Achieving summer weight loss results naturally

Summer is just around the corner, which often means more body-baring clothing and bathing suits.

It should not be surprising that many people are looking at the best ways to get in shape for warmer temperatures. These people may already have a fat-burning exercise routine, a balanced diet, and regular chiropractic visits as part of their overall wellness lifestyle. However, they may also be seeking additional means to get them ready for summer. Savvy DCs will recognize this desire as a means to add to their bottom line, particularly if they already include nutritional supplements as part of their service offerings.

If you are looking at offering nutritional supplements to help with weight loss, you may be wondering which ones will garner the best results for your patients. Recent research has pointed toward extracts of the Garcinia cambogia fruit, green coffee beans, and raspberry ketones as having the potential to produce excellent weight loss results.

Garcinia cambogia

Garcinia cambogia, or tamarind, is a Southeast Asian fruit, whose rind is popular in cooking from that region.¹ There have been recent claims that the extract of this fruit can help reduce appetite and stop the body’s ability to produce fat. It may also regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels.¹

A 2015 study in the Spanish-language journal Nutricion Hospitalaria performed a literature review of articles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese from 2007 to 2014 that examined the effect of Garcinia cambogia on controlling obesity.² The intent was to look for commonalities among the results. Among the 21 articles that met the criteria for this study, the researchers found that several of the studies showed positive results in terms of weight loss, appetite reduction, body fat percentage as well as triglycerides, cholesterol, and glucose levels. The researchers concluded that Garcinia cambogia may have promising results in reducing obesity, but further study, particularly in terms of dosage, were still needed.²

Green coffee bean extract and raspberry ketones

Green coffee beans are simply those that have not yet been roasted to make coffee beans for making coffee.³ The main difference between roasted and unroasted coffee beans is that the roasting process reduces the amount of chlorogenic acid, which is the ingredient in green coffee beans thought to promote weight loss.³ Raspberry ketones are the chemical ingredients in raspberries that are associated with the aroma of the fruit.⁴

A 2013 article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition compared the effects of a weight-loss product to a placebo, looking at variables of body weight, fat mass, hip and waist measurements, and energy levels in 70 overweight men and women.⁵ The product listed green coffee bean extract and raspberry ketones among its main ingredients. All study subjects also underwent eight weeks of a low-calorie diet, exercise training.⁵

At the end of the eight-week period, the study subjects in the weight-loss product group (n=45) showed significant reduction in all variables compared to those in the placebo, but there were no changes seen in blood chemistry or hemodynamics.⁵ There were also no differences in diet between the two groups.

The practical upshot from this research is that nutritional supplements alone are not enough to help with weight loss. Your patients must already have a balanced diet and exercise routine in place. Supplements with Garcinia cambogia, green coffee bean extract, and raspberry ketones will give them an extra boost toward their weight-loss goals, but it should not be seen as a miracle way to lose weight in time for summer.

References
Garcinia cambogia: Safe for weight loss? Accessed 5/8/2016.
Fassina P, Scherer AF, Terezinha ZV, et al. The effect of Garcinia Cambogia as Coadjuvent in the weight loss process. Nutricion Hospitalaria 2015 Dec 1;32(6):2400-8.
Green coffee. Accessed 5/8/2016.
Raspberry ketones. Accessed 5/8/2016.
Lopez HL, Ziegenfuss TN, Hofheins JE, et al. Eight weeks of supplementation with a multi-ingredient weight loss product enhances body composition, reduces hip and waist girth, and increases energy levels in overweight men and women. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013;10:22.