You’ll be feeling leaner and healthier with these natural, best fat burner ingredients.
The ugly truth no one wants to hear is that fat loss is all about calories. If you’re not in a caloric deficit, you’ll struggle to reach your goals.
And it’s not your fault, either – getting to that super-lean, shredded physique is hard!
But here’s some good news… cutting can be made a lot easier with some natural fat burning foods and ingredients. They can make all the difference in terms of controlling your appetite, ramping up your metabolism and maintaining a high level of fitness.
Read: Best Fat Burners for Bodybuilders
Why spend weeks or months to perhaps see a few pounds come off the scale (and it might all be water), or find that you’re still not summer-ready after months of restrictions and sacrifices?
The point is that by staying in a small calorie deficit, sticking to a weekly workout routine and taking proven fat burning ingredients, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your ultimate physique.
Here are the very best fat burning ingredients on the market right now…
#1 CBD (Cannabidiol)
CBD is all the rage right now. This hemp-derived, non-psychoactive cannabinoid is being regularly studied for its wealth of beneficial properties.
Although it’s a cannabinoid like THC, CBD doesn’t make you high and it’s legal in many parts of the world – including the USA.
Interacting with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), or more specifically with its CB1 and CB2 receptors, CBD is able to affect your body’s major systems. These include:
- Nervous System
- Cardiovascular System
- Immune System
- Digestive System & Metabolism
The latter one is what we’re interested in the most – it’s what makes CBD an extremely promising and exciting ingredient for fat burner supplements.
CBD for Fat Burning
CBD has been scientifically shown to aid weight loss in a number of ways.
It doesn’t just impact your metabolic rate, turning your body into a more efficient fat-burning machine, it also significantly reduces sugar cravings and improves mental willpower to see your dieting goals through.
CBD works by [1, 2, 3]:
- Boosting mitochondria – Mitochondria are small energy factories of your cells. You need them to move, breathe, think, and live. The healthier your mitochondria are, and the more of these guys you have in your cells, the more calories you’ll burn.
- Targeting fat stores – A number of clinical trials have reported an increased breakdown of fatty tissue after CBD supplementation.
- Stopping weight accumulation – CBD shows promise in helping your body balance its insulin levels, which is critical for preventing unwanted weight gain.
- Eradicating addictive cravings – CBD has an influence on your neurotransmitters, and can significantly reduce feelings of hunger to make dieting a lot more bearable.
- Improving well-being – CBD contributes to lower cellular inflammation, improves exercise performance, and soothes anxiety. When you feel better, your actions will follow and you’ll be more inclined to stick to your goals.
CBD is a very versatile compound too. It can be used topically, eaten, or taken sublingually – making it a popular choice among athletes and regular Joes alike.
CBD for Athletes & Bodybuilders
CBD for Athletes & BodybuildersMany athletes in different sports are talking about CBD, and there’s a good reason for this.
CBD has been shown to have numerous benefits for pro and casual athletes, including antioxidant protection.
When an athlete puts their body through stress, it causes increased oxidation, which damages their cells and tissues. Over time, too much hard training can lead to elevated levels of oxidative stress – ultimately, weakening an athlete’s immune system and overall health.
CBD has been patented as a neuroprotective compound for over 20 years. It acts naturally within your ECS to keep cells healthy, which in turn enables you to continue to push yourself without risking unnecessary damage to your body.
Athletes experience other type of stress, as well. HIIT cardio, weightlifting, pilates, and other types of exercises put strain on your muscles and joints. The resulting inflammation can lead to chronic joint pain in the long-run and disrupt your dieting goals if you aren’t careful.
Studies show that CBD is a very effective anti-inflammatory. It prevents your immune system from releasing too many inflammatory proteins, helping you to recover faster and contributing to leaner body composition in the long-run. [4]
#2 Caffeine
Caffeine, the most popular stimulant in the world, has the ability to boost your brain function, supercharge your performance and maximize fat burning potential.
It’s one of the very few sports supplements that are proven to work. Athletes across the world use it to help them stay motivated and focused on their goals.
Since it blocks your adenosine receptors, caffeine triggers your body’s ‘fight or flight’ reaction.
The epinephrine levels increase, and so does your blood flow, breathing rate and heart rate. You become more concentrated and your focus improves.
Caffeine for Fat Burning
When you stimulate your ‘fight or flight’ mechanism, you also unlock another effect – increased energy consumption. Not only does your sports performance improve but so does your body’s ability to burn off unwanted fat.
Essentially, caffeine gives a one-two punch to your fat stores. It ramps up your energy levels so you can train harder and longer in the gym, and it directly stimulates fat breakdown by boosting your metabolism.
Research from the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports reported that caffeine significantly raised the metabolic rate in participating cyclists. [5]
A similar result was found in another study that reported a 5-fold increase in fatty acid utilization and epinephrine levels in a group of healthy individuals, along with enhanced insulin sensitivity. [6]
When it comes to legal fat burners and sports supplements, caffeine has no equal.
#3 Green Tea
Being one of the healthiest (some will say tastiest, too) beverages around, green tea has impressive thermogenic fat burning effects.
Green tea is made from Camellia Sinensis leaves. This drink, packed full of healthful polyphenols, has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat different health disorders.
Most benefits of green tea stem from a type of antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3 gallate, or simply EGCG. This catechin molecule has been found to influence the risk or improve:
- Mental conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
- Some forms of cancer such as breast and bowel
- High blood sugar levels and insulin resistance
Green Tea for Fat Burning
As far as weight loss goes, green tea has plenty of evidence backing it. Clinical trials ranging from randomized control studies to meta-analyses have reported similar findings – this vibrant green and bitter drink can:
- Directly trigger fat oxidation
- Enhance energy expenditure
- Induce thermogenesis
- Boost insulin transportation
- Maintain healthy body composition after you’ve lost excess weight
In perhaps the most robust, exhaustive clinical review of green tea, it was suggested that the powerful catechins in green tea significantly decrease body weight when consumed on a regular basis. [7]
#4 HMB
HMB is a metabolite of everyone’s favorite branched-chain amino acid – leucine.
Leucine is known for its crucial importance in muscle building and recovery, but its metabolite HMB might be the most important ingredient you should take for fat burning.
HMB doesn’t just help you lose pounds, it also encourages lean muscle mass and that chiseled, aesthetic look for fitness.
Studies suggest that HMB helps preserve muscle tissue during fasted training. Something you’ll be doing a lot on your cut. [8]
As such, it’s a perfect aid on your weight loss journey where you’ll be looking to shed as much fat as possible while protecting your hard-earned muscle.
And, there’s another thing about exercising with really low energy levels – it sucks.
Your body, in an attempt to preserve itself, is quite stubborn about losing its fat. So, whether you’re doing IF or dragging yourself to an early morning workout, your body will try tapping into other sources of energy – such as your muscle.
This is why supplementing with a fat burner that has HMB is a smart idea. It will:
- Give you a little energy jolt by ramping up the metabolism to burn fat and
- Keep your muscles intact
HMB is very safe on your body too, making it a win-win ingredient.
Final Word
A varied, calorie-controlled diet is crucial to meeting your weight loss goals. Add some regular gym workouts on top of this and you’ll be well on your way to shredding fat and feeling great.
With the help of some of the natural, best fat burning ingredients we’ve listed here, you’ll see faster results and an easier, less dreadful weight cut.
>See Best Fat Burners for Bodybuilders Here<
References
- Wierucka-Rybak M, Wolak M, Bojanowska E. The effects of leptin in combination with a cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonist, AM 251, or cannabidiol on food intake and body weight in rats fed a high-fat or a free-choice high sugar diet. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2014;65(4):487‐
- Parray HA, Yun JW. Cannabidiol promotes browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Mol Cell Biochem. 2016;416(1-2):131‐ doi:10.1007/s11010-016-2702-5
- Russo EB. Cannabinoids in the management of difficult to treat pain. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2008;4(1):245‐ doi:10.2147/tcrm.s1928
- Nagarkatti P, Pandey R, Rieder SA, Hegde VL, Nagarkatti M. Cannabinoids as novel anti-inflammatory drugs. Future Med Chem. 2009;1(7):1333‐ doi:10.4155/fmc.09.93
- Costill DL, Dalsky GP, Fink WJ. Effects of caffeine ingestion on metabolism and exercise performance. Med Sci Sports. 1978;10(3):155‐
- Keijzers GB, De Galan BE, Tack CJ, Smits P. Caffeine can decrease insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes Care. 2002;25(2):364‐ doi:10.2337/diacare.25.2.364
- Hursel R, Viechtbauer W, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. Int J Obes (Lond). 2009;33(9):956‐ doi:10.1038/ijo.2009.135
- Alon T, Bagchi D, Preuss HG. Supplementing with beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) to build and maintain muscle mass: a review. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002;111(1-4):139‐
