Fat Burners
In recent years, fat burners have become an integral part of many people's
weight loss regimens. Marketed as a natural way to supplement diet and
exercise programs, these supplements are a combination of herbal and vitamin
compounds.
What do fat burners consist of? By definition, far burners are a formulation
of herbal ingredients designed to increase energy, stimulate the metabolism,
and suppress appetite. Researchers have found that certain herbs have an
effect on how the body burns fat. The traditional main ingredient in fat
burners has been ephedra, also known as Ma Huang. Ma Huang is a popular herb
that has been used by the Chinese people for over 5,000 years. The ancient
Chinese people often used the herb for medicinal purposes. They used it as a
nasal decongestant and found it to be an effective treatment for asthma and
other respiratory illnesses.
Ma Huang is a cone-bearing shrub that is indigenous to China. However, the
plant has been found in other regions of the world, including North America.
Four years after being planted, the stems of the ma huang plant are
harvested. The stems are the part of the plant that contains the alkaloids.
The alkaloids are the substances that have all the beneficial properties of
the natural amphetamine, ephedra. More recently, the main use for ephedra
has been as the key ingredient in fat burning products to help people manage
their weight. In addition to managing weight, ephedrine also promotes
physical and mental energy.
Another widely used alkaloid of Ma Huang is pseudoephedrine which is good
for bronchial dilation. As a result, it is often included in medications
that are used to treat allergies, asthma, and hay fever. In fact,
psueoephedrine is a key ingredient in several over-the-counter cold and flu
remedies.
Another ingredient, chitosan, a substance derived from the skeletons of
marine animals such as crabs, binds to fat-soluble vitamins, preventing the
body from absorbing them. Pyruvate, a by-product of sugar metabolism, may
increase metabolism by speeding up the processes that contribute to the
function of all cells. HCA (hydroxycitrate) derived from a tree grown in
India is thought to be an appetite suppressant. Guarana, a wild herb from
South America, contains high levels of a caffeine-like substance that
stimulates energy levels and curbs appetite. Citrus aurantium is a caffeine
substitute derived from bitter orange. It stimulates beta-3 cell receptors,
which in turn releases fat from body stores. These fat burning herbs are
believed to promote thermogenesis, which is the creation of heat within the
body which allows the body to burn fat faster. Other substances such as
green tea extract and caffeine are often used in fat burner formulations to
support thermogenesis.
The idea behind fat burning formulations is that they stimulate the body's
own natural processes, helping it to shed fat more quickly by assisting in
the release of fat from the cells, however, health and fitness experts
disagree on which ingredients burn the most fat. Most experts will agree,
however, that fat burners should be used with caution. People with
hypertension, heart conditions, neurological disorders, or women who are
pregnant or nursing should not use any product that contains ephedra or
other type of stimulant. Individual results will vary with respect to how
much weight can be lost and the results are is largely dependent upon one's
level of diet and exercise.
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