Woman’s Health

Weight Loss

An ideal supplement to get the maximum shaping and toning effect from exercise and a calorie-controlled diet.

• Chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism and to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. Click here, here and here for EFSA scientific opinions.

Garcinia cambogia: A small fruit resembling a miniature pumpkin, garcinia cambogia is indigenous to India and parts of Asia. The active ingredient, called hydroxycitric acid (HCA), from its fruit and rind, is popular in many natural weight loss products. It is used to suppress appetite and enhance fat burning. The theory behind this is that HCA inhibits an enzyme called citrate lyase that helps to turn excess carbohydrates into fat. By inhibiting this enzyme, the body boosts carbohydrate oxidation, i.e. it burns up the extra carbohydrates. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial*, 44 subjects were randomized at baseline, and 39 completed the study (G Cambogia group, n = 18; placebo group, n = 21). At 16 weeks, the G Cambogia group had significantly reduced visceral, subcutaneous, and total fat areas compared with the placebo group (all indices P<0.001).

Conclusion: G cambogia reduced abdominal fat accumulation in subjects, regardless of sex, who had the visceral fat accumulation type of obesity. No
rebound effect was observed. It is therefore expected that G cambogia may be useful for the prevention and reduction of accumulation of visceral fat.
*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4053034/

Green coffee: Green coffee beans are beans that have not been roasted. The roasting process reduces amounts of the active chemical, chlorogenic acid. Therefore, green coffee bean extract (from unroasted beans that have been soaked and then concentrated) has a higher level of this acid than regular, roasted coffee beans. Chlorogenic acid in green coffee beans has been shown to have health benefits for weight loss, as well as heart and diabetes. High blood pressure, it can affect blood vessels so that pressure is reduced. For weight loss, chlorogenic acid can impact how the body handles blood sugar and metabolism. In a randomized clinical trial* on the effects of green coffee extract supplementation on anthropometric indices, glycaemic control, blood pressure, lipid profile, insulin resistance and appetite in patients with the metabolic syndrome, it was concluded that “GC extract supplementation could feasibly be an effective approach for management of some of the Mets features and Mets major causes such as insulin resistance and abdominal obesity”.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon is widely recognised as a metabolism booster, which assists the body in the faster burning of calories and fat stores for use as energy. It also has a regulatory effect on blood sugar levels and simultaneously increases insulin levels in the body, helping to control both the appetite and cravings. It imitates the biological activity of insulin and increases the metabolism of glucose.

Since high blood sugar levels can lead to increased storage of fat by the body, cinnamon facilitates weight loss by helping to prevent this. In addition, it:
• influences the manner in which sugar is metabolised by the body and prevents the transformation of the metabolised sugar into fat;
• delays the passing of food from the stomach into the intestine. As a result, you feel satisfied for a longer time and eat less;
• helps the body to process carbohydrates more efficiently;
• is rich in manganese, iron, calcium and fibre;
• supports digestive health;
• has been used since medieval times to help with diarrhoea, indigestion and bloating;
• supports healthy cholesterol levels.

White kidney bean: Kidney bean extract is a natural substance commonly sold in supplement form and is typically referred to in weight loss circles as a “starch blocker” or “carb blocker”. It works by preventing alpha-amylase (an enzyme that occurs naturally in the body) from breaking down carbohydrates into
glucose (sugar). By slowing down alpha-amylase activity, less glucose is present for the body to turn into fat. Kidney bean extract has also been associated with
stable blood sugar levels, protection against diabetes and heart disease, enhanced athletic performance and increased energy levels.

Glucomannan: Glucomannan is a natural, water-soluble dietary fibre, extracted from the roots of the elephant yam, also known as konjac (which has been used for centuries in traditional Japanese cooking as a thickener or gelling agent). It is so renowned in Japan, that it is now widely referred to as “the broom of the intestines”.

Glucomannan acts to create a sense of fullness (without leaving you feeling gassy or bloated), by absorbing water and expanding to form a bulky fibre in the stomach. It can therefore assist with appetite control and the regulation of cravings. When consumed, glucomannan also “sponges” up water in the digestive tract, reducing the absorption of carbohydrates and cholesterol and thereby supporting weight loss.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a well-researched fatty acid that is found in red meat and dairy products. Slimmers usually wish to avoid these foods, due to the high levels of saturated fat and calories present in them, but still wish to benefit from the weight loss actions of CLA. Weight loss products containing CLA are therefore popular, as they provide a convenient solution to this dilemma. CLA is a powerful antioxidant, and immune system supporter and, as a weight loss aid, helps muscle tissue to burn more fat, thus lowering body fat and cholesterol levels. It can also: raise levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL) and lower elevated triglycerides; help improve bone strength and increase muscle tissue; and help the body to regulate fat and protein metabolism.

Chromium picolinate: An essential trace mineral that plays an important role in normal carbohydrate metabolism (which converts food into sugars), chromium also helps insulin (a natural hormone that is released in response to eating carbohydrates) to properly “transport” these sugars into cells to be stored as energy. It contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism and to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels – crucial for slimmers as high and low spikes can lead to cravings, excessive hunger and binge eating.