When it comes to weight loss supplements, the market is flooded with bold claims like "Lose 10 pounds in a week!" or "Burn calories while you sleep!" But the reality is, no supplement can magically make the pounds disappear. While weight loss supplements can be a helpful addition to your efforts, they are not a quick fix.
As a registered dietitian, I always remind my clients that sustainable and healthy weight loss comes from building a strong foundation: eating a balanced diet, staying physically active, getting enough sleep, and managing stress. If you maintain these healthy habits, incorporating a weight loss supplement can provide additional support in reaching your goals.
This article isn't about promoting extreme or unhealthy weight loss methods. Instead, we'll focus on the best supplements for weight loss that contain research-backed ingredients. These supplements can support your efforts when paired with a healthy lifestyle.
Types of Weight Loss Supplements
While there are countless options on the market, we've chosen supplements featuring the following evidence-based ingredients:
Probiotics: A healthy gut may play a role in weight loss. Research suggests that a person’s gut microbiome can influence their ability to shed pounds. Certain probiotic strains help rebalance gut bacteria and improve digestion, which may aid weight loss efforts.
Protein Powders: Increasing your protein intake, especially during a calorie-restricted diet, helps preserve lean muscle mass while promoting fat loss. Since muscle burns more calories even at rest, adding protein powder can boost your metabolism and keep you feeling fuller longer.
Fiber Supplements: Adding more fiber to your diet can promote weight loss by increasing satiety, reducing appetite, and preventing overeating. Fiber supplements or high-fiber foods can help with this.
Vitamins and Minerals: Correcting deficiencies in essential nutrients like vitamin D, iron, or B12 can support your weight loss journey. Low levels of these nutrients may impact energy levels, metabolism, or hormone balance, all of which can hinder weight loss.
Thermogenic Supplements: These "fat burners" or "metabolism boosters" typically contain ingredients like caffeine, capsaicin, or plant extracts. While they may increase calorie burning, some thermogenic supplements carry risks, including high caffeine content or undisclosed ingredients. Choose carefully and be aware of potential interactions with medications.
Benefits of Using Weight Loss Supplements
Supplements are designed to complement, not replace, a healthy lifestyle. While they won’t achieve weight loss on their own, they can enhance your efforts when combined with proper nutrition, exercise, and other healthy habits.
Potential Drawbacks of Weight Loss Supplements
According to the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements, there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of weight loss supplements. Additionally, dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA, meaning that what's listed on the label may not always match what's in the product, or in safe or effective amounts. This lack of oversight can pose health risks. It’s crucial to choose supplements from reputable brands that undergo third-party testing.
Weight loss supplements can also be expensive, and some may interact with medications or other supplements, potentially causing adverse effects.
How We Selected the Weight Loss Supplements
- Safety: We reviewed the ingredients to ensure they are safe for consumption.
- Research-Based Ingredients: Only supplements with scientifically supported ingredients were included.
- Third-Party Testing: We prioritized products from companies that conduct third-party testing for quality assurance.
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure these supplements are safe for you before starting them.
The 10 Best Weight Loss Supplements:
- Pendulum’s GLP-1 Probiotic
- Garden of Life’s Raw Organic Fit Vanilla Protein Powder
- bio.me’s Daily Prebiotic Fiber
- Supergut’s The Gut Healthy GLP-1 Booster
- Thorne’s Green Tea Phytosome
- Enzymedica Berberine Phytosome
- Life Extension’s AMPK Metabolic Activator
- TAHA Health & Nutrition New Zealand Grass-Fed Protein Blend
- NOW Foods Organic Psyllium Husk Powder
- Mega Foods Gummy B12 for Energy
Pendulum's GLP-1 Probiotic
Main Weight Loss Ingredients: Akkermansia muciniphila, Clostridium butyricum, and Bifidobacterium infantis
Pendulum's GLP-1 Probiotic features a combination of three probiotic strains that may naturally enhance the body’s GLP-1 levels. This supplement contains Akkermansia muciniphila and Clostridium butyricum, which can stimulate GLP-1 production. This may help reduce cravings and promote feelings of fullness, making it easier to manage appetite and potentially support weight loss. Additionally, the probiotics in this supplement may promote overall gut health by fostering beneficial bacteria in the microbiome.
After testing this supplement, our reviewer reported fewer hunger pangs throughout the day and a weight loss of 3 pounds over the course of a month, while also increasing their physical activity.
It’s important to note that this supplement does not contain GLP-1 itself, which is a medication used to treat conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Garden of Life's Raw Organic Fit Vanilla Protein Powder
Main Weight Loss Ingredients: Organic Protein Blend, Green Tea Extract, Ashwagandha
The Garden of Life Raw Organic Fit Protein Powder is a plant-based protein powder designed to support weight loss. It contains ashwagandha, which has been shown to help manage stress and anxiety. By reducing stress and lowering cortisol levels—the hormone that can make it harder to lose weight—ashwagandha may help support your weight loss efforts. With 4 grams of fiber and 28 grams of protein per serving, this powder helps keep you full longer while preserving muscle mass. Additionally, it includes Svetol, a green tea extract known for enhancing thermogenesis, which can increase calorie burning and potentially aid in weight loss.
bio.me's Daily Prebiotic Fiber
Main Weight Loss Ingredients: Fiber from Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum and Resistant Potato Starch
bio.me's Daily Prebiotic Fiber is a prebiotic supplement featuring partially hydrolyzed guar gum and resistant potato starch. These fibers help increase feelings of fullness, which can lead to reduced calorie intake. Additionally, prebiotics nourish beneficial gut bacteria, improving gut health and balance, which research has linked to successful weight loss. With 7 grams of fiber per serving, this supplement is easy to incorporate into your routine—simply mix it into a smoothie, yogurt bowl, or cup of coffee to enjoy its benefits.
Supergut's The Gut Healthy GLP-1 Booster
Main Weight Loss Ingredients: Prebiotic Fiber Blend of Resistant Starch and Beta-Glucan
Supergut’s The Gut Healthy GLP-1 Booster is a powder supplement featuring a blend of resistant starch and beta-glucan. Resistant starch functions like fiber, as it cannot be digested, while beta-glucan, a soluble fiber found naturally in oats, also resists digestion. Beta-glucan helps promote feelings of fullness by slowing down digestion, which can aid in reducing calorie intake and supporting weight loss efforts.
Thorne's Green Tea Phytosome
Main Weight Loss Ingredient: Green Tea Phytosome
Thorne's Green Tea Phytosome contains decaffeinated green tea extract, which may support weight loss when paired with healthy lifestyle changes. The green tea extract helps stimulate thermogenesis, encouraging the body to increase heat production and burn more calories, potentially aiding in weight loss.
Enzymedica Berberine Phytosome
Main Weight Loss Ingredient: Berberine Phytosome
The key ingredient in Enzymedica's supplement is berberine, a plant-derived compound that may help support healthy blood sugar levels and weight loss. Studies have shown that individuals taking berberine experienced reductions in body weight and BMI. This formula is designed to be gentle on the stomach, minimizing common gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea or digestive discomfort.
Life Extension's AMPK Metabolic Activator
Main Weight Loss Ingredients: Hesperidin and G. Pentaphyllum Extract
Life Extension's AMPK Metabolic Activator features two key ingredients: Hesperidin, an antioxidant derived from oranges, and G. pentaphyllum extract, a medicinal herb. Together, these ingredients stimulate the AMPK enzyme, which plays a crucial role in regulating metabolism. When activated, AMPK helps break down fat for energy, potentially promoting fat loss.
TAHA Health & Nutrition New Zealand Grass-Fed Protein Blend
Main Weight Loss Ingredient: Whey Protein Isolate
This protein blend combines whey protein isolate with collagen peptides, promoting both muscle growth and skin health. Increasing protein intake during calorie restriction helps support fat loss while preserving muscle mass. TAHA's Protein Blend delivers 25 grams of protein per scoop, making it easy to meet your daily protein needs.
NOW Foods Organic Psyllium Husk Powder
Main Weight Loss Ingredient: Psyllium Husk
NOW Foods Organic Psyllium Husk Powder is a simple yet effective source of fiber, containing only psyllium husk. This soluble fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract, forming a gel-like substance that promotes a feeling of fullness, which can aid in weight loss by reducing appetite. With 7 grams of fiber per scoop, it helps bring you closer to achieving your daily fiber intake goals.
MegaFood Gummy B12 for Energy
Main Weight Loss Ingredient: Vitamin B12
MegaFoods Gummy B12 for Energy delivers 1000% of your daily recommended value of this essential vitamin. While not all of it will be absorbed, maintaining adequate B12 levels is crucial for sustaining energy. Low B12 levels can lead to fatigue and weakness, and research suggests that a deficiency may also contribute to fat accumulation and obesity.