Do vitamin supplements support weight-loss?

When we are looking for weight-loss advice, there are a lot of vitamin supplements that sound like they might do the trick in helping us slim down. So, is there anything to the idea that supplements can help a person lose weight?

While there are plenty of companies selling vitamin supplements that claim will help to support weight-loss, using vitamins for weight-loss is not really a thing!

There is a lot of hype online that vitamins supplements can help with weight loss. The truth is, eating a healthy, balanced diet with regular exercise is the only proven way to slim down successfully. Using vitamin supplements may even backfire, by lulling us into complacency about our diets.

Research has shown that vitamins, as a whole, do not lead to weight loss, but rather provide the body with important nutrients that it maybe lacking. The only thing a vitamin can cure is deficiency of that vitamin.

As we now know that vitamin supplements do not lead to weight-loss, certain nutrients do keep coming up in the so-called weight loss vitamins. Here are some of the most common ones and what they actually do for our health.

Fibre: There are many good health reasons to make sure we are getting enough fibre into our diet. It’s good for the heart, our blood sugar and for maintaining a weight that’s healthy for our particular bodies. Most people do not get nearly enough fibre, so it’s important to make sure we are eating fibre rich foods such as: fruit, vegetables, nuts etc. However, fibre may help to keep our bodies healthy, and our guts regular, it does not support weight-loss.

Vitamin D and calcium: There has been a lot of discussion about the weight-loss effects of a combination of vitamin D and calcium supplements. In fact, research published in 2012, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was undertaken to test that idea.

The group with the combination mix of the vitamin D and calcium did lose some visceral belly fat during the course of study. (This type of fat sits deep in the abdomen, surrounding other organs, and raises one’s risk of cardiovascular problems.) So, even though vitamin D and calcium is not a magic weight-loss bullet, at least according to this one study, it might be healthy to make sure our diet includes enough of those nutrients. However, it should be stressed that this was a very small study and focused on a narrow group of volunteers.

Omega- 3: Omega-3 fatty acids help form the structures of cell membranes and provide energy for our bodies. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce your risk of developing heart disease but there is little conclusive scientific evidence that it support weight-loss. Omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive impact on our moods and ability to think clearly.

Conclusion:

Vitamin supplements do have some positive effects on our bodies, namely giving us the missing nutrients we need. However, there is no clear evidence they help us to lose weight. What does support this is a healthy and balanced diet with regular exercise.