If you want to know which supplements have the best fat burner ingredients to include in a thermogenic fat burner, then you want to read this article.
Fat burners are one of the most popular classes of dietary supplements, and for good reason -- EVERYONE at some point or another needs to drop a few pounds. Yes, even the naturally lean ones out there. While pre-workout, protein powders, and amino acid formulas are typically only sought out by the fitness-oriented population, fat burners appeal to anyone and everyone on any given day.
Over the centuries, people of all cultures have tried their hand at weight loss for in one form or another. Some ancient, and even modern-day rural, societies utilize natural metabolism boosters, such as guarana or chile peppers, while present-day technologically advanced cultures often resort to all sorts of “designer” stimulants and drugs including DMAA or 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) to eliminate those unsightly pounds.
While there have been a few success stories over the years in identifying truly effective fat loss supplements, there have been exponentially more failures. There has also been an equivalent number of “pretenders” that have been hyped to accelerate fat loss, but really only make you feel stimmed out.
Tired of the shenanigans and searching for truly effective weight loss support, we set out to look for the best fat burners in existence and help you sort out the truth from the marketing hoopla that plagues the supplement industry.
Ahead we’ve got a list of the best fat burners on the market today as well as the best fat burner ingredients to for; but before we get there, let’s take a quick look at the history of fat burners and what prompted this discussion in the first place!
History of Fat Burner Supplements
Fat burners are pretty self-explanatory. They are supplements containing a number of various compounds with the sole intent to reduce fat mass. Now this can happen through a variety of mechanisms, most of which we’ll get to when discussing the best fat burners, but for now just realize that you can burn fat through a number of ways, and fat burners are developed (or they should be, at the very least) to address these assorted mechanisms, ultimately leading to a slimmer, trimmer, sexier you!
Since its inception, supplement companies have tried to strike gold and develop a truly effective fat burner. But, few succeeded. These numerous failures all basically utilized the same methodology when it came to formulating their respective fat burners -- cram it full of as many stimulants as possible. While this made the so-called “weight loss aids” give the feeling they were working, in truth, consumers didn’t lose any fat. The only “weight” they did lose came from their wallet being a bit lighter.
And who can blame the supplement companies?
Given the stimulant obsession of modern day society, they saw the opportunity to cash in big, and they took it. The downside to this industry boom was that consumers didn’t really get any true fat burners -- all they got was a bad case of jitters and anxiety. And to top it off, those same consumers buying the high stim “fat burners” didn’t lose any weight either!
Now, don’t get us wrong, there were some fairly effective ingredients that showed up from time to time, including the very popular ephedrine or the bodybuilding staple DNP, but those ingredients were altogether banned after numerous adverse side effects were evident following their use.
This has culminated in 99% of companies selling you products that make you think you’re burning fat by using all sorts of complex sounding terms, including:
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increase fat oxidation rates,
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Enhance thermogenesis
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Preserve lean mass,
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Reduce fat storage
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Optimize hormone levels
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Improve nutrient partitioning
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Boost thyroid function
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And many, many more
Make no mistake, there are naturally-occurring ingredients that do confer these benefits, most companies don’t use them or if they do, don’t implement the correct doses. In the end, most of “fat burner” marketing is little more than fancy window dressing around a cocktail of unproven stimulants that make you feel like you're burning fat, when in reality it’s doing nothing for actual weight loss and only affecting your heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep.
Fortunately, we’ve started to see a slow turn of the tide in the industry. As regulation and oversight has increased, ushering out the popular designer stims of yesteryear, supplement companies have finally started using actual research-backed ingredients in their fat burners and dosing them properly!
What are these effective fat burners, you may wonder?
Here are the top 5 fat burners on the market today!
Best Fat Burner Ingredients
Forskolin
Leading off the call list of the best fat burners is one of the most effective and popular non-stimulant fat burners in the market is Coleus Forskohlii, a.k.a. forskolin.
Forskolin is the active alkaloid naturally residing deep in the coleus forskohlii plant that enhances fat loss via increasing cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) levels in the body.[1] cAMP is a derivative of ATP that operates as an intracellular messenger relaying signals affecting a slew of biochemical processes including those that govern glucose(sugar) and lipid metabolism.
As you probably know, ATP is the primary energy currency of the cell responsible for powering muscular contractions during exercise. Following exercise, ATP is low and cAMP is high, which signals the body to kickstart production of more ATP. Your body does this by burning through energy reserves, i.e. stored body fat.
Where forskolin comes into play is that it activates the adenyl cyclase enzyme, which converts ATP to cAMP, skewing the crucial ATP:cAMP ratio in cAMP’s favor. This catalyzes the energy burning process in the body, ratcheting up metabolism and calorie expenditure, which means you’re burning more and more body fat without the addition of any stimulants whatsoever!
On top of that, additional research shows that forskolin supplementation accelerates fat loss and naturally boosts testosterone levels.[3,4] As you know, testosterone is an incredibly anabolic hormone that’s responsible for muscle growth, suggesting that forskolin may be useful for preserving and building muscle during a dieting phase.
Green Tea
Green tea is an incredibly popular beverage consumed for centuries around the world and lauded for its numerous benefits, particularly those regarding fat burning. The reason green tea is especially effective for shedding unwanted body fat has to do with the slew of catechins and polyphenols naturally occurring in its leaves.
Chief among these catechins in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (also known as EGCG). While there are a number of other catechins (six total, including EGCG) present in tea leaves, EGCG is the one regarded for the fat-burning prowess of the beverage.
Research notes that catechins accelerate fat loss via inhibition of an enzyme called catechol-O-methyltransferase, which breaks down adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine), two key catecholamines affecting metabolism and weight loss.[5]
On top of that, catechins in green tea have been shown to help reduce abdominal fat, the area of fat most of us struggle to get rid of when dieting.[6] Additionally, green tea increases fat oxidation (natural fat burning) and energy expenditure at rest and during exercise. It also boosts exercise performance, which boosts calorie burning and prompts even greater fat loss![7,8,9]
To cap of the plethora of benefits from using green tea extract it also helps reduce caloric intake during meals and the amounts of carbohydrates your body absorbs from food.[10]
Paradoxine
When you’re really ready to ramp up the temperature on fat loss, you need look no further than Paradoxine, a patented extract of Grains of Paradise (Aframomum Melegueta) backed by several studies to enhance thermogenesis and rev up calorie burning.
Used for centuries as a cooking spice and herbal remedy to treat various ailments, Grains of Paradise has become one of the best next-gen fat burners for its ability to to “beige” white adipose tissue, a.k.a. white fat.
In the body, there are two types of fat cells -- brown fat cells, is “good fat” as it burns calories in order to generate heat. Brown fat also cultivates blood sugar and lipids, which supports enhanced glucose metabolism and lipid levels independent of weight loss.[11]
White fat cells, on the other hand, is the predominant form of fat in the body and provides stored excess energy that you see staring back at you in the mirror. This is the kind of fat you want to annihilate at all costs.
That’s where Paradoxine comes in!
It helps “brown” white fat cells, which mobilizes fatty acids to be burned for energy, escalating energy expenditure and boosting weight loss![12] In fact, research conducted in humans has noted that Paradoxine is particularly well suited to reducing abdominal fat.[13]
L-Carnitine
Carnitine supplements have been around for quite awhile in the supplement industry. In fact, they were one of the very first ingredients touted as an effective stimulant free fat burner. The reason L-Carnitine was hyped is that it’s a compound that actually facilitates fat burning in the body by shuttling fatty acids into your mitochondria to be oxidized (“burned”) for energy.
The problem with regular L-Carnitine, is that unless your chronically deficient in carnitine, as in the case of vegans, vegetarians, or the elderly, regular l-carnitine supplements aren’t all that effective for you.[14,15,16]
But there do exist a number of highly bioavailable, and ultra-effective, forms of carnitine that do work for your average everyday fat loss client. Two of the best forms of l-carnitine are acetyl l-carnitine (ALCAR) and l-carnitine l-tartrate (LCLT).
Numerous studies conducted on these two carnitine variants show that not only are they effective for increasing fat burning in the body, but they also can accelerate recovery from exercise, reduce muscle soreness, improve focus and cognition, and even exert powerful antioxidant and neuroprotective benefits![17,18,19,20]
Yohimbine
Raise your hand if you’ve ever dealt with that annoying “stubborn” fat that never seems to go away no matter how long you diet, how low you drop your calories, or how hard you may exercise.
Yep, us too.
No matter how genetically blessed you are or how perfect your physique may be, we’ve all got stubborn fat that just doesn’t get lost…that’s where yohimbine comes in to save the day!
The active alkaloid of the yohimbe tree, yohimbine is a powerful central nervous stimulant and fat loss supplement that’s ideal for shedding stubborn fat around your waist and hips. What makes yohimbine so effective is its ability to block alpha-2-adrenergic receptors in the body, which allows the catecholamines, like noradrenaline, to remain in your blood and subsequently to beta receptors, thereby freeing fatty acids to be burned for energy and boosting fat loss!
Essentially, yohimbine prevents the alpha receptors in fat cells from preventing fat loss. Even better, yohimbine also suppresses appetite, which provides yet another means to accelerating weight loss.[21,22,23,24]
It’s also worth noting that yohimbine exerts these fat loss benefits WITHOUT affecting lean mass[25], making it an ideal body recomposition supplement.
Where to Find the Best Fat Burners
By now, you’re probably wondering where you can find the best fat burners on the market, and you don’t have to look far, as Primeval Labs offers robust weight loss support in the form of:
Ape Sh*t Cutz
Ape Sh*t Cutz is a thermogenic pre workout scientifically formulated to support increased athletic performance, endurance, and calorie burning. We’ve taken the best elements from our best-selling, high energy pre workout Ape Sh*t and added in prominent weight loss support agents, including TWO forms of yohimbine as well as GBB, to create the ultimate fat-burning pre workout supplement.
References
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Forskolin as an activator of cyclic AMP accumulation and lipolysis in rat adipocytes. Litosch I, Hudson TH, Mills I, Li SY, Fain JN. Mol Pharmacol. 1982 Jul;22(1):109-15.
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Body composition and hormonal adaptations associated with forskolin consumption in overweight and obese men. Godard MP1, Johnson BA, Richmond SR.. Obes Res. 2005 Aug;13(8):1335-43.
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Clinical efficacy of Coleus forskohlii (Willd.) Briq. (Makandi) in hypertension of geriatric population. Jagtap M1, Chandola HM, Ravishankar B. Ayu. 2011 Jan;32(1):59-65. doi: 10.4103/0974-8520.85729.
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Zhu BT, Shim J-Y, Nagai M, Bai H-W. Molecular modelling study of the mechanism of high-potency inhibition of human catechol-o-methyltransferase by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-o-gallate.. Xenobiotica. 2008;38(2):130-146. doi:10.1080/00498250701744641.
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Maki KC, Reeves MS, Farmer M, et al. Green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced abdominal fat loss in overweight and obese adults. J Nutr. 2009;139(2):264-270. doi:10.3945/jn.108.098293.
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Auvichayapat P, Prapochanung M, Tunkamnerdthai O, et al. Effectiveness of green tea on weight reduction in obese Thais: A randomized, controlled trial. Physiol Behav. 2008;93(3):486-491. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.10.009.
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Hodgson AB, Randell RK, Jeukendrup AE. The Effect of Green Tea Extract on Fat Oxidation at Rest and during Exercise: Evidence of Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms. Advances in Nutrition. 2013;4(2):129-140. doi:10.3945/an.112.003269.
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Lochocka K, Bajerska J, Glapa A, et al. Green tea extract decreases starch digestion and absorption from a test meal in humans: a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study. Scientific Reports. 2015;5:12015. doi:10.1038/srep12015.
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Kim SH, Plutzky J; “Brown Fat and Browning for the Treatment of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders”; Diabetes & Metabolism Journal. 2016;40(1):12-21;
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Sugita J, Yoneshiro T, et al; “Daily ingestion of grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) extract increases whole-body energy expenditure and decreases visceral fat in humans”; Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology; 2014, 60(1): 22-27;
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.Sahlin K. Boosting fat burning with carnitine: an old friend comes out from the shadow. The Journal of Physiology. 2011;589(Pt 7):1509-1510. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.205815. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3099008/
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Melton SA, et al. L-carnitine supplementation does not promote weight loss in ovariectomized rats despite endurance exercise. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. (2005)
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Ando S, et al; Enhancement of learning capacity and cholinergic synaptic function by carnitine in aging rats . J Neurosci Res. (2001)
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