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Finding Out About The Best Fat Burners.What to watch for. Research Summaries.
In the past I've been quite hard on fat burners to help people lose weight. Some of them are just rubbish and don't have any effect at all, but some of them can help when stubborn fat just won't come off. So although I still do not take the viewpoint that fat burners can help everyone, they may be beneficial when used under the guidance of a doctor when diet and exercise genuinely don't seem to be working.
Unfortunately though, nothing in life is simple, and if you've been tempted to purchase a fat burner because it claims to be the best, and most effective, then I'd like to encourage you to do some independent research on the product you're interested in.
The motto of the best fat burners section is to do your homework, and you won't be caught out by ineffective or even dangerous weight loss supplements.
Below you can see a list of ingredients that are commonly included in the "best fat burners". The research listed under these headings is not a comprehensive list of research, however, I have tried to present research whose results both supports and opposes the use of these ingredients in weight loss supplements.
If you feel that another ingredient should be added to this list or you know of published research on one of the best fat burners ingredients that does not appear within the below pages, feel free to email me through our contact page.
It is ridiculous to think that a product claiming to be one of the best fat burners and worked for one person, will work for all. To put forward one product over the other would not be constructive as no one product will suit everyone. Much of the hype and marketing attached to many of the "best fat burners" is designed to get you to buy the product currently on offer. In order to avoid being taken for a ride and even taking something that will harm you, make sure that you know the following points about the product:
Has the product been thoroughly researched and can be supported by documented evidence as to what it will actually do for you?
If a company is selling a product they say is one of the "best fat burners" with only a small amount of clinical trials or clinical trials not completed or not done at all - this should put up warning signals.
In fact, many health food company's back up their products with medical research, but be on your guard to check things like, how many participants were included in the trials, were the participants human, how long were the effects of the "best fat burners" tested for, and have the findings been replicated by other independent researchers?
Is it properly labelled (that is, lists ALL it's ingredients)?
Unfortunately, according to the FDA, nutritional supplements do not by U.S. law have to state their full ingredients list. So while a supplements ingredient list may look alright, it is usually a good idea to contact the manufacturer and find out if there are any unlisted ingredients in the product. If you contact the manufacturer before buying and ask them, are there any unlisted ingredients, and they say yes, then it makes one wander why they've ommitted these ingredients.
Undergone independent testing (not manufacturer sponsored testing)?
While many researchers depend on corporate sponsorship to fund their research, reputable researchers do not allow the source of funding to affect the results of their research.
It may not be obvious however, to the consumer as to which researchers and manufacturers are reputable and which are not.
It may be helpful in these circumstances to ask if there have been other research completed replicating the results of the manufacturer sponsored research.
Comparing the results of independently funded research (which has replicated the methods of study and confirmed the findings of a study which was funded by an interested party) with the results of company sponsored research, is a good way of deciphering whether the findings of a research study are valid, or simply a product of bias.
If the only scientific evidence supporting the product has been company sponsored, then it won't hurt to wait for other research to be completed.
Are the ingredients within the supplement standardized?
Herbal supplements are particularly prone to varying degrees of potency of the herb involved between batches and brands of the same type of supplement.
The ingredients listed in one supplement which states a certain amount of the ingredient may differ from another brand or even another batch of the same type of supplement.
This is due to the problem or differences in how the herbal ingredients are prepared or processed when making or preparing the supplement. This is not a deliberate thing on the part of the manufacturers but unfortunately, is a problem, because the actual potency of the ingredients may be variable.
So to overcome this problem, manufacturers have been able to standardize the ingredients used, so that within a reasonable margin of error, consumers can be certain of how much of the ingredient is actually contained within the supplement. So when you're looking for a supplement, look for a standardized version.
If unsure, do not hesitate to ring the manufacturer before purchasing - it may cost you a phone call, but that's a small price to pay for peace of mind.
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