Washington, March 7 : An Oregon State University researcher, who reviewed the evidence surrounding hundreds of weight loss supplements, has said that no research evidence exists that any single product results in significant weight loss and many have detrimental health benefits.
A few products, including green tea, fiber and low-fat dairy supplements, can have a modest weight loss benefit of 3-4 pounds (2 kilos), but it is important to know that most of these supplements were tested as part of a reduced calorie diet.
"For most people, unless you alter your diet and get daily exercise, no supplement is going to have a big impact," said Melinda Manore of Oregon State University.
Manore looked at supplements that fell into four categories: products such as chitosan that block absorption of fat or carbohydrates, stimulants such as caffeine or ephedra that increase metabolism, products such as conjugated linoleic acid that claim to change the body composition by decreasing fat, and appetite suppressants such as soluble fibers.
She found that many products had no randomized clinical trials examining their effectiveness, and most of the research studies did not include exercise.
Most of the products showed less than a two-pound weight loss benefit compared to the placebo groups.
"I don't know how you eliminate exercise from the equation. The data is very strong that exercise is crucial to not only losing weight and preserving muscle mass, but keeping the weight off," Manore said.
Manore, professor of nutrition and exercise sciences at OSU, is on the Science Board for the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Her research is focused on the interaction of nutrition and exercise on health and performance.
"What people want is to lose weight and maintain or increase lean tissue mass," Manore said.
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Weight loss supplements 'not effective'
