While your diet and workout routine will determine how much weight you lose, using supplements could help you accelerate your weight loss by speeding up your metabolism. The body requires a number of different nutrients and minerals like Vitamins, Magnesium, and Iron to function at its peak. We’ve sorted out and compiled the best supplements you can use to boost your weight loss in this article.
The body needs an array of different Vitamins to keep functioning at peak efficiency. Having adequate levels of Vitamins boosts your body’s metabolic processes, which work around the clock to burn calories and deliver energy to the body when it needs it.
Having a faster metabolism means the body is able to burn calories much faster, thereby making it harder for fat to get stored in the body.
[Also Read: How to Lose Weight Naturally]
The B Vitamins are essential for the body’s metabolism to be performing as intended. There are many Vitamins in the B complex that the body requires:
It is essential that you have healthy levels of all B Vitamins, because deficiency of a single Vitamin in the B complex could affect the functions of the other Vitamins.
The most vital B Vitamins for weight loss are:
[Also Read: Vitamin B12 Supplement For Weight Loss]
The body’s capacity to metabolize fats, carbohydrates, and proteins are determined mostly by the B Vitamins and maintaining a healthy level of these Vitamins ensures that nutrients are not stored in the body in the form of fat.
Research has shown that low Vitamin D levels contribute to controlling blood sugar and improving insulin resistance in those who have diabetes. Insulin regulation is an important part of the body’s metabolic processes and can affect weight loss efforts majorly. However, it must be noted that merely supplementing with Vitamins will not make you lose weight by itself, if it is unaccompanied by a healthy diet and exercise.
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Vitamin D is produced in the body naturally with exposure to sunlight, but it is also found in food like:
Cod liver oil is one of the best Vitamin D supplements.
A study(1) found that women with type-2 diabetes, when supplemented with Vitamin D, showed improved blood sugar levels and reduced waist sizes.
Recommended daily intake: According to the US Institute of Medicine, the recommended daily intake of Vitamin D is 10-20 micrograms.(2)
Vitamin C is an essential Vitamin which means that it can’t be synthesized by the body and must be absorbed from food and it has many health benefits including:
While it has many great health benefits like those listed above, the factor that makes it so appealing to people looking to slim down and get fit is its correlation with fat oxidation (which is the body’s ability to harness fat as a viable source of energy). While this does not directly affect weight loss, it helps with losing fat, which in the long run would mean losing weight as well.
A study showed that Vitamin C supplementation in obese men and women helped them losing a considerable amount of fat while on a short-term diet when compared to those who were not supplemented with Vitamin C. The group that was not supplemented with Vitamin C showed as much as an 11 percent reduction in the body’s ability to oxidize fat.
The best sources of Vitamin C include:
Vitamin C is also available in the supplement form.
Recommended Daily Intake: For adults, 65 to 90 mg a day, and a maximum of 2,000 mg/day.
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Magnesium is vital for the body to be able to carry out the chemical reactions that burn fat to produce energy, which makes this nutrient one of the most important for those looking to lose weight. Magnesium can be found in a range of different foods, including nuts, seeds, legumes, spinach, potatoes, salmon, and bananas.
Be careful with Magnesium supplementation as it reacts adversely in those who have some medical conditions. Make sure to consult a dietician or a doctor before starting magnesium supplementation.
Recommended average daily intake: For adults, 310-420 mg depending on age and gender. You may have higher or lower requirements based on your needs and should consult a doctor to ascertain exactly how much of the nutrient you require.
A deficiency of zinc could cause unplanned weight loss, but the body requires an adequate amount of zinc to function properly. Using zinc supplements for weight loss can greatly benefit those who are overweight or obese. It is an essential mineral that regulates the functioning of the immune system, protein building, and wound healing.
In a study, it was found that individuals who were obese had low levels of zinc circulating in their bodies and that increasing zinc levels through supplementation could greatly help their weight loss efforts. Another study found that obese individuals who were supplemented with 30 mg of Zinc Gluconate daily lost weight and had improved body mass indices.
Zinc is found in foods like:
Zinc is essential for the proper functioning of the body; however, excessive levels of the mineral can cause adverse effects such as nausea, headaches, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
Consult a doctor or a dietician before using zinc supplements.
Recommended Daily Allowance:
Refer to the recommendations by The Office of Dietary Supplements(3).
Iron is an essential mineral that helps carry oxygen in red blood cells. When a person is deficient in Iron, their bodies might not be able to send an adequate amount of oxygen to their muscles, which makes the muscles less efficient in their ability to burn fat for energy.
Low Iron levels can also obstruct metabolic processes that are vital to weight loss efforts. Keep in mind that, while Iron is essential for the optimum performance of the body’s metabolic processes, it can be very toxic when consumed in high doses.
Therefore, it is imperative that you consult a dietician or a doctor before taking iron supplements. The mineral can be found in meat, brown rice, nuts, leafy vegetables, tofu and soy, and beans.
Recommended Daily Allowance:
Refer to the recommendations by The Office of Dietary Supplements(4).
It is important to keep the following in mind while supplementing with Vitamins and other nutrients:
In conclusion, using supplements for weight loss can be a great way to lose weight faster and more efficiently when accompanied by a healthy diet and adequate exercise. Vitamins B, C, and D are among the most beneficial for those looking to lose weight. If you are inclined to use supplements for weight loss, you should consult a doctor to see if you require supplements or not. Using supplements when they are not required can do more harm than good.
We hope this guide has helped you and we wish you good luck on your weight loss journey!
Magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc, and Vitamins B and D are the most essential for the body’s metabolic processes. However, you should not take supplements before consulting a doctor or dietician, because excessive amounts of some nutrients can be toxic.
No, mere supplementation will not have any noticeable effect on weight loss. Weight loss is primarily determined by your caloric intake and the number of calories you expend. You will lose weight if there is a caloric deficit or when the caloric expenditure is greater than the intake.
There is a chance that the supplements could interfere with your medication and it is strongly advised that you consult your doctor before you take any supplements.