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| Ingredient | Purported Mechanism | Research Findings | Safety+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitter orange (synephrine) | Increased energy expenditure and lipolysis; mild appetite suppressant | Small clinical trials of poor methodological quality demonstrating possible effect on resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure, with inconclusive effects on weight loss | Reported adverse effects include chest pain, anxiety, and increased blood pressure and heart rate |
| Caffeine (as added caffeine or from guarana, kola nut, yerba mate, or other herbs) | Stimulation of central nervous system; increased thermogenesis and fat oxidation | Short-term clinical trials of combination products showing possible modest effect on body weight or decreased weight gain over time | Safety concerns not usually reported at doses less than 400 mg/day for adults, but there are significant safety concerns at higher doses. Reported adverse effects include nervousness, jitteriness, vomiting, and tachycardia |
| Calcium | Increased lipolysis and fat accumulation; decreased fat absorption | Several large clinical trials have shown no effect on body weight, weight loss, or prevention of weight gain | No safety concerns reported at recommended intakes, but constipation, kidney stones, and interference with zinc and iron absorption can occur at intakes above 2,000–2,500 mg for adults |
| Chitosan | Binding of dietary fat in the digestive tract | Small clinical trials, mostly of poor methodological quality, have shown minimal effect on body weight | Reported adverse effects include flatulence, bloating, constipation, indigestion, nausea, and heartburn |
| Chromium | Increased lean muscle mass; promotion of fat loss; reduced food intake, hunger levels, and fat cravings | Several clinical trials of varying methodological quality have found minimal effect on body weight and body fat | Reported adverse effects include headache, watery stools, constipation, weakness, vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and urticaria (hives) when taken above recommended intakes (25–45 mcg/day for adults) |
| Coleus forskohlii (forskolin) | Enhanced lipolysis; reduced appetite | A small number of clinical trials show no effect on body weight | Unknown |
| Conjugated linoleic acid | Promotion of apoptosis in adipose tissue | Several clinical trials have shown minimal effect on body weight and body fat | Reported adverse effects include abdominal discomfort and pain, constipation, diarrhea, loose stools, dyspepsia, and possible adverse effects on blood lipid profiles |
| Ephedra (ma huang, ephedrine) | Stimulation central nervous system; increased thermogenesis; reduced appetite | Several short-term clinical trials of good methodological quality, many of ephedra combined with caffeine, have found modest effect on short-term weight loss | Banned as a dietary supplement ingredientReported adverse effects include anxiety, mood changes, nausea, vomiting, hypertension, palpitation, stroke, seizures, heart attack, and death |
| Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) | Inhibited lipogenesis; suppressed food intake | Several short-term clinical trials of varying methodological quality have found little to no effect on body weight | Reported adverse effects include headache, nausea, upper respiratory tract symptoms, and gastrointestinal symptoms |
| Glucomannan | Increased feelings of satiety and fullness; prolonged gastric emptying time | Several clinical trials of varying methodological quality, mostly focused on effects on lipid and blood glucose levels, have found little to no effect on body weight | Tablet forms may cause esophageal obstructions. Other reported adverse effects include loose stools, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal discomfort |
| Green coffee bean extract (Coffea aribica, Coffea canephora, Coffea robusta) | Inhibited fat accumulation; modulated glucose metabolism | Few clinical trials of poor methodological quality have suggested possible modest effect on body weight | Reported adverse effects include headache and urinary tract infections |
| Green tea (Camellia sinensis) and green tea extract | Increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation; reduced lipogenesis and fat absorption | Several clinical trials of good methodological quality on green tea catechins with and without caffeine have shown possible modest effect on body weight | Reported adverse effects for green tea extract include constipation, abdominal discomfort, nausea, increased blood pressure, liver damage |
| Guar gum | Bulking agent in gut; delayed gastric emptying; increased feelings of satiety | Several clinical trials of good methodological quality have found no effect on body weight | Reported adverse effects include abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, and cramps |
| Hoodia (Hoodia gordonii) | Suppressed appetite; reduced food intake | Very little published research in humans, but results from one study suggest no effect on energy intake or body weight | Concern for increased heart rate and blood pressure. Other reported adverse effects include headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting |
| Pyruvate | Increased lipolysis and energy expenditure | Few clinical trials of weak methodological quality suggest possible minimal effect on body weight and body fat | Reported adverse effects include diarrhea, gas, bloating, and possible decreases in high-density lipoprotein levels |
| Raspberry ketone | Altered lipid metabolism | Studied only in combination with other ingredients. Unable to draw conclusions. | Unknown |
| White kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) | Acts as a “starch blocker, interfering with breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates | Few clinical trials, all of poor methodological quality, suggest possible modest effect on body fat, but no effect on body weight | Reported adverse effects include headache, soft stools, flatulence, and constipation |
| Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe, yohimbine) | Hyperadrenergic effects | Very little research has been done on yohimbe for weight-loss, with insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions. | Significant safety concerns reported, with adverse effects including headache, anxiety, agitation, hypertension, and tachycardia |
| *Table adapted from The ODS Fact Sheet on Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss (294) +Listed in order of severity, with the most severe reported side effects listed last. | |||
From: Dietary Treatment of Obesity
This electronic version has been made freely available under a Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC-ND) license. A copy of the license can be viewed at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/.
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