Choosing an effective and safe fat-burning supplement can be a confusing task. With so many brands on the market, and so many claims made by those brands, you can wind up spending a great deal of time (and money) on supplements that won’t provide much of an outcome. Worse, many weight loss supplements contain pumped-up amounts of caffeine that will certainly trigger a metabolic boost, but aren’t always the safest or healthiest for you.
Instead of focusing on supplements that are specifically marketed for weight loss, another route to take is to look for anti-inflammatory supplements that will curb inflammation in the body, which is linked to obesity and visceral fat (fat around the belly and back), as well as diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
William Welches, DO, PhD, an osteopathic physician, told Cleveland Clinic: “Nutrition that supports a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods is another approach to chronic pain management. The anti-inflammatory diet is a lynchpin of such an integrative approach. Although there are no magic foods, putting the right combination of foods into your diet can produce remarkable results.”
The first and most important way to combat inflammation is through a healthy diet filled with whole foods. But supplements can offer a second line of defense — and these four anti-inflammatory supplements are idea for fat burning and weight loss.
1. Curcumin
Found in spices like turmeric, this anti-inflammatory compound has been shown to decrease inflammatory markers and improve painful conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Curcumin is not easy for the body to absorb and works best when you take it with a fatty meal like maybe avocado toast or oatmeal with nuts.
2. Fish Oil Supplements
You’ll find two types of omega-3 fatty acids in your fish oil supplement: DHA and EPA. Both have anti-inflammatory properties that improve gut health and can help with weight loss and fat burning.
Fish oil may even aid in repairing muscles after a workout, which means, over time, they can help you get more out of your fat-burning workouts.
3. Ginger
Ginger has numerous health benefits that include reducing inflammation and, according to one study, helping to mitigate muscle pain after a hard workout. Not to mention that ginger is also excellent at taming an upset stomach and promoting better bowel functions, which keeps your digestive tract healthy.
You can grind ginger root into a powder and slip it into a smoothie or take a ginger supplement. The recommended daily dosage is anywhere between 1 to 2 grams.
4. Spirulina
This deep blue-green algae is an effective antioxidant that has been proven in studies to reduce inflammation and increase a hormone in the body called adiponectin, which is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels and metabolism. Not only can this supplement help prevent diabetes, but when incorporated into a healthy diet, it’s great at helping to burn fat.
The recommended daily dosage for spirulina is 1 to 8 grams and you can certainly make a healthy, delicious smoothie or shake using spirulina, but you might find it more convenient (and less messy) to take a spirulina supplement each morning and be done with it.