The Dark Truth about Weight Loss Supplements | Dhruv Rathee
Hello friends! According to the recently released
Lancet Global Health Report, 50% of Indians in the
country are physically unfit. The World Health
Organization says that every person should do at least 2.5-3
hours of moderate exercise per week. Which is not being done by half
of the population in our country. Out of the 195
countries in the world, India is the 12th worst
country in this regard. Because of this, millions
of people in the country suffer unhealthy weight gain and many of these
people try to take shortcuts to lose weight. Some drink green tea every day, some drink apple cider vinegar, and some try one weight
loss supplement after another. In today's video, let's find
out the truth behind these. Should you take
these supplements? If yes, then which ones? Which is the magical
weight loss supplement that will reduce your
weight overnight? Let's find out in today's video.
Junk food refers to any food that has a lot of
sugar, salt, or fat. These are harmful to our health. But do you know the
monetary value of junk food? According to Fortune
Business Insights 2020, the global market size
of this junk food industry is $862 billion. According to another
research firm, Straits, the global market size of
this industry in 2022 was $731 billion. It is because of
this junk food that obesity has now become
a global pandemic. Crony capitalism, is the real reason for the
growth of this industry globally. On the one hand,
it creates this crisis, and on the other
hand, it offers 'solutions.' First, feed people junk
food to make money. And when people suffer
from obesity because of it, they sell weight loss
products to earn money. According to Research
from Facts and Factors, the market size of the global weight
loss and weight management industry is $224 billion as of 2021. According to MarketResearch.biz, in 2022, the market size was $260 billion. In this report, three categories of the
weight loss industry were considered.
First, diet, that includes supplements
and products for consumption, Second, fitness equipment
and surgical equipment. And third, services, that include fitness centres, gyms,
and online weight loss programs. It might sound
like a good industry that would have a
positive impact on the world if more and more
people become fit. But a large portion of
this weight loss industry is made up of
weight loss products. The so-called
'weight loss products.' That claim that they will
magically reduce your weight. Such products advertise that you won't need to exercise. And you can keep
eating junk food. Because of their
magical nutrition, you need to consume
only a spoonful of it and your fat will keep
burning overnight. Sometimes it will be
in the form of a syrup, sometimes it will
be weight loss pills, sometimes it will be capsules, sometimes it may
be called Tummy Tea, so that your belly
fat is reduced.
Some sell apple cider vinegar, and some sell herbal
nutritious shakes. These ads may even claim that their products have
been 'clinically proven,' and is 'backed by science.' Some products will claim to
increase your leptin hormone, which will signal
to your brain that you don't need to eat anymore. These products will claim that they will reduce the
absorption of fats. Your metabolism will increase, your gut health will improve, and fat burning will be
more efficient in your body. If you have ever seen these ads, it might have sounded
quite convincing.
They use
scientific-sounding words. These are available in the form
of tablets and capsules as well and are available in
pharmaceutical stores too. If a pharmacy sells
such a product, we get convinced even faster. But the biggest
difference between real medicines and
such products is that real medicines are
categorised as Medical Drugs and these products are
classified as Dietary Supplements. For a product to be
classified as a Medical Drug, it needs to pass many
rounds of trials and tests. There are numerous
regulatory checks. But there aren't as many rules
to be a Dietary Supplement. Often these companies
show their own studies and rely on that research to prove
that their product is safe and efficient. The sample size of these
studies is often very small and often, the studies
are not done scientifically. Not only that, but
sometimes they mock science. Like there is a
category of supplements that is sold as "Leptin Supplement
for Weight Loss." This sounds quite sophisticated. If you look up Leptin on Google, you will find that
Leptin is a hormone that is present
in our fat cells. It tells our brain whether you need
to eat more or not.
It controls your hunger. If the leptin level is high, the brain is told that your
body has sufficient fat stores so you need to eat more. But if the Leptin
levels are low, the brain thinks that the fat stores in
your body is low, and you need to eat more. If this is all you
know about Leptin, it will make sense that since these supplements
contain leptin, and if it increases the
leptin levels of your body, it will signal to
your brain that the fat levels of the
body are very high, so the tendency to feel hungry will automatically decrease and you will eat less, leading to weight loss. But now let me
tell you something that these companies
will not tell you. The obese people, people fatter than
a specified limit, their body fat is
already quite high. This means that leptin level is
already quite high in their body. So, the brain should
already get this signal, they don't need to eat anymore. But they still keep on eating, they keep feeling hungry. Why is this? This is because the body
develops Leptin Resistance.
Constantly high leptin levels over a long time, the signals stop
reaching the brain. The brain feels that it
needs to keep eating more. The fat stores are insufficient and so, the person
keeps eating more. So in such cases,
to lose weight, taking a leptin supplement, does it make any sense? It won't affect your body. The next category for weight
loss are the Fat Trappers. They are also
called Fat Binders. These products contain a
chemical called Chitosan. It is made from powdered shells of creatures like shrimps,
crabs, and shellfish. The shells of crabs are
crushed and powdered to produce this chemical. When you consume it, it sticks to the fat
molecules in your body, which increases the size
of these fat molecules. And your pancreatic enzymes cannot break down
these fat molecules. As a result, the fat molecules are not digested by your body, and as undigested fat, the pass through your
body and are then excreted. This sounds like a
convincing scientific way, a chemical sticking
to our fat molecules, making the fat
molecules undigestable, thus leading to no weight gain. But there is one
tiny problem here.
If Chitosan is preventing the fat
molecules from being digested, then the body won't be able to
absorb the fat-soluble nutrients either. Vitamin A, Vitamin D,
Vitamin E, Vitamin K, many disease-fighting phytochemicals
found in fruits and vegetables, our body won't be able to
digest these good nutrients either. Not only that, but its
positive impact on weight loss is insignificant. According to some studies,
you won't even notice it. The third category of weight
loss supplements is Fat Burners. When you hear the
phrase 'fat burner' you will often imagine a drilling machine burning
the fat deposits of the body. But actually, the reason
behind their effectiveness is said to be Caffeine. Caffeine is the same
substance found in coffee. And some research suggests that caffeine stimulates
our nervous system. Which sends a direct
signal to the fat cells to break down the fat. Studies also show that
caffeine increases our RMR, our Resting Metabolic Rate.
Green coffee beans, which are the
unroasted coffee beans, contain high levels
of chlorogenic acid, giving us anti-oxidant and
anti-inflammatory effects. There's no doubt about it, that it is a good
thing for the body. But the point here is that if we get the same caffeine
from drinking a cup of coffee, then why should we take
these weight loss supplements? This is why, it is important that instead of chasing after
weight loss supplements we focus on our overall health. And to look after your health, it's important to have a health insurance. Because the medical
inflation in our country, has reached 14%.
Look at this article from November 2023, one of the highest medical
inflation rates in Asia, is seen in India. According to 2021
Finance Commission Report, 70% of expenditure on health by Indians, is borne out of pocket, because of this, 60 million Indians, are pushed towards poverty every year. Shockingly, 73% of Indians
do not have a health insurance. Health insurances will not protect
you against health problems, rather, health insurance
would provide financial support. Gives you a peace of mind. In case of any health emergency, you won't need to face
any monetary problems. The sponsor of today's
video will help you with this.
Star Health Insurance Their network includes more
than 14,000 hospitals all over India. and they provide support 24*7. They care for you when
you need it the most. Star Health is the first
standalone insurance company, to have settled more
than 10 million claims. This company has been working since 2006, and is highly reputable. Whether you need a routine checkup, or emergency medical treatment. They offer Cashless
Anywhere facilities too. If you are interested, use the
link given in the description, to choose the perfect health
insurance plan for your family. Now, back to our topic, Some people may compare
coffee and weight loss supplements. that even though both contain caffeine, weight loss supplements
would have more caffeine. It would be in concentrated form, making the supplements
the better option. Taking these supplements may
deliver more caffeine to our body, and it'll be more beneficial. But it is also worth noting that even beneficial things are
good only in moderation.
Similarly, a high
amount of caffeine can actually produce
negative effects in the body. Like anxiety, insomnia,
rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, restlessness,
and even digestive problems. People who drink
coffee excessively can notice these
negative effects. Most of the weight
loss companies remain silent about the
exact possible effects caused by their weight
loss supplements. In the fruit juice
video I talked about how these fruit juice
producing companies, will write on their
juice packets, 'Very rich in Vitamin C' To show that their juice contains
large quantities of Vitamin C.
Which is not wrong, technically, but in reality, Vitamin
C is very easy to get. A small, one-sixth small
portion of Amla or gooseberry can meet your daily
requirement of Vitamin C. Similarly, green tea is
marketed with the claims that it contains caffeine and a flavonoid called Catechin. These two compounds increase
the metabolism of the body and theoretically, it stimulates weight loss. But the question here is how much weight will you lose
simply because of drinking green tea? Look at this meta-analysis
published in 2014. 14 different studies
were compared to see how much does green
tea cause weight loss. These 14 trials were
conducted for 12 weeks. Normally, when
we drink green tea, we put the tea bag in hot water and make a cup of tea.
But in these trials, larger amounts of caffeine
and catechin were used. These substances were
used in a concentrated form so that whatever
the effect may be, it gets inflated
out of proportion. But do you know
what the effect was? The weight loss
seen among people was not statistically
significant. To put it bluntly, the
weight loss was almost zero. Look at this 2011
meta-analysis on green coffee. It included three
different trials. In conclusion, it was seen that green coffee
promotes weight loss. But the magnitude, the amount of 'weight
loss' it promotes, was quite insignificant. Overall, the thing
is that, black coffee, green tea or green coffee beans can help you a little
bit in weight loss. But along with regular exercise, they can only be a supplement. They cannot substitute exercise. Don't expect that you won't need to exercise
if you're consuming these. In 2021, a study was
conducted in Spain that showed caffeine intake increases the
maximum fat oxidation rate in our body.
Studies have also shown that our performance in cardio
exercises and strength training gets a bit enhanced
by taking caffeine. So, it can be a good idea to drink black coffee or green tea
about an hour before exercising. But the issue with
leptin resistance can also be seen with caffeine. If you regularly consume
caffeine every single day, then your body will
develop a caffeine tolerance. Due to this, even the small positive
impact of caffeine on weight loss, will stop happening. So, it is advised to
drink caffeine in cycles. Drink coffee for 2 weeks, and stop drinking coffee
for the next 2 weeks. Then, resume drinking
coffee for 2 weeks. And it needs to be noted that coffee and green
tea are things that are can be easily made at home. But these companies won't want
you to adopt such easy solutions. How else can they get a profit? That's why these companies
come up with powder shakes, and their multivitamins, they sell their
capsules to people to help them lose weight.
One such company
is called Herbalife. They use a Multi-Level
Marketing model for their business. In 2016, America's
Federal Trade Commission filed a court case
against Herbalife. Accusing the company
of mileading people, into thinking that they could earn a
lot of money by selling their products. Herbalife had to pay $200
million as compensation. The company also agreed to fundamentally
restructure its business model so that it could not be labelled
as a MLM or a pyramid scheme. I have already told you about the
MLM business model in this video. So, I don't need
to explain it again. Let's look at
Herbalife's products. This is the ingredient list of
its meal replacement shake. The packaging makes it seem
like a healthy and nutritious product. It begins with Soy
Protein Isolate, which is fine. But on the second
number is Fructose. Fructose refers to sugar. Check out its
nutritional information, 24 out of 100 grams
is simply sugar. But they are marketing it as if it is the healthiest
drink out there that will help you
in weight loss. However, doing this has
become a very common nowadays.
So-called 'healthy'
breakfast cereals contains high levels of sugar. "Does this have sugar?" So-called 'healthy'
packaged juices have high levels of sugar. "Sugar isn't good." 'Healthy' protein bars
contain a lot of sugar. 'Healthy' muesli
has a lot of sugar. 'Healthy' granola
has a lot of sugar too. There have been reports
about Herbalife products that due to their weight
loss supplements, there can be
suspected liver damage. In some cases, people had
to undergo liver transplants, and in some cases,
people even died. These reports are not
from only one country, such incidents were
reported in India, Israel, Spain,
Switzerland, Iceland, Argentina, the USA,
and many other countries. Why did this happen? After analysis,
it was found that in some Herbalife products, there were significant
quantities of heavy metals.
There were undisclosed
toxic compounds. And at some places, highly pathogenic
bacterial communities were found. The biggest marketing
trick of these companies is hidden in their names and
the names of these products. People think that if the company's
name contains the word 'Herbal', then surely they would
not be selling chemicals. Herbal would refer to
the natural ingredients that are good for our health. Some people will say that even if the product
doesn't cause weight loss since it is a "herbal product" there would be no side effects. There must be some net benefit. The thing to be
noted here is that every natural thing doesn't
automatically become safe. There are many plants and fruits which are poisonous for humans. Several research
papers have shown that many herbal medicines
and herbal supplements can result in liver
damage or kidney damage. Dr Abby Phillips, whose username on
Twitter is TheLiverDoc, he has highlighted many dangers that are hidden in "alternative"
medicines and cures.
One such danger is liver injury. Because he highlights
such things on Twitter, he had to face
several court cases. Like this court case was filed by Himalaya
Wellness Corporation. Why? Because TheLiverDoc
posted a Twitter thread about their flagship
product, Liv 52. The doctor talked to India Today and said that this company
is behaving like a coward. Whatever he had posted, that company should have
replied to the post scientifically. Some people have such blind faith
on these weight loss supplements that they start buying
just about anything. Literally anything. Two companies in America had started selling
caffeine-infused underwear. The company claimed that the micro-fibers
of their underwear had micro-capsules of caffeine, that activated micro-circulation and sped up fat breakdown. The Federal Trade Commission fined these companies $200,000 and $1.3 million. So the question is, which weight loss
supplement is useful? Friends, the right answer is, none of them. There is no weight
loss supplement that will help you
lose weight magically.
Melinda Manore, a professor
at Oregon State University, reviewed the evidence of hundreds
of different weight loss supplements and concluded that there's no research evidence that even a single product can cause a significant
amount of weight loss. It may result in some
minuscule weight lose. Like we saw in the examples
of caffeine and green tea. But you will not see any
noticeable weight loss with these. On the contrary, they may have
a negative health impact on you. Like the examples I listed. Registered dietitian
Melissa Matteo says that no over-the-counter fat
burner should be taken. There are only two things that
actually work for weight loss. First is calorie restriction and the second is exercise. Look at the forms of
exercise on the screen these count as Moderate Intensity Physical
Activity when done for specified minutes. Walking 3.5 km for 30 minutes. Climbing up and down
the stairs for 15 minutes. Swimming for 20 minutes or gardening for 30 minutes. You have to ensure that every week you do these moderate-intensity
activities for at least 3 hours. It is so easy to make
yourself physically active. And this small difference can make the whole
country physically active. I am talking about the same research I
mentioned at the beginning of the video.
Now if you really want to know
the step-by-step plan to lose weight, then I have explained
it in this YouTube video. You can click here to watch it. Thank you very much! For those interested, use the
link given in the description below to find the perfect health
insurance plan for your family..
