Fat Burning Supplements - Active Ingredients Explained

Thermogenic fat burning supplements , or metabolic optimizers as they are sometimes called, work by raising your body temperature very slightly in order to induce a faster metabolism. With a faster metabolism, food and nutrients are burned more quickly, thus turning more of your food into energy rather than stored fat. Thermogenic supplements will often contain mild stimulants like caffeine and ephedrine.

Ephedrine and Pseudo-Ephedrine are plant alkaloids creating the medicinal values of Ephedra. Ephedrine, when combined with caffeine, does have thermogenic properties, and is said to be just as effective (and pharmaceutically standardized) as the supplement Ephedra on which there is a Federal ban.
Ephedrine can become addictive and cause side effects ranging from dry mouth, nervousness (anxiety), or headaches to more serious adverse reactions particularly for those who are sensitive to stimulants or have a medical history that could react to stimulant based fat burners.

The banning of Ephedra and the reported side effects of Ephedrine resulted in intense research for an effective weight loss product to replace Ephedra. Researchers where looking for a supplement that had the same powerful fat burning qualities without the negative side effects. These studies where based on a Chinese herb called Bitter Orange and a product called Advantra Z emerged using an extract of the Bitter Orange.
Advantra Z is now often found as the main active ingredient in fat burning supplements, and is in fact patented for its fat burning properties (thermogenesis). However, unlike Ephedrine there have been no reported side effects.

The thermogenic fat-bu
ing power of Advantra-Z is said to boost your metabolism so the weight comes off faster. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more energy your body burns at a resting state. This results in less calories being left to be stored as fat, and extra calories you burn are taken from your stored body fat.

Fat burning supplements are not the final solution of loosing weight; these are just the catalysts in the process of regular workouts and healthy dietary practices. When used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise program, these formulas can help you achieve a negative kilojoule balance, which means you are burning up more energy than you are taking in.