Structured meal plan? Check.
Solid training plan? Check.
Cardio plans to help burn fat and improve cardiovascular health? Check.
The willpower and motivation to be consistent? You bet.
With these components in place, your fat burning arsenal seems to be complete. But, there’s one more aspect which could accelerate your progress or push you through a plateau: supplementation.
What Are "Fat Burners?"
“Fat burner” supplements are a category of product designed to, obviously, help you burn fat and support weight loss.
There are countless fat burners available on the market containing various ingredients which all seem to promise outstanding fat-burning results.
(And no, we're not talking about medications like Ozempic. That's a conversation between you and your healthcare provider. )
Among these "fat burner" products, you’ll find a HUGE array of ingredients. Some products are glorified, overpriced caffeine pills, others contain ingredients that can be the last step to help you burn fat.
To help you decipher what to look for, here are a few ingredients which have been demonstrated to support either fat loss, weight loss, thermogenesis, metabolism, blood sugar support, or other areas.*
But remember, these supplements will NOT overcome diet, exercise, and lifestyle. They're for those who need the extra push and want the extra edge.
This list will differ from the best supplements for cutting. If you're dieting for a bodybuilding show, your wedding, or another event, you may want to look there. It includes supplements like protein powder, which you won't find on this list because protein, while essential, won't help with fat burning directly.
Look For Patented, Standardized Forms of Ingredients
Finally, you'll notice we highlight patented forms of ingredients, rather than generic alternatives. There are many benefits to using patented versions. In some cases, they flat-out are the only version well-researched and shown to back up the claims of the ingredient.
Other times, it means you can guarantee you get a consistent potency and purity.
1) Carnipure® L-Carnitine L-Tartrate
You may remember from high school biology that the mitochondria is ‘the powerhouse of the cell.’ It’s where macronutrients like fatty acids and glucose get broken down into ATP, the body’s usable form of energy.
In order for fatty acids to get used as energy and made into ATP, they need to make it to the mitochondria.
On their own, fatty acids can’t do this. They need support. That’s where l-carnitine comes in.
Think of fatty acids like a pile of freshly cut wood, ready to get burned to keep the fire going, and l-carnitine like the workers who drop the logs on the fire.
In simple terms l-carnitine helps us burn fat as fuel.*
In addition to helping us burn our fatty acids, this process also provides us with a fuel source to help us power through our workouts.
L-Carnitine you can also think of as a valuable tool to help us during intense training. This is especially useful when trying to burn fat. To lose fat, you’ll likely train at a higher intensity and with longer or more frequent sessions. Helping shuttle fat to get burned as fuel, partly thanks to l-carnitine, can support this intense period of training.
Can I Get It From Food?
Red meats contain l-carnitine, around 80mg per 3oz. However, this is not anywhere near the levels you can get from simple supplementation. (1)
When supplementing, we recommend staying consistent with your supplementation. If you’re trying to burn fat, aim for about 1000 – 3000mg a day.
Look for the patented form, Carnipure®. It's a well-research, pure form, and has been extensively research, like in this study which showed improved long-chain fatty acid oxidation in healthy adults without L-carnitine deficiency. (2)
You can learn more in this article on the benefits of Carnipure® L-carnitine.
2) CapsiMax® Capsicum Fruit Extract
Capsicum is a family of approximately 200 plants. The most popular is chili peppers, which is where the lore that chili peppers can help burn fat comes from.
Within these plants, a polyphenol known as capsaicinoid is responsible for the heat and spicy flavor of the peppers.
Researchers have found various outcomes of ingesting these spicy elements, ranging from increased thermogenesis, greater energy expenditure, and increased fatty acid oxidation..
Science-backed research on 100mg of Capsimax® combined with diet and exercise have shown to... (3)
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Support appetite control*
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Promote a healthy metabolism*
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Break down the body’s fat stores
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Promote thermogenesis, the body’s internal heat generation – helping burn more calories*
The Problem With Just Eating Peppers
First, they’re super spicy. From a practical standpoint, this makes it a challenge to eat enough to get a dose of capsicums that will help actually bring these benefits. Even if you can deal with the spiciness, you may not be a fan of the resulting gastrointestinal disturbances
A daily dose of around 100 mg of capsaicinoids can help support your fat loss efforts. Since it can irritate your stomach, it’s best to take your doses with food.
3) ChromeMate® Chromium Picolinate
Chromium is one of the most popular, long-standing ingredients you'll see in fat burning.
Chromium has been shown to...
- Promote weight loss*
- Help control blood sugar.* It does so by enhancing the action of insulin, a hormone crucial to the metabolism and storage of carbohydrate.*
- Support healthy cholesterol levels.*
ChromeMate® stands out because of its bioavailability. A concern with ordinary chromium picolinate is how well it gets absorbed. ChromeMate® uses a unique patented niacin-bound form that supports the bioavailability and efficacy of chromium.* (4)
4) CaloriBurn GP® Grains of Paradise
Grains of paradise, a spice derived from the seeds of the Aframomum melegueta plant, has been shown to support the activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT), a type of fat in the body that plays a key role in thermogenesis, or heat production. Unlike white fat, which stores energy, BAT burns calories to generate heat, helping to regulate body temperature and promote energy expenditure.*
(Activation of brown fat is a theory for the metabolic benefits of cold plunges.)
Because of its role in thermogenesis, it can help increase metabolic rate.*
Again, we recommend CaloriBurn GP® is a premium Grains of Paradise extract that's standardized and well-research.
5) EGCG Standardized Green Tea Extract
Green tea comes from Camellia sinensis leaves. This is the same species that black tea comes from, but green tea hasn’t been exposed to the same oxidation process.
Because of this, green tea tends to be richer in polyphenols. These are antioxidants, which are abundant in many “superfood” fruits and vegetables.
Two of the main polyphenols found in green tea are catechins and flavonoids. Catechins are believed to boost energy metabolism and fat burning capabilities of the body.
Of the catechins present in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) accounts for approximately 40% of the total content.
EGCG is the ingredient in green tea that gives it the majority of its potential to support fat loss. So if you see "green tea extract" on the label, but no EGCG amount, you're likely getting ripped off.
It supports fat loss because it’s an effective stimulator of thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the biochemical process by which fat in the body is “burned” to provide energy.
We believe EGCG is so effective for fat loss, that we include green tea extract, with standardized doses of EGCG in Clean Burn, our non-stimulant fat burner.
Of course, you can also drink green tea. You don't need to get this one in supplemental form.
When looking at supplements, ensure it contains close to 50% EGCG.
A daily dose of about 1000mg of green tea, with 500mg of EGCG can support your metabolism-boosting goals.*
That’s why we include it in Clean Burn.
6) InnoSlim® Panax Ginseng and Astragulas Extracts
InnoSlim® is a unique, patented ingredient that comes from combination two plant extracts: Panax notoginseng and Astragalus membranaceus. It has been shown to promote the burning of sugar and fats as fuel. It does this by activating two pathways in the body: the AMPK and adiponectin pathways.*
AMPK is like a 'metabolic master switch.' When activated, it initiates processes to use sugars and fats to generate ATP, the body's energy currency.*
Adiponectin is a hormone that plays an integral role in the breakdown of fat. High levels of adiponectin promote the oxidation of fatty acids. In doing so, it promotes healthy fat and cholesterol levels.*
InnoSlim® is a new ingredient on the market, and at Kaged we're one of the first to include it. You can find it only in Clean Burn Elite, our most advanced supplement yet to support healthy weight loss.
Supplements That Won't Support Fat Burning
Then, there are a ton of supplements out there with big claims, but really no research showing it will support fat burning.
Caffeine
If caffeine we a magic fat burner, then way more people would be shredded, given that fact that on average, over two-thirds of Americans drink coffee daily. (5)
Of course, caffeine provides energy, which can be key if you want better workouts, especially in a cut phase. That's why we include it on our Clean Burn Powder formula, but it won't lead directly to fat loss.
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
Often marketed as a fat burner, CLA's effects on fat loss have been mixed in research. While some studies suggest minimal benefits, the overall evidence is not strong enough to support its use as an effective fat burner.
Raspberry Ketones
These have been popularized since the rise of the ketogenic diet. While they're useful for people trying to enter ketosis, there is little solid research to back up the claims that raspberry ketones can significantly aid in fat burning.
Comprehensive Supplements to Support Healthy Weight Loss: With and Without Caffeine
We formulated Clean Burn to include many of the most effective, non-stimulant ingredients to support weight loss.*
Clean Burn blends these key ingredients together in carefully calibrated doses while keeping your health in mind.
Using pure forms and often patented ingredients, we wanted to create a fat burner that simply works, without the excessive stimulants.
If you prefer a powdered version with a unique formula including a nice dose of caffeine that’s perfect for cardio sessions, you can also check out Clean Burn Powder.
Since its launch in 2022, this has become one of our most popular supplements. It comes in 3 great flavors, from orange mango to strawberry lemonade. We call it "cardio's best friend," because it's ideally for your cardio session thanks to its combination of ingredients to support healthy weight loss, along with organic caffeine.
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