With anything chemically manufactured that you put into your body, you have to worry about side effects. Here is a small list of some of the side effects that you might experience with any fat burner taken:
1. Increase in blood pressure
2. Nosebleeds
3. Blurred vision
4. Acne breakout
5. Restlessness and hyperactivity
6. Loss of appetite
7. Increased heart rate
8. Headaches
9. Stunned
10. Dizziness
11. Insomnia
12. Nausea and upset stomach
In my opinion, none of these effects strike me as fun. I have a friend who was actually taking Xenadrine and was having some negative side effects from taking it. More people need to be aware of this before they start taking something like this. There are alternatives to fat burning pills. Increase your physical activity, whether it’s walking briskly, lifting weights, or doing a Beachbody program. Not only will exertion help you lose a few pounds, but it is also more beneficial for your heart and skeletal muscles. Don’t spend your hard-earned money, there are no short-cut pills to a slimmer body.