4 Good Metabolism-Boosting Supplements

The idea of taking a pill to burn more calories may sound too good to be true. For the most part it is—you’ll never see the same calorie burn from supplements that you can get from your spin class. Nonetheless, the following substances can definitely boost metabolism. As always, talk to your doc before you start taking any supplement.

CLA – Metabolism-Boosting Supplements
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthy fat found in meat and dairy, provides a double whammy when you’re battling the bulge: It helps burn fat and build muscle. Before you start gulping down CLA pills, you should know that this isn’t magic. People taking the highest effective dose—3.2 grams a day—typically lose about a pound of body fat per month (in addition to whatever they’re losing through other weight-loss efforts). Because CLA also boosts muscle, your overall drop in pounds will be minimal; however, there are huge health and body-shaping advantages to adding muscle while shedding fat.

The best food sources of CLA tend to be grass-fed beef, organic milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. If you want to take a CLA supplement, they’re readily available in most pharmacies.

Catechin – Metabolism-Boosting Supplements

Tea—especially the green variety—is the source of catechins, a substance that seems to protect natural stimulants in the body. Because these stimulants boost cell activity, they’ll increase your body’s need for energy. In other words, catechins can help you burn more calories around the clock.

While weight-loss mileage varies with this supplement, don’t expect miracles. Researchers at The Cleveland Clinic analyzed the results of 15 studies on catechin supplements and found that the pills could help you lose about a pound a month. Of equal interest to the researchers was the way catechins seem to stimulate fat-burning in the body, resulting in significantly narrower waists among supplement takers… SEE MORE