Popular Slimming Tablets A to Z
Dietitian Juliette Kellow reviews popular slimming tablets from Adios to Zotrim.
. Adiosthis herbal supplement combines butternut, dandelion
root, boldo and fucus in a tablet that claims to speed up your metabolism and
burn fat more efficiently so that you lose weight. Fucus (a type of seaweed)
supposedly works as a mild thyroid stimulant to boost your metabolism while
the other ingredients stimulate the liver to increase this effect. Adios tablets
do come with a sensible slimming plan - but if you really want to boost your metabolism and burn fat faster, you'd
be better off taking more exercise.
. Bional Apple Slim Xtrawith apple vinegar extract, vitamins,
chromium nicotinate and selenium, this slimming pill claims to support the metabolism
of body fat and encourage the movement of food through the small intestine. It
also provides vitamins important for the release of energy from food. Frankly,
there's insufficient evidence to support these claims. We recommend you crunch
on a fresh apple for just 50 calories!
. Chromium Picolinatethis is a supplement on it's own, but chromium is also an ingredient in many slimming tablets. Research shows that chromium may help to control blood sugar levels and reduce insulin levels, which in turn increases our ability to burn fat. The evidence isn't
conclusive, however. The easy way to keep blood sugar levels steady to prevent
carb cravings, is to go for foods with a low glycaemic index.
. Citrimax (HCA)also known as hydroxycitric acid or HCA, this
popular supplement has become a standard ingredient in many slimming tablets,
as well as being sold on its own. It comes from the dried rind of an Asian fruit
whose Latin name is Garcinia cambogia. The claim is that HCA helps to regulate
appetite, stops cravings for sweet foods, stimulates metabolism and uses the
body's fat stores to provide energy. However, there's no scientific evidence
to back this up. The best way to control cravings is to eat regularly, avoid
skipping meals and opt for foods with a low glycaemic index.
. Figure Trim CLA Formula
this tablet combines a type of fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with chromium and lecithin and claims to help maintain an optimum balance between lean muscle and body fat. Some animal studies have shown that CLA may lower body fat and increase muscle but the evidence for an effect in humans is still weak. Our advice to lose fat and build muscle is to combine fat-burning aerobic exercise with resistance exercises to tone and strengthen muscles!
. Holland & Barratt 7 Day Souper Cabbage Diet Systemthe main ingredients in these pills are onion, green pepper, celery, tomato, carrot, courgette and cabbage! You'll lose weight but it won't have anything to do with the tablets and everything to do with the bizarre, extremely low-calorie diet plan that comes with it. On day one, you may only eat fruit (except bananas!); on day two, it's a jacket potato with butter and vegetables (except beans, peas and sweetcorn); on day three, it's
fruit and vegetables; and so on. If you really fancy the idea of cabbage soup,
we suggest you make up your own recipe using the fresh ingredients listed above.
. Holland & Barrett Fibre Dietthis combines a blend of fibre
from vegetables, grains and citrus fruits that supposedly help to fill you up.
The tablets also come with a recommended 1,000-calorie diet. Of course, fibre
is an important part of a healthy diet and keeps you feeling fuller for longer,
but in our opinion it's better to eat more fibre-rich foods rather than relying
on supplements.
. Lipoclear XLSthe active ingredient in this tablet is chitosan, a fibre extract that comes from the shells of shrimp. The theory is that chitosan binds with fat from food and stops it from being absorbed so that it passes through the digestive tract and is excreted in the stools. A small scale trial has shown this product to result in weight loss but there's
still insufficient evidence to suggest that chitosan is effective in aiding weight
loss. Cutting your intake of fatty foods is an easier and more effective way
to lose weight.
. Phase 2 Starch Neutraliserthis is a relatively new product that's promoted as being 'The Atkins Diet in a pill'! It contains a concentrated extract of white kidney bean that supposedly neutralises the starch-digesting enzyme, alpha amylase. This prevents starchy carbohydrates from being broken down into glucose so that starch simply passes through the digestive tract as extra fibre. Our advice would be to make sure the starchy foods you eat are also packed with fibre in the first place - we're
talking wholegrain cereals and breads, wholewheat pasta and brown rice.
. Powerhealth Slim Nitethis tablet contains three amino acids (building blocks for protein), ornithine, arginine and carnitine. Carnitine supposedly plays a vital role in converting stored fat into energy while ornithine and arginine are important for metabolism. Strangely no reference is made as to why you should take these pills before you go to bed. Instead we recommend you get a good night's
sleep and wake up revitalised the next day so that you can burn calories and
tone your muscles through exercise.
. Xenadrine EFXthis well-known slimming tablet contains a mixture of green tea extract, yerba mate and bitter orange to burn fat fast. Preliminary studies have shown that green tea extract may help with slimming by speeding up fat oxidation, but further research is needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn. Meanwhile, yerba mate contains caffeine, which may boost metabolism slightly and an extract from bitter oranges may affect metabolism. Of course, an inexpensive way that's guaranteed to burn fat is to follow a reduced-calorie diet and take more exercise!
. Zotrimanother herbal tablet that contains extracts of three South American herbs, yerba mate, guarana and damiana. Zotrim claims this combination slows the rate at which your stomach empties, which in turn fills you up more quickly and keeps you feeling that way for longer. There is a clinical study showing some positive results amongst slimmers, but it's
the only one of its kind. However, eating more foods with a low glycaemic index
will also help to keep you feeling fuller for longer, so you might want to
try this first!