| Name/Compound | Description |
|---|---|
| Bladderwrack | Fucus vesiculosus |
| Chitosan | Polymer of glucosamine derived from chitin |
| Chromium | Cr—an essential element |
| CLA | Conjugated linoleic acid |
| DHEA | Dehydroepiandrosterone |
| Ephedrine fat-burning stack | Ephedrine with caffeine and aspirin, ma huang with guarana and willow bark |
| Garcinia cambogia | Contains hydroxycitrate (HCA) |
| Germander | Teucrium chamaedrys |
| HMB | β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutryrate |
| Olestra (Lawson et al., 1997) | Mixture of hexa-, hepta-, and octa-esters of sucrose formed from long-chain fatty acids isolated from edible oils |
| Plantago | Plantain leaf or psyllium seed |
| Pyruvate | A 3-carbon compound |
| Sunflower | Helianthus annuus |
| St. John's Wort | Hypericum perforatum |
| Safety | Efficacy for Weight/Fat Loss |
| No, increases risk of hyperthyroidism | Insufficient data |
| Insufficient data | No (Pittler et al., 1999; Wuolijoki et al., 1999) |
| Yes, when used in recommended doses | Likely ineffective (Hallmark et al., 1996; Lukaski et al., 1996; Trent and Thieding-Cencel, 1995) |
| Yes, preliminary report | Yes, preliminary report (Blankson et al., 2000) |
| No | Yes, but studies are limited |
| Adverse effects have been reported (Haller and Benowitz, 2000; HHS/FDA, 1997; Shekelle et al., 2003) | Yes, appropriate dose and in combination with caffeine (Astrup et al., 1992a, 1992b; Boozer et al., 2001) |
| Insufficient data | Insufficient data, possibly ineffective at dose of 1,500 mg/d in obese adults (Heymsfield et al., 1998) |
| No | Insufficient data |
| Yes, short-term | Yes |
| Yes | Insufficient data |
| Unknown, may cause gastrointestinal distress and affect absorption of medications | Insufficient data |
| Insufficient data | No |
| Yes | Insufficient data |
| Insufficient data | Insufficient data |
SOURCE: Allison et al. (2001).
From: 4, Weight-Loss and Maintenance Strategies
NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.