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Which Weight Loss Supplements Are Best? ConsumerLab.com Reviews the Evidence and Tests the Quality of Popular Products
White Plains, New York, July 7, 2014 — Dozens of supplement ingredients have been touted for weight loss, but which have the strongest evidence showing they work and, among those, which products are highest in quality? To answer these questions, ConsumerLab.com, the independent health and nutrition product evaluator, reviewed the clinical evidence for more twenty ingredients and tested the quality of more than fifty products.
ConsumerLab found that no supplement has a large weight-loss effect, but certain ingredients may have a modest, short-term effect equating to 1 to 3 pounds lost in a month. From a quality standpoint, however, more than one-third of products used for weight loss have failed to pass ConsumerLab.com's testing, most often for containing less ingredient than claimed.
Shown in the table below are the supplement ingredients which, in ConsumerLab.com's assessment, may have a modest weight loss or slimming effect and the percentage of products selected for testing which were CL Approved for quality. Ingredient names link to ConsumerLab.com's reports which provide quality ratings and reviews of specific products, by brand, and information about efficacy, dosage, and side effects.
Supplements Which May Help with Weight Loss as Evaluated by ConsumerLab.com
Although not tested, ConsumerLab.com has summarized the evidence for many other ingredients in a comparison table within its Weight Loss Supplement Review, including Cha de Bugre, chitosan, diuretic herbs, ephedra, glucomannan, hoodia, L-carnitine, Pyruvate and 1-dihydroxyaxetone, raspberry ketone, acai, stimulant laxatives (such as aloe and senna), and white kidney bean extract. ConsumerLab.com has also tested products with calcium, chromium and vitamin C which, although proposed for weight loss, do not appear to be effective for that use.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online, providing immediate access to independent reviews of more than 1,000 products. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with PharmacyChecker.com, an evaluator of online pharmacies, and MedicareDrugPlans.com, which reviews and rates Medicare Part D plans.
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ConsumerLab found that no supplement has a large weight-loss effect, but certain ingredients may have a modest, short-term effect equating to 1 to 3 pounds lost in a month. From a quality standpoint, however, more than one-third of products used for weight loss have failed to pass ConsumerLab.com's testing, most often for containing less ingredient than claimed.
Shown in the table below are the supplement ingredients which, in ConsumerLab.com's assessment, may have a modest weight loss or slimming effect and the percentage of products selected for testing which were CL Approved for quality. Ingredient names link to ConsumerLab.com's reports which provide quality ratings and reviews of specific products, by brand, and information about efficacy, dosage, and side effects.
Supplements Which May Help with Weight Loss as Evaluated by ConsumerLab.com
| Weight Loss Effect | Percentage of Products Passing All Quality Tests | |
| 7-keto DHEA | May provide additional weight loss in overweight people on calorie-reduced diets. | 100% |
| CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) | May help with slimming by increasing proportion of lean body mass to fat. | 75% |
| Garcinia cambogia extract | May cause modest weight loss. Appears to work better in women than men and when person is not markedly obese. | 46% |
| Green coffee bean extract | May cause modest weight loss. | 50% |
| Green tea extract | May aid weight loss and protect against weight gain. | 75% |
| Herbal stimulant blends | Caffeine from herbs may help with weight loss | None Approved (due to potentially dangerous high caffeine content) |
Although not tested, ConsumerLab.com has summarized the evidence for many other ingredients in a comparison table within its Weight Loss Supplement Review, including Cha de Bugre, chitosan, diuretic herbs, ephedra, glucomannan, hoodia, L-carnitine, Pyruvate and 1-dihydroxyaxetone, raspberry ketone, acai, stimulant laxatives (such as aloe and senna), and white kidney bean extract. ConsumerLab.com has also tested products with calcium, chromium and vitamin C which, although proposed for weight loss, do not appear to be effective for that use.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online, providing immediate access to independent reviews of more than 1,000 products. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with PharmacyChecker.com, an evaluator of online pharmacies, and MedicareDrugPlans.com, which reviews and rates Medicare Part D plans.
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Members of the media contact may contact media@consumerlab.com or call the ConsumerLab.com main number (914-722-9149). Please include the name of your news organization when contacting us.
