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You may have heard it called Meno Belly or the middle-age spread. If you’re a woman over 40, you know firsthand that midlife weight gain is no joke. One minute your body is tight and fit, next thing you know, you eat like you always have but your tummy grows and your muscle tone softens up.
And worse, taking back control of your body seems to be a losing battle. If a daily jog has kept you trim for years, your declining metabolism has rendered it ineffective. It’s frustrating.
It’s no surprise there are thousands of metabolism boosting weight-loss products and targeting women in their 40s to 60s…
How will you know where to start?
Don’t fret. In this article, we’ll examine the options we have to combat midlife weight gain and things to look out for, as well as our top product recommendations to achieve your 2024 weight goals
Made from safe and healthy ingredients, supplements are formulated to supply nutrients and other beneficial ingredients to the body.
Some nutritional supplements are designed with natural ingredients that boost metabolism, support and boost your weight management efforts over time by targeting the root cause. The right combination of ingredients can help women naturally curb appetite, enhance metabolism, and prevent fat absorption.
This approach means it can take time for most women to experience results (typically 60-180 days), but the advantage is that it may not require extreme diets and excessive exercise – and avoids harmful side effects inherent in most drugs.
But a fair warning – given that supplements are not tightly regulated by the FDA, watch out for unrealistic claims. Be skeptical of any product guaranteeing that you can “lose 30 pounds in 30 days” – a legitimate company will not make such promises.
Weight loss medications have been clinically tested to reduce weight. In fact, drug trials show participants can lose up to 5 – 15% of their body weight.
However, these aren’t for just anyone to take. Most physicians only prescribe them when someone has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and greater, or a BMI of 25 – 30 with a weight-related illness like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.1
A big drawback of pharmaceutical fat metabolism boosters is they sometimes don’t resolve the root cause of the over-40s weight gain – such as hormonal cravings and sluggish metabolism. Left unchecked, the problem may worsen.
As with most prescription drugs, the side effects may make you wonder if it’s worth the risk. These include serious health issues like pancreatitis, seizures, heart palpitations, chest pain, insomnia, vomiting, uncontrolled bowel movements and suicidal thoughts, among others2.
Here’s a major reason your workouts don’t seem to reap the same results as before – muscle atrophy as you age.
A study found that women can experience up to 10% decline in muscle mass during perimenopause and menopause. This is crucial, given that muscle mass affects metabolism.
At rest, muscles burn more calories than fat. So when muscles shrink, the female body consumes less energy. The result? A lower resting metabolism.
Increasing exercise frequency and adding muscle-strengthening activities is a great way to burn more calories and build healthy muscles.
Experts like Dr. Axe suggest that participating in strength training – such as lifting weights, can help to improve metabolism because it builds lean muscle mass, which naturally uses more calories than body fat does3.
However, other credible sources like Medline Plus, an online information service produced by the United States National Library of Medicine, seem to disagree.
Medline Plus thinks that strength training can help to build muscles, but it is not enough to stimulate metabolism or achieve weight loss results because most of us will only gain a few pounds of muscles.
Furthermore, unless we are constantly exercising those muscles, they don’t actually burn that many calories4.
But who’s right or wrong? I think they can both be correct – as long as you keep to a healthy workout schedule and build more muscles mass over 6-12 months, you could enjoy the metabolism-boosting effects of strength training and weightlifting.
Whether it’s intermittent fasting… doing the ketogenic diet… or juice fasts, nearly all diets count on eating fewer calories than your body uses, in order to shed the excess pounds.
But did you know that when you live in a constant state of calorie deficit, your metabolism also adapts and slows?5
Experts like Dr. Axe recommends choosing a diet based on nutrient density and ensuring you eat the foods needed to provide you with the necessary nutrients instead of counting calories.
“People who are well-fed and avoid yo-yo dieting often experience better digestion, positive moods and more motivation, stronger desire to be active, better mental health, stronger sex drive, and more stable blood sugar levels. Eating enough also usually means you have more motivation to be active, gain strength and muscle mass quicker, and feel less fatigued.” – Dr Axe
With hundreds of metabolism-boosting supplements and drugs out there… How will you know what to pick?
Thankfully, we’ve done the legwork for you.
First, we analyzed a systematic review of 427full-text articles, including data from 31 clinical trials and 14 popular natural supplement ingredients marketed for metabolism boost and weight loss published in the PubMed database. In addition, we examined 27 other clinical studies published on alternative metabolism-boosting ingredients in the market today.
Here are the main ingredient types that have demonstrated effectiveness in supporting metabolism and weight loss.
One systematic review of 27 randomized clinical trials8 on probiotics, published on the National Institutes of Health, PubMed database, found over 83% reported significant weight loss.
But be aware not all strains have metabolism-boosting effects.
Choose strains with “thermogenic” properties that are clinically-proven to increase metabolism, prevent fat absorption and decrease abdominal fat by strengthening gut health, boosting microbial diversity and lowering inflammation.
Natural, safe and effective – belly fat & weight management probiotics are in a class of their own.
Examples: B. breve IDCC4401, B. lactis R101-8, and L. curvatus HY7601 with L. plantarum KY1032
These are ingredients which stimulate or support fat breakdown into energy – especially useful for women who experience low metabolism and fatigue.
Just note that stimulants should not be consumed in excess – or you may risk heart palpitations, high blood pressure, and anxiety.
Examples: Green tea, caffeine, conjugated linoleic acid, capsaicin
These ingredients naturally block fat from being absorbed from your diet or prevent storage in your body. Unlike prescription-strength fat blockers that can cause digestive issues, these natural ingredients are gentler. They either bind to fat molecules or intercept the fat formation process.
The promise is that by reducing fat absorption, your body does not gain weight and your metabolism will remain without the additional weight gain.
However, there’s little evidence to prove the long-term effectiveness of these ingredients.
Examples: Chitosan, garcinia cambogia
As supplements can be sold without approval by FDA, reliable supplement manufacturers get third-party certifications to distinguish their products as trustworthy. These certifications verify the ingredients and quantities claimed on the product label, and that the product meets stringent manufacturing and performance standards. Established certifications to look out for include GMP, USP, NSF, Certified Organic, Non-GMO certified, etc.
Supplements that can’t be absorbed by the body are essentially ineffective. Unfortunately, most people aren’t aware of this, allowing manufacturers to get away with cheaply-made supplements with low bioavailability. Your selection process should consider supplements with ingredients that enhance absorption. Also, look for high-quality capsules that break down at the right time for nutrients to be fully absorbed.
Clinical trials help substantiate the efficacy of ingredients through proper tests. Look for a supplement with clinically-tested ingredients for real benefits, and avoid those based on anecdotal evidence. Even better if there are multiple studies backing the product. We based our top 5 metabolism boosting supplements on clinically studied ingredients supported by a solid body of evidence.
Sadly, according to the New York Times,14 one in four products sold on Amazon is fake. This is especially true of nutritional supplements. When buying from Amazon, ensure you do so from the brand’s Amazon store. Otherwise, purchase directly from the brand’s official website. Consuming fraudulent products may cause nasty side effects — so be extra cautious.
All supplements made in the USA are under FDA regulation. The same applies for Canada and Australia. Ensure products you buy come from FDA/TGA-registered facilities using GMP certified manufacturing processes. Many supplements, especially those purchased on eBay and Amazon are manufactured abroad, with little to no regulation. One study looked at 44 herbal supplements sold in North America and found 60% do not contain the ingredients or quantities claimed on the labels15.
A risk-free guarantee lets you try supplements without fear of losing your money. If you try the product and don’t experience results, simply contact the manufacturer for a refund. A 60- or 90-day guarantee is the minimum a manufacturer should have as a show of confidence in their products. Also, avoid companies that make you jump through hoops. One common strategy that companies use is “bottle return” – they require you pay for return shipping and return the empty bottles before they process your refund.
Many women over 40 experience sluggish metabolism due to menopause. During menopause, estrogen levels decline, which slows metabolism.
Provitalize is the only metabolism boosting supplement formula that addresses multiple aspects of estrogen decline, namely:
Provitalize contains two metabolism-boosting probiotic strains – B. Breve IDCC4401 and B. Lactis R101-8.
B. Breve IDCC 4404 was found to improve cholesterol metabolism15 while B. Lactis showed improvements in saturated fat metabolism16 in two separate studies.
Furthermore, B. Breve IDCC4401 was found to lower total cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels and B. Lactis R101-8 was also found to improve two inflammatory markers16.
Provitalize also contains a third probiotic with weight management property – L. Gasseri SBT2055. In two clinical trials, participants saw a reduction in abdominal visceral fats (belly fats) by up to 4.6%17 and 8.5%18 respectively.
But more importantly, L. Gasseri SBT2055 works naturally by blocking fat absorption and promoting fat excretion through the feces17. It creates a fat deficit, enabling your body to convert more stored fats for energy.
Finally, Provitalize also contains superherbs with anti-inflammatory properties – 350mg of curcumin (turmeric) and moringa leaves.
To top it off, the same herbs are also phytoestrogens – curcumin and moringa leaves – which help to promote hormonal balance and supplement the estrogen decline.
The probiotics in Provitalize help to improve gut health and address gut dysbiosis, enabling the gut to regulate estrogen levels in our body and support hormonal balance naturally.
Provitalize has also been formulated with absorption (or bioavailability) in mind. It contains BioPerine® (black pepper extract) and sunflower lecithin which are shown to enhance absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial properties of herbal formulas.
Finally, these ingredients are encapsulated in DRcaps® capsules, a patented and costly type of delayed-release capsule that protects the ingredients from stomach acid and ensures their smooth passage into our gut where they are most effective.
According to their official website, over 1,200,000 women have shed the stubborn weight with just two capsules a day. The tens of thousands of glowing reviews on TrustPilot, Amazon, and Okendo are undeniable proof that Provitalize is worthy of our top spot.
Want faster visible metabolism boosting and weight results from Provitalize? Then the Slim Gut Bundle is for you.
This holistic bundle combines the weight-management powers of Provitalize with ‘super fiber’ prebiotics in Previtalize.
The probiotics in Provitalize feed on these ‘super fibers’ to multiply faster and survive longer in the gut. This means women can see faster visible results such as a boost in metabolism as well as reduction of belly fat & cravings.
These healthy fibers include fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and inulin. Previtalize also aids digestion and stabilizes mood naturally.
Slim Gut also contains burdock root, an anti-inflammatory herb that can help to alleviate joint pains.
We listed the Slim Gut Bundle 2nd only because it costs more than Provitalize alone. Other than that, we believe it’s the best-value-for-money bundle in the market right now.
Night Shred contains several blends of ingredients. The most significant blend is called Nighttime Recovery Complex and it contains 510mg of GABA, Chamomile Flower Powder, Passionflower Herb Powder, and Valerian Root Powder.
It also contains 200mg of Magnesium Oxide and 200mg of Ashwagandha Root Extract. Finally, the “fat-burning” component is 81mg of Grains of Paradise Seed Extract, CLA, and L-Carnitine Tartrate.
Promising studies show that GABA20 and Chamomile21 have potential weight loss effects, but no evidence could be found for Passionflower Herb Powder or Valerian Root Powder in aiding weight loss. On the other hand, Grains of Paradise22, CLA23, and l-Carnitine24 all seem to have some scientific evidence that show weight loss. From the research, it seems that Night Shred aims to stimulate our general metabolism levels to lower fats.
Night Shred has a 4-star rating on Amazon as of this writing. It is also manufactured in a certified GMP facility in the US. We think that Night Shred has the potential to be one of the more effective metabolism boosting supplements in the market and deserve the #3 spot on our list.
Hydroxycut is marketed as the #1 weight loss supplement in United States, but we are unable to verify their claims.
Hydroxycut contains a 604mg proprietary formula called Hydroxycut Complex – made of 200mg of Robusta coffee extract, 100mg of apple cider vinegar, and 204mg of coffee extract.
We like that Hydroxycut provided a breakdown in ingredient content despite using a proprietary formula.
Hydroxycut also contains 10mcg of Vitamin D and a mix of Vitamin Bs.
Looking at their customer reviews, Hydroxycut is rated 4 stars on Amazon by 5,000+ customers. However, they received a 2 star rating on ConsumerAffairs.com, which is rather concerning.
It is also worth noting that Hydroxycut faced a false advertising lawsuit previously and they could have learned from their lesson since they relaunched the product.
Today, they have a 60-day refund policy. It is unclear if they require empty bottles to be returned for customers to qualify for a refund.
Exipure is an affiliate-sold belly fat supplement containing 8 nutrients and plants aimed at increasing the proportion of brown adipose tissue (brown fat) in our body.
It contains a proprietary formula so the exact makeup of its ingredients are not fully known. These 8 ingredients include perilla, kudzu, holy basil, white korean ginseng, amur cork bark, propolis, quercetin, and oleuropein. Some of the ingredients have only been studied on animals, not humans.
Given the recent popularity of Exipure, we looked up customer reviews on neutral platforms like marketplaces and TrustPilot. We found that Exipure is rated 3 stars on Amazon and 1.8 stars on TrustPilot. For this reason, we doubt Exipure’s effectiveness for the majority of people and we don’t recommend it.
Boosting metabolism is difficult and while there are FDA-proven pharmaceutical solutions, these solutions may carry negative side-effects or could be aggressive. On the other hand, building muscles take time but they also can require a lot of effort and time.
After reviewing the science behind nutritional supplements, we think it is the safest and most sustainable approach for the average woman.
Also, women can gain belly fats and weight more easily after 40 due to multiple reasons. While lower estrogen levels could be the root cause, the intermediate concerns are inflammation, leaky gut, and lower metabolism. We recommend looking for supplements that can address all three.
Individual results vary, but according to our research, people supporting diet and exercise efforts may shed an additional 5-10% of weight with the supplements listed in this article.
In combination with a good diet and regular exercise, the right supplement can enhance your efforts to eliminate stubborn belly fat. One study published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Nutrition, found that participants consuming Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 reduced abdominal fat (visceral fat) by up 8.5% over 12 weeks13.
Generally speaking, all of the belly fat burner supplements listed in this article are considered safe. If you have any health concerns consult your physician before buying.
A study published in Today’s Annals of Internal Medicine suggests aiming to eat 30 grams of fiber each day can help you lose weight16”. Prebiotic fibers have also been shown to ease cravings, balance moods and enhance the effects of probiotics.
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