This is a guest post from Alex Eriksson. Eriksson is the founder of Anabolic Health, a men’s health blog dedicated to providing honest and research backed advice for optimal male hormonal health. Anabolic Health aspires to become a trusted resource where men can come and learn how to fix their hormonal problems naturally, without pharmaceuticals. Check out his guide on 50 Foods That Boost Testosterone or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
When do you take fat burners? There are typically two situations. First, when you want to lose weight faster. Second, when no matter how much you follow the rules, restrict your diet with healthy food and snacks, and exercise day in and day out, you just don’t see any visible progress in your weight loss program.
Whether you want to lose weight or you want to show off your muscles, getting rid of fat can greatly improve your health and quality of life, and fat burners help with that by increasing your metabolic rate. However, you shouldn’t go for the first fat burner you bump into because most of the available supplements in the market are stimulants.
Stim vs. Non-Stim: Why Opt for Non-Stimulant Fat Burners?
If you are a healthy individual looking for a fast and effective way to burn fats, then stimulant-based fat burners might just do that. However, these often contain caffeine which can have negative effects on certain individuals. Therefore, fat burners without stimulants would be a better option for a number of reasons:
- To avoid side effects
Taking stimulants can cause adverse effects like jitters, anxiety, psychological conditions, panic attacks. Those with existing anxiety disorders are especially at risk of the negative side effects. But that doesn’t end there. Stimulants could also inhibit COMT. This enzyme is responsible for breaking down catechol estrogens, which can lead to cancer and other serious diseases by causing DNA mutations.
- More effective in the long run
Do you notice how drinking coffee can’t keep you up as much as it did the first time? It’s because you develop a tolerance to the caffeine’s effects. That is why fat burners without stimulants are a better option if you want to supplement for a long time.
- Better for those with heart conditions
Most stimulant fat burners contain bitter orange that can elevate blood pressure and heart rate. So the risk of unwanted incidents is higher for those with existing heart ailments.
- Better for bedtime
The caffeine from stimulants can prevent you from falling asleep if you take it late in the day. While this may be good if you want to be up at night, it could prevent you from having a good night’s rest.
The Top Non-Stim Fat Burners
Fat burners without stimulants are better overall for your health and longer effectiveness. The next question is: which are the best options out there?
Carnitine
L-carnitine is an amino acid that you can find in beef and dairy products. It is usually found in small amounts, so it is still better to take supplements if you want its fat burning effects.
How does it help in burning fats? As proven by research, it promotes fat oxidation (fat burning) by breaking it down into smaller forms that can enter the mitochondria. This is the location within the cell where they are used up for energy.
The same study shows that this substance does not break down proteins. Instead, it helps increase androgen receptors. These are the sites where testosterone and DHT bind themselves to stimulate muscle growth.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
CLA is a healthy fatty acid that you can also find in beef and dairy products. Another option is to get it from creamers that are sourced from butter.
These fatty acids can help you reach your ideal physique in a number of ways. Research shows that CLA can reduce body fat in humans by considerable amounts as was shown in overweight subjects. Taking CLA can also reduce hunger and make you feel full as shown in another study. Also, they were found to increase testosterone production.
Sesamin
As the name sounds, sesamin comes from sesame seeds and other grains. Sesamin is a compound that activates the PPAR alpha, a receptor that is involved in various functions within the body. But the major concern here are two functions in which it is involved when it comes to fat reduction. First, it makes the process of converting fat into energy faster. Second, it inhibits enzymes (specifically estrogen) from storing fat.
Seaweed
While other fat burners without stimulants only aid in fat reduction, seaweed is one step ahead because of its functions in preventing fat accumulation. There are three substances in seaweed that make it a good source for fat loss: alginate, siphonaxanthin, and fucoidan.
Alginate has been shown to prevent fat digestion. The less fat is digested, the less is absorbed and stored. Even small amounts of this compound decreases fat by huge amounts.
Siphonaxanthin is a carotenoid that suppresses adipogenesis or fat cell development. Research also shows that it aids in fat oxidation.
Fucoidan inhibits fat cell accumulation. According to study, fucoidan does this by inhibiting the substances responsible for fat cell development, and stimulating the hormone in charge of fat breakdown.
Exogenous ketones
If you have heard about the ketogenic diet, you know that it’s basically using fat instead of carbohydrates as an energy source. This means that fat is converted into ketones, thereby burning them in the process. However, going through this diet has its difficulties.
The good news is, you can have the same effects by taking supplements, in the form of exogenous ketone supplements. However, this doesn’t mean you can eat all the carbs you want.
Choline
Choline is on the less potent side of fat burners without stimulants. According to this study, it could be a very good addition to carnitine for their combined effect of disposing fats through urine.
Choline is a lipotropic that prioritizes the use of fat for energy, and ensures that the fatty deposits in the liver are broken down and eliminated.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
ALA is another fat burner with multiple effects related to weight loss. One, it decreases your appetite. The less calories you eat, the less fat will be stored in your body. Two, it directs the carbohydrate to go into the muscles to be used for energy instead of going into fat cells for storage. Three, it helps insulin-resistant people such as diabetics to lose weight by burning glucose for energy.
Conclusion
Fat burners without stimulants may have weaker fat burning effects than the stimulant-based types but they can prove to be more effective in the long run. They also do not come with side effects that could cause significant damage to your health.
For even better effects, you can also combine these fat burner supplements. Whether it is for faster weight loss or to help you overcome the slump in your weight loss routine, these non-stim supplements would be your better and safer bet for the results you need.
This is a guest post from Alex Eriksson. Eriksson is the founder of Anabolic Health, a men’s health blog dedicated to providing honest and research backed advice for optimal male hormonal health. Anabolic Health aspires to become a trusted resource where men can come and learn how to fix their hormonal problems naturally, without pharmaceuticals. Check out his guide on 50 Foods That Boost Testosterone or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
