This can be especially helpful if you have hit a plateau in your weight loss journey.
One or more of the following vitamins and supplements could make the difference and help you shed those last 10 lbs!
Even a diet heavy in fruits, veggies, and lean proteins can lack the specific nutrients that aid weight loss.
Supplementing your daily meals and snacks with these nutrients can lead to short-term weight loss and keeping the weight off long-term.
We have selected the best supplements for weight loss based on the latest scientific data and research.
You can try one, or combine a couple, to improve your overall health and get the scale moving in the right direction.
We also have a short video on Supplements for Weight Loss on our Youtube Channel, The Health Nerd, that you might find helpful!
11 Best Supplements and Vitamins for Weight Loss
1. Protein Powder
Protein plays a couple of major roles in weight loss. First, your body burns more calories metabolizing proteins than it does processing carbs or fat.
Second, protein helps you build and maintain muscle tissue.
Since muscle tissue burns more calories than body fat (even when you’re just sitting around), building and maintaining muscle is key for weight loss.
Most of us don’t consume enough protein from our daily diet to get the true weight loss benefits, which is why a protein powder can provide an added boost.
Protein powder provides a highly concentrated amount of protein in one easy step.
Whey protein, in particular, seems to be the go-to for weight loss. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition concluded that taking whey protein may lead to loss of weight and body fat, and help to increase lean muscle mass.
My favorite brand is ISO 100 Dymatize Hydrolized Whey, Gourmet Chocolate, because it’s high in protein, low in carbs and sugar, and tastes like a dessert!
2. Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid that is essential for your body to build protein, which in turn helps it maintain muscle mass. Since muscle plays an important role in burning calories (see above), a lack of glutamine can keep you from losing weight.
In a study published in 2014, women who took glutamine supplements for four weeks–without changing their diets or exercise routines–lost more weight than women who took only a protein supplement for four weeks. The scientists concluded that glutamine was “safe and effective” for weight loss.
Glutamine is in foods like beans, spinach, and cabbage, but if you don’t eat enough of these foods on a daily basis, a supplement is probably the best way to increase your glutamine intake.
One of my favorite brands for this supplement is Optimum Nutrition.
3. Matcha Green Tea
matcha green tea powderGreen tea is a popular dietary supplement for weight loss because of the antioxidant EGCG, which can boost your metabolism during exercise (1). Matcha green tea has even more EGCG than regular green tea, so you’re more likely to lose or maintain weight with it.
Matcha green tea comes in a powder form as opposed to loose or bagged tea leaves. Grinding the tea leaves into a powder is what allows you to get more nutrients from matcha than from regular green tea.
Remember that exercise remains essential when taking matcha green tea. Continue to jog, run, lift weights, or do another type of moderately strenuous exercise routine once you’ve introduced matcha to your diet.
While the Japanese culinary grade matcha is quite expensive, there are plenty of other organic brands that are produced in China that have just as many health benefits. My favorite brand is this one from Amazon.
4. Fish Oil
Fish oil is made up of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are well-known for their health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and improving overall heart health.
The words “fatty acid” don’t exactly scream “weight loss”, but omega-3s may help you lose weight by stimulating enzymes that initiate the fat-burning process in cells (2).
Omega-3s are found naturally in foods like salmon and nuts, but most people don’t eat enough of these foods to get the recommended dose. You can get an omega-3 boost through easy-to-swallow fish oil capsules.
One of the best and most affordable brands is a bestseller on Amazon by Dr. Tobias.
5. Vitamin D
Did you know that Vitamin D plays a role in helping your body determine whether or not to burn fat or store it?
When your body doesn’t have enough Vitamin D, its levels of parathyroid hormone (or PTH) increase, which can lead to your cells converting sugars into fat instead of energy.
A study from 2009 suggests that if you increase your levels of Vitamin D when starting a low-calorie diet, you’ll lose more weight, including in that stubborn belly region (3).
To get the daily recommended dose of Vitamin D, spend a few minutes outside in the sun or take a supplement. I recommend this brand by Viva Labs (or check out the one below that also contains calcium).
Vitamin D also helps your body absorb and use calcium, which has its own weight-loss benefits (see below.)
6. Calcium
Scientists have been working overtime in the past several years to prove that calcium does much more than maintain healthy bones. Many studies show that a low-calorie diet that is high in calcium can increase weight loss.
According to another study, African Americans, in particular, may benefit from diets high in calcium.
A couple glasses of milk aren’t enough to get weight loss benefits. Get yourself a calcium supplement that also has Vitamin D.
7. Probiotics
Did you know that overweight people have complete different gut bacteria than those at a normal weight?
Certain probiotics may be better for you than you may have realized. Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LPR), for instance, has been shown to help obese women achieve sustainable weight loss.
Even up to 50% more weight loss in some cases.
Probiotics can be easily added into a standard or low-calorie diet. Try eating more Greek yogurt (low sugar!) and pickled veggies like sauerkraut or kimchi.
The best way to start healing your gut and bringing back a balance of healthy gut bacteria is to start taking a probiotics supplement.
No matter what supplement you use, you want take AT LEAST 50 billion units of probiotics daily from a minimum of 10 different sources for best results.
While you don’t need to purchase only refrigerated probiotics, make sure the packaging is well sealed. It’s also essential that the packaging is dark (or opaque, not transparent) to protect from light damage.
We have our own brand of Probiotics here at Avocadu called Gut-14. Avocadu Probiotics Supplement
Our specially formulated probiotic supplement contains:
Probiotics are one of the best solutions for healing your gut, helping you lose weight faster, and providing you with a healthy source of gut flora every day!
You can read more about it and why it’s so important for not only gut health but overall health on our probiotics page.
8. Carnitine
Carnitine is an amino acid that is found in the bodies of plants and animals. In humans, it helps in regulating how the body metabolizes fats and carbs.
Without enough carnitine, your body may store fat instead of burning it. Carnitine is found in many supplements taken by weight lifters.
9. Olive Leaf Extract
You’ve heard that olive oil is a “good fat” that can help you lose weight. Now, olive leaf extract–the key substance that gives olive oil its health benefits–may do the same (8).
Olive leaf extract can help manage blood glucose levels, which is important for weight loss. When blood sugar levels spike, or are erratic, the body tends to store fat instead of burning it.
Stable blood sugar also means fewer food cravings, so you won’t be grabbing foods that ruin your weight loss progress.
Nature’s Way makes one of the best olive leaf extract supplements.
10. Apple Cider Vinegar
Bragg’s Apple Cider VinegarApple cider vinegar (ACV) contains acetic acid, which helps to keep your body pH balanced. Properly balanced pH helps your body function properly, aiding in long-term weight loss.
In this video, Dr. Eric Berg explains how apple cider vinegar helps your body absorb minerals, mobilize calcium, digest proteins, and stimulate the thyroid; all functions that are important for weight loss.
Be sure to watch all the way through; at minute 10, he shows you how to make an ACV “cocktail”.
Apple cider vinegar on its own is an acquired taste, so mixing it into a drink is definitely the way to introduce ACV to your diet. I like to sip it through a straw, which makes it even more palatable and keeps it from damaging the enamel on your teeth.
Apple cider vinegar won’t cause you to drop a ton of weight immediately. Add it into your long-term routine to keep weight loss consistent and long-term.
It can be found in most local grocery stores these days. Just make sure to get the organic, unfiltered kind with “the mother” (aka healthy enzymes). Bragg’s is the best brand on the market!
11. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 itself won’t cause your body to burn more fat or calories, but having more of it will help you to convert food into energy instead of fat.
If you lack energy to do even light exercise, B12 could help get you moving.
B12 is in many multi-vitamins, but can also be taken as a stand-alone supplement.
Bonus! 12. Take a strong dose of our 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge!
Always remember that there is no supplement for a healthy diet!
People lose an average of 10-21 pounds in 21 days and absolutely love it! But even better than the weight loss is the feedback we get from people about how the program has taught them how to change their eating habits and find a diet that truly works for them in the long-term.
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