Weight loss supplements such as bitter orange, green tea, heartleaf, and other herbal formulations are growing in popularity.
You will see these over-the-counter weight and fat loss supplements featured on TV, radio, online, and at 
various retail locations. The first and most important thing to consider about these fat loss supplements is whether they actually work or do they simply waste your money.
Weight loss supplements can include foods, chemically formulated pills, and herbal ingredients. Many of these items will claim to increase your metabolism which will allow your body to burn more calories.
Some of these supplements work by decreasing your appetite which will help you to take in fewer calories. Scientifically speaking, weight loss supplements are often referred to as thermogenic aids.
Weight loss supplements are not a magic solution to your overweight problems. There is not a pill on the market that will help you to lose weight unless you also do a major lifestyle change which includes nutrition and exercise. Therefore, a person needs to get an understanding of how the body works in relation to weight loss and weight loss supplements.
Recently, the weight loss supplement industry has funded many studies about their products. The majority of these studies are similar in the sense that a group of people will be given a weight loss supplement and then have their energy expenditure level tested while lying down, sitting, or exercising. The best studies will also include the amount of calories burned during physical activity.
An important recent study that was very comprehensive examined the different ingredients that are found in many of the more popular weight loss supplements.
Some of the ingredients that were key in most supplements were caffeine, vitamin B12, bioperine, and capsaicin. The study was conducted on women and men of average fitness levels. There were two groups of which one group was given weight loss supplements while the other group was given a placebo.
The study measured each group’s metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, and their fat burning and carbohydrate capacity during a 50 minute workout which was followed by a 50 minute post exercise recovery.
The group that took weight loss supplements had a six percent higher resting energy expenditure. They also had a slightly higher oxygen consumption during exercise. Their blood pressure and heart rate was significantly higher both during and after their exercise routine.
On an excellent medical website you can examine the breakdown of many popular weight loss supplements. This breakdown includes the ingredients, the promised benefits, the effectiveness, and any safety concerns.
Many of these supplements have received an unsafe or banned label from the Federal Drug and Administration. The reason for this can be likened to many of the study results that show an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, seizures, headaches, heart attack, stroke, and even death.
However, that does not mean that every weight loss supplement produces these symptoms. There are many products that are on the safer side. Therefore, before you decide to use any weight loss supplement you should talk to your family doctor and do some additional research.