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 belly fat and weight-loss products and solutions 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 belly and weight goals.
Made from safe and healthy ingredients, supplements are formulated to supply nutrients and other beneficial ingredients to the body.
In the context of belly fat burners, these are designed to support and augment 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) and it doesn’t 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 that promise.
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.
A big drawback of pharmaceutical fat blockers and appetite suppressants is they 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 others6.
The truth is, lasting weight loss especially around the midsection involves lots of commitment and effort.
It may require overcoming sedentary lifestyles and undoing habitual patterns of unhealthy eating, all ingrained for years.
Here’s where weight loss programs can bring much-needed support – by providing a mix of goal-setting, accountability check-ins, behavioral support, educational resources, and/or done-for-you meal plans.
However, hundreds of these programs flood the market every year, but few undergo rigorous evaluation for long-term efficacy.
A study of 141 weight loss programs in the United States revealed only 32 featured behavioral and nutritional components – while just 6 met US Preventive Services Task Force criteria.
So if you think participating in a program will help, choose one with evidence-based success rates.
Whether it’s intermittent fasting… doing the ketogenic diet… or juice fasts, nearly all belly fat burning diets count on eating fewer calories than your body uses, in order to shed the excess pounds.
But why do diets seem to stop working after 40?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, women’s calorie needs drop as they age. That means you need to eat less to maintain the same weight – and even less if you wish to lose it.
But here’s another problem; most restrictive diets don’t last. Numerous studies prove dieters are prone to gaining back the pounds they’ve shed. Not to mention, hormonal changes can make older women crave food even more – making it extremely difficult to stick to a diet.
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.
With thousands of belly fat burner supplements out there… How will you know what to pick?
Thankfully, we’ve done the legwork for you.
First, we analyzed a systematic review of 1,7437full-text articles, including data from 315 randomized clinical trials of 14 popular herbal supplement ingredients marketed for belly fat burn and weight loss published in the PubMed database. In addition, we examined 27 other clinical studies published on alternative belly fat burning ingredients in the market today.
Here are the main ingredient types that have demonstrated effectiveness in supporting belly fat burn 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 fat-reducing 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: L. gasseri SBT2055, L. gasseri BNR17, 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
Hormonal fluctuations can lead to changes in blood sugar levels, causing insatiable cravings that may derail diets and contribute to weight gain in women.
You can bring your appetite back to normal, with the help of these natural ingredients that rebalance and stabilize blood sugar levels.
Examples: Chromium, Moringa Leaf, dietary fibers
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.
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 weight management 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.
One of the key reasons women over 40 gain belly fats easily is the decline in estrogen levels.
Provitalize is the only belly fat supplement formula that addresses the multiple aspects of estrogen decline, namely:
Provitalize contains L. Gasseri SBT2055, a probiotic strain backed by two studies showing a reduction in abdominal visceral fats by up to 4.6%15 and 8.5%16 respectively. More importantly, L. Gasseri SBT2055 works by blocking fat absorption and promoting fat excretion through the feces17.
Next, Provitalize contains two other clinically studied probiotic strains (B. Breve IDCC4401 and B. Lactis R101-8) that stimulate cholesterol metabolism18 and saturated fat metabolism19. B. Breve IDCC4401 was also found to lower total cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels.
Finally, B. Lactis R101-8 was also found to improve two inflammatory markers19 and Provitalize also contains herbs with anti-inflammatory properties – 350mg of curcumin 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 perform its function of regulating the estrogen levels in our body and supporting hormonal balance.
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 50% faster visible 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 in the gut. This means women can see faster visible results such as reduction of belly fat & cravings.
These healthy fibers include fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and inulin. Previtalize also aids digestion and stabilizes mood naturally.
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.
OxyShred Thermogenic Fat Burner contains 2003mg of “fat burning matrix”, a formula comprising of 11 ingredients, 625mg of “immunity booster and prebiotic complex” containing 4 ingredients, 851mg of “mood enhancer matrix” containing 4 ingredients, and 24.59mg of Vitamin B.
Some of the key weight loss ingredients include L-carnitine, garcinia cambogia, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and green coffee bean.
Most of these ingredients have shown mixed results in clinical studies. For example, Healthline conducted thorough reviews on L-carnitine20 and garcinia cambogia21 and found mixed weight loss results.
However, the good news is that some customers seem to be seeing good results with the supplement. They received a 4.6 star rating on Amazon, although we noted that they only received 178 ratings.
We wish they had provided a clearer breakdown of the ingredients in the supplement, so that we can better study the efficacy based on the amount of each ingredient in the supplement.
Burn Evolved 2.0 contains 600mcg of Chromium, 300mg of Gymnema leaf extract and Alpinia galanga root powder extract, 150mg of Coleus forskohlii root extract, 100 mg of Natural caffeine from coffea canephora and camellia sinensis and L-Theanine, 50mg of Cayenne, 40mg of Grains of Paradise seed extract, 30mg of Caffeine Anhyroud, and 20mg of Evodiamine. It’s a lot of ingredients in one fat burner, so we investigated the major ones.
Chromium is a nutrient in our body that regulates carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. It is the most significant ingredient in Burn Evolved by proportion, but a 199822 study established that chromium has a small impact on weight loss compared to that of exercise and a well-balanced diet. Besides, high intakes23 of Chromium (unspecified) were found to lead to adverse effects24 such as anemia, thrombocytopenia, liver dysfunction, renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, dermatitis, and hypoglucemia.
On the other hand, these were isolated cases, so it may have more to do with the individual than the supplement. We recommend that anyone looking to take Burn Evolve check in with their primary care doctor before consumption.
Gymnema leaf extract is another major ingredient but it shows promising signs. A study in 60 moderately-obese people25 taking a Gymnema extract saw a 5-6% fall in body weight and lower food intake. The theory is that blocking sweet receptors on your taste buds may help to suppress your sweet cravings and consume fewer calories.
Similarly, a study on 75 adults26 who consumed cayenne pepper saw 5-7 percentage units improvements in body weight after 12 weeks. Other promising ingredients include Coleus forkohlii root extract and Grains of Paradise seed extract.
Overall, we think that Burn Evolved is a promising supplement, but it might be better if they had excluded Chromium out of its formula, as there are currently no guidelines on the safe daily dose of Chromium.
K3 Spark Mineral is a weight loss supplement sold on Amazon and claims that this supplement “promotes ketosis” and can cause the body to “utilize fat for fuel.” It contains a 500mg proprietary blend of ingredients containing oat bran powder, fennel seed extract, cascara sagrada bark powderact, buckthorn bark extract, pumpkin seed, cayenne pepper, licorice root, rhubarb, acai berry, senna, and prune juice.
At first glance, only one ingredient – Cayenne Pepper – has been clinically studied for its weight loss effects.
It also contains senna, a laxative ingredient that may have harmful side-effects. A medical review published in the LiverTox journal documented that senna can cause liver injury when used in high doses for too long of a period of time27.
We highlighted K3 Spark Mineral in this roundup because we think it’s important to highlight its danger and risks especially as it is a popular weight loss supplement.
It is rated 3.2 stars on Amazon, below the 4-star standard we commonly see from good supplements.
Shedding belly fat is one of the hardest things to do and while there are FDA-proven pharmaceutical solutions, these solutions may carry negative side-effects or could be aggressive. On the other hand, weight loss programs take time but they also can require a lot of effort, a restrictive diet, and a lot of money.
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 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.
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.
