Losing weight can be challenging and sometimes, using alternative methods, like supplements, for example, can make the process feel slightly easier given you’re trying a number of strategies. But, according to new research, weight loss supplements don’t really work.
Researchers looked at 315 existing studies that included alternative weight loss therapies and supplements and used randomised controlled trials where participants were monitored after being assigned an intervention at random. According to Newsweek, these products including supplements like calcium, vitamin D, garcinia (a plant that is said to affect appetite), green tea as well as therapies like acupuncture.
The review, which was published in the journal Obesity on June 23, found that participants in 16 of the 315 trials experienced a change to their weight when compared to those given a placebo — with some noting a loss of nearly five kilos. But, this is still relatively small.
And, not only do these supplements not really provide any weight loss-related benefit but in most cases, are quite expensive, as are therapies like acupuncture which can help for other areas of concern but aren’t effective for weight loss.
In fact, in some circumstances, using these supplements and therapies can actually leave people worse off, said study co-author Srividya Kidambi, MD, MS, an associate professor and chief of the division of endocrinology and molecular medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin/Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
“If supplements take the place of diet, regular exercise and behaviour changes, they will harm you in the long run,” Kidambi said in a statement.
According to co-author Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, the hold the supplement industry has over the world of weight loss is strong but there isn’t much research backing these claims.
“The dietary supplement industry is a Wild West of herbs and over-the-counter pills that have a lot of claims and little to no evidence supporting those claims,” Kahan said. “We all want a magic pill, but dietary supplements aren’t the magic pills that they are marketed to be.”
If you are wanting to lose weight, Kahan recommends a more traditional approach that includes “support from a dietitian, nutrition education and, in some cases, medication or weight loss surgery”.
Consult your doctor before incorporating supplements into your diet or making drastic changes to your diet and lifestyle.
