After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned ephedra in 2004, thousands of manufacturers of diet and weight-loss drugs turned their attention to finding natural and synthetic alternatives that would mimic its effects. Many of the ingredients in these fat burners also pose a number of health risks, but some of them may still be safer than ephedra. Understanding how ephedra works in the body can help you determine if alternative supplements are right for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Staving off hunger for extended periods of time might seem like a good way to lose weight, but how effective is it? Hoodia has quickly become a fixture on the ingredient panel of many dietary supplements and weight-loss aids, promising to help you lose pounds by keeping your appetite and hunger at bay. Along with a healthy diet and exercise program, hoodia may work as a dietary supplement to help you cut back on calories without resorting to metabolism enhancers or other fat burners. But is hoodia just hype, or does it offer some real long-term benefits? Read the rest of this entry »

Energy drinks and liquid enhancers can help you reach your peak performance during your workout, and many bodybuilders and other athletes make them a regular part of their routines. Energy drinks often include a variety of natural and herbal extracts that can increase circulation, improve blood flow, and can even carry aminfo acids to muscles for recovery. Finding the right set of ingredients to support your health goals is important, but not all supplements are valuable to everyone. Determining which energy drink fits with your goals and lifestyle is important, and taking note of key ingredients will help you see which supplements are best for your body. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Losing weight and boosting the metabolism with thermogenic supplements is an attractive option for many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts who want a faster way to slim down. However, thermogenics and fat burners have long contained harmful ingredients such as ephedra, excessive amounts of caffeine, and herbs that can raise heart rate and blood pressure. While these are common side effects of weight-loss supplements, choosing a caffeine-free formula may be a healthier option. 
Why Eliminate Caffeine?
Caffeine is a powerful substance, and can become very addictive with extended use. Even though some forms of caffeine may be considered healthy—green tea, for example—the compound is still a central nervous stimulant that can elevate the heart rate, increase energy, boost blood circulation, and increase alertness. Read the rest of this entry »

Within the health industry’s ongoing debate about hormone replacement therapy, the effectiveness of DHEA continues to be a controversial topic. Some health experts claim that DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) can improve health, longevity, and even combat the signs of aging. Others say that with the appropriate amounts of hormone replacement through diet and supplements, individuals do have a chance to reverse aging and enhance their health.
DHEA, Defined
A hormone naturally produced by your body, DHEA is at its highest levels when you’re in your early 20s. DHEA is necessary for regulating adrenal hormones in the body and helps to synthesize both sex and stress hormones. Read the rest of this entry »

After ephedra was banned under a controversial decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004, manufacturers of weight-loss aids scrambled to find effective ephedra-free weight-control formulas. One of the more successful post-ephedra products is Lipo-6, offered by Nutrex Research.
What It Is
Lipo-6 is a thermogenic product that’s geared toward bodybuilders and others interested in maintaining peak fitness while also losing pounds. Nutrex says its product works in a unique way through a combination of fat-burning, health-promoting, energy-producing compounds.
Lipo-6 is also said to target specific trouble areas—abdominal, buttock, and thigh areas for women, and the lower back and love handles for men. 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.

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).

Since the body burns calories at different rates throughout the day, taking timing into account with a dietary supplement may help you achieve your weight-loss goals much more quickly. MHP’s Thyro-Slim AM/PM is an ephedra-free weight-loss supplement designed to boost metabolism, decrease appetite, and balance out blood-sugar levels—even while you sleep. The supplement is most effective taken in two phases—one for the morning and one for night—giving the body a chance to burn fat around the clock.

Thermogenic Formula
Thermogenics are the category of dietary supplements designed to help your body burn calories at a higher rate. Your metabolism naturally burns a certain amount of calories each day, and this amount is usually related to your body weight. The more muscle your body has, the more calories it will burn per hour. However, increasing your metabolism beyond the natural level can help reach into fat stores in the body. Thyro-Slim AM/PM is designed to work as a natural stimulant to increase metabolism and burn fat.