Ask the Scientist

The ever-popular “fat-burning” market is saturated with “magic” ingredients that promise to quickly melt fat off your body. Of course, those “before and after” pictures offer definitive “proof” you actually can drop 25 pounds in just three weeks! So it must be true … right?

The simple fact is, losing fat is based mostly around creating a negative imbalance between energy intake versus expenditure. However, a few reliable ingredients actually can help facilitate fat burning. Below are my top five.

1). Green Tea: Green tea, which contains caffeine, polyphenols, and epigallocathechin-3-gallate (EGCG), has been shown to enhance energy expenditure and fat oxidation mainly through thermogenesis (heat production caused by using stored fat for energy). EGCG may also work as an inhibitor of the enzyme catechol-O-methyl transferase, which serves to break down catecholamines.

2). Raspberry Ketone: Raspberry ketone comes from red raspberries and is chemically similar to synephrine and capsaicin. This compound has been shown to increase norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in white adipose tissue along with inhibiting small intestinal absorption of dietary fats by suppressing pancreatic lipase (SPR), a secreted enzyme that helps to break down fatty acids.

3). Caffeine: Several studies have shown this natural stimulant found in coffee and teas can facilitate fat burning by boosting one’s basal metabolic rate (BMR). The naturally occurring forms in tea are typically the safest and are considered “live caffeine.”

4). L-Carnitine: L-carnitine is classified as a conditionally essential amino acid since it’s actually a dipeptide made from the essential aminos methionine and lysine. Carnitine has been shown to facilitate fatty acid utilization for metabolic energy required by the heart, reduce tryglyceride and cholesterol levels, and provide more energy. It appears to accomplish these benefits by allowing the body to spare glycogen while instead using more of its fat stores for energy.

5). Lyzme 5®: Lyzme 5®, which is under U.S. Patent #9,216,160, is a very interesting trimethylated choline compound. Clinical trials indicate that Lyzme 5® exerts prominent modulating effects on serum lipids in a model of a high-cholesterol diet. This compound’s unique trimethylated structure makes it highly important in methyl group metabolism. There are a couple of proposed mechanisms for the actions of Lyzme 5® in the reduction of overall cholesterol and related to fat loss. The first is its ability to reduce storage of hepatic related lipids in the liver. It assists in “chaperoning” these lipid molecules from the liver back into the bloodstream, where, coupled with an effective exercise program, your body can burn them for energy. The second mechanism is through inhibition of cholesterol synthesis in the liver. Lowering cholesterol in an hyperlipidemic individual is also the first step in slowing the development of coronary artery disease. The end result of both of the actions of Lyzme 5® is a reduction of body fat.

As I mentioned before, there really aren’t any “magic” ingredients that will wipe away fat, especially without adding in proper diet and exercise. But, you can remain hopeful that this short list of ingredients could play a larger role in helping you reach your fitness and physique-based goals. Don’t forget, summer is on its way!

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