Guggulsterone has been cultivated for thousands of years in India and surrounding regions. Before being brought to the Western world, it was popularized in Ayurvedic medicine; now it’s a common ingredient in dietary supplements. Guggulsterone is a compound derived from the gummy resin of the gugul plant (Commiphora mukul). Traditionally, it was used as a remedy for ulcers, obesity, arthritis, and even epilepsy. Today, though, its supplemental use is largely confined to controlling weight and cholesterol. Read the rest of this entry »

L-carnitine is one of the most essential nutrients to us. It’s necessary for healthy cell activity, repair, and growth. This amino acid derivative is found in almost all cells, and helps regulate fatty acids and the oxidation of cells. L-carnitine serves two main functions in the body: transporting fatty acids to cells to produce bioenergy; and removing the buildup of short- and medium-chain fatty acids that can be a result of poor cell metabolism. Read the rest of this entry »

News flash: Men and women are different.

As the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide points out, men and women have different nutritional needs. Though for most vitamins, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) from the Food and Drug Administration are effectively the same for both sexes when adjustments are made to accommodate the fact that men generally weigh more than women, different needs clearly exist.

These differing needs can be attributed to the fact that men and women have different body masses and muscular structures, as well as different hormonal needs. Women have special supplementation needs due to menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

Leading weight-loss supplements and thermogenics contain a variety of herbs and compounds, promising to increase metabolism, provide a boost of energy, and burn off excess fat. An ingredient in many of these supplements, Garcinia cambogia is touted as an all-natural aid to weight loss. But how healthy is it, and are there any harmful side effects?

What It Is

A small fruit, Garcinia cambogia contains the active ingredient hydroxycitric acid (HCA), considered a natural appetite suppressant. The fruit’s extract has long been used in Indian folk communities to enhance the immune system and treat a variety of conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

When you’re shopping around for a thermogenic supplement, you want to choose one whose ingredients work best with your body. Learning what the key ingredients in these fat burners can do will help you create effective short- and long-term plans. Thermogenic supplements that are free of ephedra and other dangerous stimulants may help increase your metabolism and burn calories faster.

After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned ephedra from the market, manufacturers of dietary supplements began researching alternative ingredients that could imitate the same reaction without harmful side effects. Now thermogenic formulas are made with a number of herbal extracts and synthetic ingredients.

Common Ingredients and Properties
Thermogenic supplements contain a variety of ingredients that can suppress the appetite, stimulate the nervous system, increase blood circulation, and even improve mood. While the FDA has not approved most of these supplements and ingredients, many do present themselves as “all natural” and “safe.” Understanding how each ingredient affects your body will help you make a better choice of supplement. We’ll cover some common ingredients in these supplements.

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In the Far East, green tea has been a favorite beverage for thousands of years, appreciated for its delicate flavor as well as its medicinal benefits. While people in other parts of the world have enjoyed it for centuries, it’s only in recent years that researchers have begun to explore in earnest the many ways that green tea can help your health.

Broad Applications
Green tea has long been associated with health and well-being, as is made clear by Cha jing (The Book of Tea), written by the scholar Lu Yu in 760 A.D. Often quoted, such as by Michael Ganzeveld in A Brief History of Green Tea, the book gives solid documentation of the historic association of tea with better health, and its information on tea usage and preparation are still used today.

The range of benefits attributed to green tea are broad, and many of the most important of these have withstood the rigorous standards applied by modern researchers and clinical studies. A 1998 article in Science Daily, for example, presents the results of a fascinating study done by Purdue University researchers Dorothy Morre and D. James Morre, which is said to offer firm scientific proof of the cancer protection offered by green tea.

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Thermogenic and weight-loss supplements can help you manage weight, lose fat, and get a boost of energy, but how do you decide which to use? While fat burners can offer many benefits, some do have side effects and interactions with supplements that can make it difficult to achieve your goals.

Finding the right formula will depend on your weight-loss goals and your current nutrition or supplement program. Some of the leading thermogenic formulas are:

Cytodyne Xenadrine
In its Xenadrine products, Cytodyne uses a proprietary Thermodyne Complex made with green-tea extract, L-tyrosine, caffeine, guarana, and other ingredients to increase metabolism. Two capsules before breakfast and two capsules in mid-afternoon is the standard dose; each dose contains the caffeine found in one cup of coffee (200 milligrams).

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