In the world of fat loss, there is one menace that lingers around, preying on the purses and wallets of unsuspecting victims.
No, it’s not an actual person that goes around robbing people at the gym.
It’s the category of foods and supplements that claim to help you burn more fat.
Let’s examine a few example of these, and determine why they’re scams.
#1 – “Superfoods”
Various foods – particularly certain veggies and fruits – have been touted to be so “potent” in vitamins, minerals, and various other substances, that they can speed up your metabolism and help you lose weight!
If your diet is deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, then your metabolism may suffer.
By consuming these certain foods, you’re rounding out your diet and making sure you aren’t deficient in anything, thus, your metabolism won’t take a hit.
But consuming more of these foods won’t “speed up your metabolism”. If that we’re the case, then taking a multi-vitamin would help out burn more fat, regardless of who you are. (And we know that it doesn’t work like that … )
#2 – Cool-Sounding Natural Supplements “that Help You Burn Fat”
Every now and then, a new “substance” makes headlines, claiming it will help prevent cancer, make you look younger, help you lose weight, etc …
Resveratrol was one of the big players in the mid-late 2000s, and claimed to be the reason why French people we’re so much healthier than Americans (because resveratrol is found in wine.)
Unfortunately, the studies the show the so-called “positive benefits” are usually not in humans, and the results are over-blown!
And in resveratrol’s case, one of its biggest study’s lead researcher was found to be fraudulent – tampering with the results to make the benefits seem greater than they actually are.
#3 – “Fat Burners”
This category is separate from the rest because they actually work.
Yes, they can help you burn fat, but at a price.
Many of these so-called “fat-burners” are simply stimulant cocktails that increase your rate of metabolism, but also your heart-rate, blood-pressure, etc.
A common component of these fat-burners is caffeine – and lots of it.
Excessive stimulant consumption can cause heart issues, including arrhythmia & cardiac arrest – and can even be lethal.
This, in my mind, makes these products illegitimate and dangerous for the sake of losing weight.
