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Citrus ‘miracle’ burns 42 grams of fat an hour
Remember the ephedrine weight loss diet pill craze of the 90s? Everyone thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Touted as a natural diet aid because it was derived from the herb ephedra, it was popular because it appeared to be very effective. And since it was natural it had to be safe right?
Wrong. Even some natural substances can have harmful effects if overused or used in high doses.
The large amounts of ephedra combined with other ingredients, like caffeine, produced a nervous system stimulant that contributed to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and even death. That’s why the ephedrine diet pills — and any products containing ephedra — were banned by the FDA in 2004.
For a short while, the ban on the use of the herb ephedra was overturned because the FDA didn’t prove that low doses of ephedra were harmful. But in the end, the FDA won out.
What happened with ephedra is a perfect example of what often happens when greedy money makers, like Big Pharma, meddle with Mother Nature. Most often less is best, but to get the big bucks and sell diets pills, they were eager to use more than was safe.
But another natural compound has come forward that may give dieters the fat-burning boost they’re looking for — and it doesn’t appear to have any adverse effect on blood pressure.
It’s called p-synephrine — an alkaloid found in nature (although at low concentrations) in a wide variety of citrus fruits such as oranges, mandarins and grapefruits, and commercially (at greater concentrations) as extract of bitter orange (Citrus aurantium).
Because of its chemical similarity to ephedrine, and the substance’s activation of β3 adrenergic receptors, p-synephrine has become a popular food supplement typically included in weight loss products to increase the rate of metabolism.
P-synephrine’s activation of β3 adrenergic receptors appear to have a cardio-protective effect 1 whereas the activation of β1 y β2 receptors, found in ephedrine, proved to be overstimulating to the heart — and dangerous…
“The advantage of p-synephrine is its reduced activation of β1 y β2 receptors and consequent weak influence in raising arterial tension and heart rate, which mean the substance has fewer side effects than other adrenaline stimulators,” according to Juan Del Coso, a researcher from Camilo José Cela University and a lead author of the paper.
Since p-synephrine seems to lack the potential to induce hypertension, the researchers at Camilo José Celas University set out to see just how effective it is as a fat burner…
Specifically they sought to determine the effects of 3 mg p-synephrine per kg body mass on energy metabolism and the rate of fat and carbohydrate oxidation during rest and exercise.
In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, experimental study, 18 subjects underwent two experimental trials: after consuming p-synephrine (3 mg/kg) and after taking a placebo (control test).
An hour after ingesting the substance, energy expenditure and arterial tension were measured before and after physical activity, in this case using a static bike. Acute p-synephrine ingestion had no effect on energy expenditure, heart rate or arterial pressure.
“However, the substance produced a notable change in substrate utilization during exercise: p-synephrine ingestion pre-exercise increased the rate of fat oxidation and reduced carbohydrate oxidation at low and moderate intensity,” the expert explains.
In fact, p-synephrine increased individuals’ maximum capacity to burn fat, although it did not change the intensity at which this was attained. This data suggests that p-synephrine supplements could be useful to increase fat oxidation by of 7 g per hour of exercise.
Realistic weight loss
Another aspect of the tests was to access realistic weight loss versus the outlandish claims touted in miracle diet slogans.
The maximum rate found for fat oxidation during exercise, in this case in cyclists, was 0.7 g/min. That would suggest that in a best-case scenario, an individual could burn 42 g of fat after an hour of exercise at that level of intensity.
“This means the weight changes we experience when we start exercising are not based on fat loss, but mainly on fluid loss. This is why the majority of ‘miracle’ diets and slimming programs produce a ‘rebound’ effect due to the recovery of the lost fluid,” the researcher argues.
Now, 42 g of fat only equates to about .09 pounds, but it can definitely add up…
Real weight change, based on the oxidation of fat through exercise (and diet) causes a real loss of 200-300 g per week, a little over 1 kg — or 2.2 pounds — per month.
“That should be the aim: to lose a kilo per month, but a kilo of fat. It’s less attention-catching than miracle diet slogans, but scientifically speaking, effective change would be at that rate,” he points out. “That said, the rate of loss could increase with p-synephrine, but always combining the substance with exercise.”
You can find p-synephrine in diet aids, but you may risk it being combined with other ingredients, like caffeine that may not be so great for you. So instead of relying on diet pills that give you the jitters, consider adding a bitter orange extract supplement to a healthy diet and exercise routine.
source: http://www.agenciasinc.es/en/News/How-to-increase-the-fat-burned-during-exercise
By Easy Health Options Staff
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