Tag: Garcinia cambogia

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980. WHO reported more than 1.9 billion adults around the globe were overweight in 2014, and 13 percent of adults were considered obese.

Also in WHO’s information about obesity? “Obesity is preventable.”

Natural ingredients can support weight loss and management in a variety of ways. While many consumers are eager to jump to “quick fix” solutions for weight loss, a growing number are skeptical about the efficacy and safety of supplements to support weight management. Research is of the utmost importance in the category, and is important to achieve success and longevity in the segment.

The popularity of Garcinia cambogia for weight loss skyrocketed in recent years after receiving significant media attention for its benefits to weight loss, including promotion on the Dr. Oz Show in 2013 as a weight loss aid. However, more recent media reports challenging the research supporting the weight loss effects of Garcinia cambogia have created consumer concern regarding its efficacy.

A 2015 review of 21 studies evaluating the role of Garcinia cambogia in the treatment of obesity concluded: “In some analyzed works, there was observed that GC showed positive effects on weight loss process, appetite reduction, body fat percentage, triglycerides, cholesterol and glucose levels, lipogenesis process, while others had no effect.”(Nutr Hosp. 2015 Dec 1;32(6):2400-8)

An important consideration when evaluating the efficacy of Garcinia cambogia is the content of its active constituent, hydroxycitric acid (HCA).

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted in subjects aged 20 to 65 years, Garcinia cambogia containing 1,000 mg HCA when administered for 12 weeks (and followed by four weeks of placebo) reduced visceral, subcutaneous and total fat compared to those receiving placebo for the study duration. (Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2003;64(8):551–567.) There were no significant differences in body mass index (BMI) or body weight at week 12, but there were slight numeric decreases in body weight and BMI in men.

Review the research supporting other top ingredients for weight management such as caffeine, green tea extract and capsaicin by downloading INSIDER’s Weight Management Digital Magazine. 

Coming off statins soon after a stroke could increase the likelihood of a second stroke, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Statins work by inhibiting the liver’s ability to produce cholesterol. People who stop taking the cholesterol reducing drugs within three to six months were found to be 42 per cent more likely to have another stroke within a year.

The researchers analysed data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, which includes medical information for most people of the population, including 45,151 people who had an ischemic stroke. All were prescribed statins within 90 days of leaving hospital.

After six months, 18.5 per cent had been taken off the drugs entirely. The researchers found that 6.2 per cent of those who stopped taking the drugs had another stroke within a year, compared to 4.4 percent of those who stayed on them, even at a reduced dose.

Dr. Meng Lee, the study’s lead author, said: ‘These findings suggest that providers and atherosclerotic stroke patients should not discontinue statin therapy unless there is a highly compelling reason for doing so.’

Instant analysis

We have already seen evidence on starting statins in patients who have had strokes, and this study looks specifically at stopping them. By analysing data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), it reports that discontinuation of statin treatment beyond the first three months after an index ischemic stroke was associated with increased risk of recurrent stroke and all‐cause mortality at one year after statin discontinuation.

There were some limitations to the study, not least that the information was retrospective so confounding factors may have lead to bias. However, the authors argue quite reasonably that it would be unethical to carry out a clinical trial involving stopping statins in some of these patients, as we know that they are beneficial for secondary stroke prevention. Ultimately though, this study essentially tells us to keep doing what we are doing, and encourage adherence to staton therapy in post-stroke patients.

Research score: 3/5

MB

Lean Mode is a supplement made by Evlution Nutrition. It is a stimulant-free weight loss supplement designed to help boost your body’s natural ability to burn fat.

In this review post, we’re going to take a close look at Lean Mode by examining all of the different ingredients, checking out some customer reviews and comparing it to some of the other products on sale at the moment.

What does Lean Mode by Evlution Nutrition do?

Lean Mode fits into a broader category of health supplements generally referred to as ‘fat burners’.

These are pills or tablets which contain a blend of natural ingredients designed to help boost your metabolism and encourage your body to burn more fat.

When considering fat burners, it’s important to note that the pills themselves do not burn fat, they are simply designed to boost your body’s natural ability to do so.

Lean Mode is slightly different to most fat burners because it doesn’t contain any stimulants, which is quite unusual.

This supplement instead contains an array of stimulant-free ingredients designed to boost your metabolism and speed up the fat burning process.

Let’s take a closer look at the individual ingredients in Lean Mode to see if it’s a supplement you should consider taking.

What you need to know about the ingredients

One thing we immediately liked about Lean Mode is that it only has five ingredients, making a welcome change from most products, which often have an exhaustive list and therefore very small doses of each separate substance.

That being said, there are a number of key ingredients missing that stop this from being a truly great fat burner in our opinion.

OUR PICK: Discover the top 5 fat burners on sale right now

But we’ll get into that later, let’s first focus on what is inside Lean Mode.

Green Tea Leaf Extract – This is a great ingredient and is one of the first things we look for in a good fat burner supplement.

Green Tea is incredibly popular at the moment, and for good reason too.

It’s packed full of powerful antioxidants, but it is also a thermogenic, meaning that it can boost your metabolic rate and cause you to burn more calories.

The only slight issue we have with Green Tea being included in a stimulant-free fat burner is that by its nature, it contains small amounts of caffeine (a stimulant). But it’s probably not enough to cause any real problems.

Green Coffee Bean Extract – This is another great ingredient and it’s excellent to see that Evlution Nutrition have included it in their product.

We were pleasantly surprised to see it on the ingredients list because we found that many supplements often don’t put in Green Coffee Bean, which is a shame.

In their natural unroasted state, coffee beans are extremely rich in Chlorogenic Acid, which is thought to play a role in reducing body fat percentage.

Again, however, coffee beans are known to contain caffeine, so it would be interesting to test Lean Mode out to see if it contains any of the stimulant because of the first two ingredients.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) – This is an interesting inclusion in Lean Mode because it’s not an ingredient we have seen very often in fat burner supplements.

CLA is a naturally occurring Omega-6 fatty acid which plays a key role in overall health. It’s primarily found in things such as milk, cheese and beef.

It cannot be produced by the body, meaning that you need to get it from your food.

Although there is not a great deal of research into CLA as a potential fat-burning ingredient, there is plenty of talk on the internet about its ability to speed up fat loss.

We’re not convinced, however, and don’t see it as an important ingredient in this supplement.

L-Carnitine – This is an amino acid that is thought to promote energy while also reducing muscle damage.

It is thought to promote healthy energy levels and reduce fatigue after training sessions.

L-Carnitine can transfer long-chain fatty acids so that they can be oxidized to produce energy.

As such, it’s considered as a pretty good fat burning ingredient to help you achieve your body goals.

Garcinia Cambogia Extract – The fifth and final ingredient in Lean Mode is not one we’ve come across regularly when reviewing fat burner supplements, but there are some promising signs that this could be a good addition.

It is claimed that Garcinia Cambogia works by making you feel full, reducing your appetite and therefore affecting your metabolism.

There is little evidence to support this, however – most of the studies into Garcinia Cambogia have shown that it is could affect metabolism, but it is far from conclusive.

It’s an interesting addition but we’re not convinced, especially because we feel there are a lot of other fat burning ingredients that Evlution Nutrition could have gone for.

What’s missing?

There are quite a lot of things missing from Lean Mode in our opinion, even if the choice is limited because of the supplement not having stimulants.

Firstly, it was disappointing not to see Black Pepper Extract included in some form. Although it’s not directly linked with fat loss, it has been shown to increase the absorption of the other ingredients in health supplements, meaning that you’re more likely to feel the benefits.

Also, we were saddened not to see Zinc, or any B Vitamins included in Lean Mode as we feel that they are crucial parts of any fat burner supplement.

It was also a shame to see Chromium, another favourite of ours, omitted.

The fact that there is not Cayenne Pepper in any form in Lean Mode was also extremely disappointing. We’re huge fans of this particular ingredient because of its ability to act as an appetite suppressant but also speed up the metabolism.

OUR PICK: Discover the top 5 fat burners on sale right now

Are there any side effects?

On the whole, these kinds of dietary supplements tend to be pretty safe.

That being said, we strongly recommend that you carefully check the label to make sure that you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients.

Usually, the main issue with supplements of this type is the caffeine content and its potential to affect your sleep.

That won’t be a problem in Lean Mode, although both Green Tea and Green Coffee Bean extract may contain small amounts of caffeine, so it’s worth being aware of this.

How to take Lean Mode

Each bottle of Lean Mode contains 50 servings.

The label recommends that you take one serving of three capsules, 1-2 times every day.

They say that for best results, take this supplement before breakfast, and again before dinner.

The only other thing we’d recommend is maybe trying not taking this supplement too close to bedtime because its potential to contain natural sources of caffeine.

What are customers saying?

We found loads of customer reviews about Lean Mode on Amazon.

There were a few complaints from people saying that they had noticed no difference while taking the supplement and working hard in the gym.

Another person said that they had taken it for a month with no results at all.

However, there were also some positive reviews, with a number of other customers revealing some positive changes with Lean Mode.

Is this the best fat burner?

Not in our opinion. Although Lean Mode does combine a number of good core ingredients, we can’t help but feel that there’s too much missing from this supplement to consider it as one of the best out there.

We recently picked out our list of the best fat burner supplements around at the moment by comparing ingredients and reading the customer reviews. Click the link below to check out our list.

OUR PICK: Discover the top 5 fat burners on sale right now

Anything else to consider?

As we always say when considering supplements of this nature, there is no shortcut to success with regards to your body goals.

You’ve got to make sure that you’re eating well and training hard before considering adding a fat burner supplement to your regimen.

There’s no ‘magic pill’ but a good fat burner can help if you’re already eating well and training hard.

Review conclusion – our final thoughts

So is this a good fat burner you should consider taking? Here are our thoughts about Lean Mode in a nutshell:

Pros:
– Stimulant free
– Solid core ingredients

Cons:
– Missing a lot of things
– Could still contain caffeine
– Mixed customer reviews

So there we have it, our full review of Lean Mode by Evlution Nutrition. We hope it was useful for you and that it will help you make an informed decision.

OUR PICK: Discover the top 5 fat burners on sale right now

Remember to check out our list of the best fat burner supplements on sale at the moment by clicking the link above.