How to Slim Down with the Top Science-Backed Supplements
Lower Your Appetite and Lose the Weight
Slimming down can be difficult, and making it even more confusing is the endless number of supplements out there, many with outrageous claims.
There are not too many proven supplements, and even when we find the right ones, our results will be limited without a simple and repeatable strategy to match.
Eating less food over time or within a shorter daily window can cause positive effects on weight.
While many can lose the weight, keeping it off remains the elusive ongoing challenge for most.
For supplements that cause weight loss independent of appetite suppression, go to the bottom of the article.
As we have seen extreme diets produce yo-yos in terms of results, sustainability and repeatability become the most effective strategy.
One way we can achieve repeatability, thus making it much easier on ourselves, is by suppressing insatiable appetites.
Because when we are not hungry, weight management becomes a breeze.
Here are the best appetite suppressants for weight loss.
#1 Appetite Suppression with Berberine
What’s not to love about this extract we find in many common plants such as barberry, goldenseal, and Oregon Grape?
For weight management, berberine does it all and has the studies to back it up.
Berberine is a well-studied health supplement, with over 500 clinical studies.
A recent meta-analysis of 14 studies shows berberine performs equal to the popular weight loss, diabetes, and anti-aging medication, Metformin, delivering a similar mechanism of action without the unwanted side effects.
Berberine activates AMPK, a powerful enzyme that we refer to as “The Master Metabolic Switch.”
Recent research is showing low AMPK levels might be correlated with slow metabolisms, and also chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
This means AMPK turns on the same pathways we trigger by exercising and fasting (caloric restriction).
We consider AMPK an exercise mimetic, which means taking this supplement is like cheating to lose the weight.
Helping the body combat obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, berberine improves fatty acid oxidation, and decreases glucose production in the liver.
Besides potent fat-burning and appetite suppressing actions, berberine promotes longevity and anti-aging with lowering fat storage, improving energy metabolism and stress and illness resistance, along with overall cellular health.
New research is showing berberine promotes gut health to support the gut microbiome with anti-pathogen activities while also improving the DAO enzyme and histamine intolerance, such as Mast Cell Activation Disorder, (MCAS).
Activating various short-term and long-term ATP-producing catabolic pathways (such as fatty acid oxidation and glycolysis), berberine turns off ATP-consuming anabolic pathways (such as lipogenesis, or “fat building”).
AMPK increases the effects of leptin, the “satiety hormone” which inhibits hunger, and adiponectin, which improves glucose and fatty acid metabolism).
Increasing the expression of our white and brown fat thermogenic genes, berberine increases the development of brown fat-caused weight loss.
And this is what ketosis does in shifting the body from energy storage to energy expenditure, which is what we want if our goal is to lose the weight and lower age-related and all-cause mortality.
This means berberine through its AMPK activation manages appetite suppression, fat burning, and weight loss at the body’s most comprehensive and foundational levels.
Mechanisms and Targets:
AMPK, PGC-1α, NF-kappaB, gut microbiome, adiponectin, glucagon, insulin, glucose transport, GLUT1, GPR40, insulin receptor, leptin, ATP, brown fat, acid oxidation, glycolysis, lipogenesis, UCP1, DAO.
Dosage and use:
400 to 500 mg at the beginning of a meal. Berberine can excessively lower blood sugar too low in some with the condition and/ or those on medication.
#2 Hunger Suppression with 5-HTP
As a compound we naturally produce in the body from the amino acid tryptophan, 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is a precursor to the hormone melatonin and the neurotransmitter serotonin.
5-HTP, the supplement, is produced from the seeds of an African plant, Griffonia simplicifolia.
We see notable appetite suppression with 5-HTP supplementation in the higher dosage range, reliably lowering food intake.
Through increasing serotonin, we believe 5-HTP to suppress appetite, allowing users to lose the weight.
Researchers believe the serotonin regulating enzyme MAO-A controls hunger, as we see MAO inhibitors as some of the best appetite suppressants and weight loss medications.
Human and double-blind studies show 5-HTP produces weight loss in subjects through suppressing hunger.
5-HTP is also effective for anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Dosage and use:
Dosages range widely from 50 to 400 mg. Serious, life-threatening interactions such as serotonin syndrome can occur when this compound is combined with SSRIs or MAO-Is. This is a serious compound and should be treated as one. As such we cannot recommend using it solely for weight loss purposes only.
#3 Suppressing Hunger with EGCG/ Green Tea/ Matcha Tea
While all sources of caffeine produce connections with appetite suppression and weight loss, Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) sits in a class of its own.
EGCG is a unique plant compound we find in green tea, which continues to collect attention for its positive health-promoting activities.
We believe EGCG lowers inflammation, prevents brain and cardiovascular disease while suppressing hunger and triggering corresponding weight loss.
EGCG causes actions on MAO-B, which we believe is how it causes hunger suppression and weight loss.
Green tea influences the burning of calories, even when we are resting.
We see an average weight loss of .5 to 7.7 pounds with EGCG supplements in clinical trials.
We see similar thermogenic effects with cayenne, chili peppers, sriracha, and others containing the active compound capsaicin.
Dosage and use:
Limited evidence shows liver toxicity with the use of EGCG at dosages of 800 mg and more. Instead, we suggest up to 4 servings of daily matcha tea, containing 60 mg of EGCG on the average per cup. It also delivers PQQ, and other substantial antioxidants at much greater levels than non-matcha green teas.
#4/5 Best Appetite Suppressants: Hibiscus and Saffron
We recognize saffron as the world’s most expensive spice.
Saffron reliably improves symptoms of depression, insomnia, while promoting hunger suppression in clinical studies, as effective as antidepressant medication.
We believe much like 5-HTP, saffron creates its effects through increasing serotonin activity in the brain.
Studies show saffron can suppress appetite, food intake, body mass index, BMI, waist circumference, and total fat mass.
Hibiscus proves itself to be a metabolic powerhouse supplement with improvements on body fat, body mass index (BMI), weight, hip-to-waist ratio, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, obesity.
Overall, hibiscus is the most well-rounded overall metabolic health supplement one can use to suppress appetite.
Dosage and use:
To lower your appetite, hibiscus studies use standardized extracts, as do saffron studies taken two to three times daily.
Best Appetite Suppressants (Notables)
Caffeine: (Coffee, Yerba Mate, Chocolate, Cocoa, Cacao, Oolong Tea, Black Tea)
Many argue nothing proves itself as much as caffeine for appetite suppression and burning excess fat.
And with the mountain of supporting caffeine studies, caffeine is the best supplement we can use to suppress appetite naturally.
Assuming one is not suffering from a condition such as severe anxiety, maximizing caffeine intake to 4 servings a day is an effective strategy.
If one is caffeine-sensitive and/or a slow caffeine metabolizer, one can consider smoother and lower caffeine alternatives such as cocoa or cacao for hunger suppression.
Suppress Appetite Naturally: Ketogenic Supplements: (MCT Oil, BHB, Benfotiamine, Pantethine)
Slimming down by increasing ketone levels is all the rage with the popular ketogenic diet.
While the diet itself is not appropriate for everyone, the overall strategy of ketosis is still an effective one.
Whether engaging in intermittent fasting or using supplements such as MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil in coffee, or others such as β-hydroxybutyrate BHB, benfotiamine, or pantethine, we can increase ketone bodies, which means we can find ourselves slimming down by improving our body’s fat-burning, energy, and metabolic efficiency.
Often, this is the default state to which athletes find themselves.
Weight Loss Not Due to Appetite Suppression
We see the following supplements cause weight loss independent of appetite suppression in research studies.
This means the following supplements carry a correlation of weight loss, (usually mild), independent of reducing food intake because of appetite suppression.
Fucoxanthin (Most Notable Effect: Postmenopausal Obese Women Only)
Inositol (PCOS Women Only when Not Obese)
Keto (Water Weight Loss Only)
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (Obese with High Dose Only)
7-Keto DHEA (Obese Only with Exercise)
Ashwagandha (Overweight with Anxiety Only)
Green Coffee Extract (Chlorogenic Acid)
Gynostemma Pentaphyllum (Longterm Only)
Pterostillbene (Weight Reduction along with LDL Increase)
Coleus Forskohlii (Men Only)
Tongkat Ali (Longjack) Eurycoma Longifolia Jack (Overweight Men Only)
Zinc (Zinc Deficient Children with Metabolic Syndrome Only)
Apple Cider Vinegar (Overweight Only)
Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT)
Also Likely: Ephedrine when combined with aspirin, (not recommended because of gastroesophageal damage), and ephedrine alone.
Caffeine and nicotine likely cause weight loss solely through appetite suppression.
Weight Gain: We see an association of weight gain with creatine and cannabis.
Suppress Appetite Others
Nicotine, ephedrine, black seed oil, chromium, psyllium, oats, salvia hispanica, apple cider vinegar, coconut vinegar, vinegar, alpha-lipoic acid, CDP-choline, ephedrine, ginger, protein, soluble fiber, viscous fiber, Gymnema sylvestre, Caralluma fimbriata, inositol, kratom, banaba leaf, Gynostemma Pentaphyllum, ginseng, xanthohumol hops, aloe vera, bitter melon, cinnamon, manganese, omega-3, Emblica Officinalis, Salacia Reticulata, vanadium, Cissus quadrangularis, avocados and avocado oil, olives and olive oil, algae and algae oil, kefir, vinegar, quinoa, capsaicin, cayenne, chili peppers, yohimbe, synephrine (bitter orange), garcinia cambogia, mucuna, rhodiola rosea, maca, tongkat ali, calcium, HMB, CLA, fenugreek, probiotics, prebiotics, forskolin, Glucomannan, Green Coffee Bean Extract (Chlorogenic Acid).
Conclusions on How to Suppress Appetite
Discussing weight management without a lifestyle strategy is like trying to drive a car with flat tires.
You can pull this off, but it’s not an efficient method to suppress appetite naturally.
How to suppress appetite and lose the weight and keep it off?
We best do this through combining a repeatable lifestyle and supplements.
Most everyone can benefit from intermittent fasting, which involves skipping breakfast or moving breakfast time closer to dinnertime.
Intermittent fasting is an easily repeatable strategy for appetite suppression and weight management, which produces results.
Interestingly enough, many report intermittent fasting can lower your appetite.
We can likewise realize tremendous benefits with increased energy and mood by not forcing our bodies to be constantly struggling with food digestion.
Caffeine intake is the best general and overall appetite suppressant.
Many will continue to suggest having up to four servings of daily caffeine is how to suppress appetite.
The studies and actions of berberine continue to impress and turn heads.
Most can benefit from the combining of these three items to improve their short- and long-term results.
What is your favorite weight management strategy?
Your Friend in Health
Mark Stein
