Water as a natural weight loss supplement? Absolutely. Your body needs water to function properly and to flush out toxins, which can inhibit weight loss. Yet, most of us don't drink enough of it, which is why we need to add it to our diets.
A supplement to lose weight doesn't have to be a chemical concocted in a lab-it can be herbs or foods you supplement your diet with. Here are eight others that might surprise you:
1. Fish Oils. Fatty fish contain oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Though researchers have yet to pinpoint the exact reason, various studies show a connection between eating fish oils and weight loss, particularly when combined with exercise.
One theory is that fish oils help to improve blood flow to muscles during exercise and affect how your body metabolizes fat. They also help lower blood sugar levels. Try to eat at least two servings of fatty fish each week. And if you choose to take supplements, the University of Maryland Medical Center, suggests 180 mg for EPA and 120 mg for DHA.
2. Green Tea. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition backed up claims that this healthy beverage can boost weight loss. The researchers claim that green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation, which cannot be attributed only to its caffeine content. Try drinking at least three cups per day.
3. Thiamine or vitamin B1. This nutrient helps to convert carbohydrates to energy, and is essential to heart and muscle function. It's often deficient in people who are overweight or obese. The best food sources for thiamine are fortified breads, cereals, pasta, whole grains (especially wheat germ), lean meats (especially pork), fish, dried beans, peas, and soybeans. Make sure you're getting enough of these foods, or at least 1.1 mg from a daily supplement if you're over 19 years old.
4. Mushrooms. These tasty fungi are low-energy density foods--filling but low in calories. Research shows that if you replace high-energy density meats such as beef with low-density energy mushrooms you can significantly reduce the amount of calories you consume in a meal.
In one study, calorie intake during meat meals averaged 420 calories and 30 fat grams more than mushroom meals over the course of four days. Study participants who ate the mushrooms felt just as full after meals and in general as those who ate the meat. Try regularly substituting mushrooms for meat at meals.
5. Fiber. Eating a diet high in fiber controls your insulin levels (essential in controlling your weight), reduces bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and limits your risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Fiber is also very filling, so you're less likely to overeat and gain extra weight. To get more fiber add fruits, veggies, whole grains and cereals to your diet.
6. Lemon juice. Drinking lemon juice with warm water and honey in the morning before breakfast can stimulate your digestive system, according to several natural health proponents. When you suffer from poor digestion it reduces your body's ability to burn fat. It also allows toxins to build up and compromise your metabolism.
7. Calcium/Vitamin D supplements. Most women tend to gain weight after menopause. But, in a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine postmenopausal women who took 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D had slower weight gain than women who took a placebo. The biggest difference occurred in women who weren't getting enough calcium in the first place.
At a three-year follow-up, women whose calcium intake was less than 1200 mg but who were taking the supplements were 11 percent less likely to experience small weight gains( 2.2 to 6.6 pounds) and moderate weight gains (more than 6.6 pounds). You can get calcium from low-fat dairy products, but this still increases your calorie intake. An alternative is to supplement your diet with a calcium/vitamin D pill.
8. Dandelions. Dandelions are emerging from their pesky weed image as bona fide healthy greens. They contain vitamins A and K, and calcium, help reduce water retention, and detoxify your liver so it works more efficiently to metabolize the food you eat. However, you can overdo this good thing and run the risk of eliminating important nutrients. Limit your intake to about a cup of dandelion greens each day, or two to three cups of the tea daily.
Precaution: Some foods and natural herbs and supplements can interact with medications you're taking, cause adverse reactions such as high blood pressure, or aggravate diagnosed or undiagnosed medical conditions. Consult your doctor before significantly changing your diet.
Study References
Journal: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ,Vol. 70 No. 6, pp. 1040-1045,
Study Date: December 1999
Study Name: Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans
Website: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/70/6/1040
Author(s): Abdul G Dulloo, Claudette Duret, Dorothée Rohrer, Lucien Girardier, Nouri Mensi, Marc Fathi, Philippe Chantre and Jacques Vandermander
Journal: Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 167:893-902
Study Date: 2007
Study Name: Calcium Plus Vitamin D Supplementation and the Risk of Postmenopausal Weight Gain
Author(s): Bette Caan, DrPH; Marian Neuhouser, PhD; Aaron Aragaki, MS; Cora Beth Lewis, MD; Rebecca Jackson, MD; Meryl S. LeBoff, MD; Karen L. Margolis, MD; Lynda Powell, PhD; Gabriel Uwaifo, MD; Evelyn Whitlock, MD; Judy Wylie-Rosett, EdD; Andrea LaCroix, PhD
Journal: Journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 282 No. 16, pp. 1539-1546
Study Date: October 27, 1999
Study Name: Dietary Fiber, Weight Gain, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Young Adults
Website: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/282/16/1539
Author(s): David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD; Mark A. Pereira, PhD; Candyce H. Kroenke, MPH; Joan E. Hilner, MPH, RD; Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD; Martha L. Slattery, PhD, RD; David R. Jacobs, Jr, PhD
Journal: Appetite, Vol. 51, Issue 1, pp. 50-57
Study Date: July 2008
Study Name: Lack of energy compensation over 4 days when white button mushrooms are substituted for beef
Author(s): Lawrence J. Cheskin, Lisa M. Davisa, Leah M. Lipskya, Andrea H. Mitolaa, Thomas Lycana, Vanessa Mitchella, Brooke Micklea and Emily Adkinsa
