Weight Loss Supplements
Weight loss supplements and weight loss vitamins are becoming more important in disease and injury prevention. Many knee replacement procedures are not a result of the knee joint actually failing but more of prolonged stress on the joint due to extra weight supported by the joint. Often the knee replacement surgery can be prevented by simply relieving the physical demands on the joint. Even being overweight for knee joint replacement has some benefits. The muscles supporting the joint are stronger due to the weight increasing the muscle bulk and strength over time. Remove the weight and the musculature still remains.
There is a plethora of products and advice about what works to "lose weight" and many are not supported by credentialed research. Below are 4 supplements and 1 medicine reported on by WebMD.
1. Calcium - The research is mixed but some of the research shows a correlation between intake of calcium and loss of body fat. The foods for the advanced calcium are dairy foods and recommended daily intake is about 3x per day. The relationship between calcium is the intake does affect calorie breakdown and fat loss.
2. Green Tea Extract - This is not a tea, but an extract. Jury out on whether one can consume enough green tea to replicate findings of extract. Has been shown to lower BMI ( body fat) but more importantly lowers it around the belly. There are studies indicating increased belly fat also leads to increased heart complications. Green tea may stand on it's own merits if it only reduces belly fat.
3. Fiber - The intake of fiber does not have a lot to do with the actual plant itself as it does with how our body processes the fiber. Fiber tends to expand when wet and also takes longer time to move out of our digestive tract. By remaining in the stomach for processing longer we feel a "full feeling". When we are not "hungry" so we eat less. Fiber has a mechanical effect which helps to curb appetite thus caloric intake.
4. Nutritional Food Replacements - We're talking energy bars and shakes on this. Simply put some of those replacements for traditional foods have less calories and tend to satisfy the urge to eat. On shakes or liquid supplements the qty. of liquid also saturates the stomach and produces longer lasting time periods one is not craving food. The problem is not to overindulge on regular fat foods when on the replacement diets.
5. Medicine: Orlistat - This goes by name of "Alli" and may not be the only pharmaceutical grade product, sold over the counter, that is a "fat blocker". Basically the research shows approximately a 25% blockage of fat caloric intake not being absorbed. Being a medicine though one has to be careful of the side effects that affect all medicines, prescription or OTC, and interactions with other medicines or supplements.
