Fat Burning Supplements:
Wheat from Chaff

You wouldn’t buy East Kazicstanian Pygmy Whomp Rat Turds from a self-proclaimed supplement guru who looked like Rasputin and claimed that they would add hours to your sex life and six inches to your height would you? And yet, there you go down to the local mall GNC to plunk down hundreds of dollars on the recommendations of folks who work there and A) have a pulse, B) work for minimum wage and C) don’t already have a job stocking the pet food section at Kmart.

Supplements, by definition, are things you add to your diet. Unlike medications – which are prescribed by doctors and approved by the FDA only after years of studies to show that they have at least SOME effectiveness, supplements are wildcards. They make all kinds of claims and can even be packaged like real medicine. The supplement market, which includes vitamins, herbal remedies, minerals, teas, protein powders, diet pills and a host of other ingestible items, is a $15 billion dollar industry (data: 2001).

Obviously, this huge industry could not exist if the products didn’t work, right? Some of these things must be at least a little bit effective – but which ones, under what conditions and what are the risks? This is the hard part.

To further complicated matters, supplements, like medications, may work for some people and not for others. And, like medications, they may have nasty side effects – some of which can be truly life threatening. Fortunately the supplement industry goes to some lengths to insure their products won’t kill off its valued customer base, so that’s not so much a problem. Still, if you have strong allergies or a delicate medical condition, do some serious checking beforehand.

First, let’s go over the general guidelines you might want to consider when selecting a supplement and then we can talk about a few of the most popular.

Before considering adding something to your diet - a pill or powder - why not try to change your diet instead? You body has spent millions of years adapting itself to fill its needs via the food we eat. Normally, a varied and healthy diet that includes fresh fruits, vegetables, high-quality low-fat protein and complex carbohydrates is good enough to get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Fortunately for the supplement industry, most of us have been bad. We don’t eat right -way too much fat and sugar - and we all have one vice or another and frequently skip exercise. But what to take?

Before deciding on anything, do your homework. Clearly define your goal – what is the supplement supposed to do? Then, do a reality check of the products claims – does it seem too far-fetched? Next, check with reliable sources – nutrition experts, doctors, the Internet – but always with a critical eye. Are they trying to sell this product? Can you find real evidence that it works and not via the “placebo effect”. Check the usage indications – if it says “this product needs to be combined with the correct diet and exercise program” you may just want to save yourself the money, eat right and do the exercise.

How long does it take before you notice the effects? If it says several months, be suspicious, because if it doesn’t work you are out of pocket for the product before you determine if it will work for you, if at all.

Asking friends and non-professionals about the product is much less objective. New owners of the product will be “pre-sold” and others may not have used it, or it simply didn’t work for them for any number of reasons.

Beware of “pseudo scientific studies” done by “reputable labs” or “nutrition experts”. These books have been well cooked in many cases.

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