The Dark Truth about Weight Loss Supplements | Dhruv Rathee

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 thatevery 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 countrysuffer unhealthy weight gainand many of these people try to take shortcutsto 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 supplementthat will reduce your weight overnight?Let's find out in today's video.Junk food refers to any foodthat 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 industryis $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 thatobesity 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 industryis $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 industrythat would have a positive impact on the worldif more and more people become fit.But a large portion of this weight loss industryis made up of weight loss products.The so-called 'weight loss products.'That claim that they will magically reduce your weight.Such products advertisethat 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 itand 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 thattheir 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 thatyou don't need to eat anymore.These products will claim thatthey 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 welland are available in pharmaceutical stores too.If a pharmacy sells such a product,we get convinced even faster.But the biggest difference betweenreal medicines and such products is thatreal medicines are categorised as Medical Drugsand 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 studiesand rely on that research to prove that their product is safe and efficient.The sample size of these studies is often very smalland often, the studies are not done scientifically.Not only that, but sometimes they mock science.Like there is a category of supplementsthat 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 hormonethat is present in our fat cells.It tells our brainwhether 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 storesso you need to eat more.But if the Leptin levels are low,the brain thinks thatthe 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 thatsince these supplements contain leptin,and if it increases the leptin levels of your body,it will signal to your brain thatthe fat levels of the body are very high,so the tendency to feel hungrywill automatically decreaseand you will eat less,leading to weight loss.But now let me tell you somethingthat 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 levelsover a long time,the signals stop reaching the brain.The brain feels that it needs to keep eating more.The fat stores are insufficientand 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 shellsof creatures like shrimps, crabs, and shellfish.The shells of crabs are crushed and powderedto 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 enzymescannot break down these fat molecules.As a result, the fat moleculesare 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 lossis 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 imaginea drilling machine burning the fat deposits of the body.But actually, the reason behind their effectivenessis said to be Caffeine.Caffeine is the same substance found in coffee.And some research suggests thatcaffeine stimulates our nervous system.Which sends a direct signal to the fat cellsto 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 thatif 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 thatinstead of chasing after weight loss supplementswe 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 InsuranceTheir 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 thateven beneficial things are good only in moderation.Similarly, a high amount of caffeinecan actually produce negative effects in the body.Like anxiety, insomnia, rapid heart rate,irregular heartbeat, restlessness, and even digestive problems.People who drink coffee excessivelycan notice these negative effects.Most of the weight loss companiesremain silent about the exact possible effectscaused by their weight loss supplements.In the fruit juice video I talked abouthow 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 gooseberrycan meet your daily requirement of Vitamin C.Similarly, green tea is marketed with the claims thatit contains caffeine anda flavonoid called Catechin.These two compounds increase the metabolism of the bodyand theoretically,it stimulates weight loss.But the question here ishow 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 seehow 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 waterand make a cup of tea.But in these trials,larger amounts of caffeine and catechin were used.These substances were used in a concentrated formso 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 peoplewas 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 thatgreen 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 beanscan 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 thatyou won't need to exercise if you're consuming these.In 2021, a study was conducted in Spain that showedcaffeine intake increases the maximum fat oxidation rate in our body.Studies have also shown thatour performance in cardio exercises and strength traininggets a bit enhanced by taking caffeine.So, it can be a good idea todrink black coffee or green tea about an hour before exercising.But the issue with leptin resistancecan 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 thatcoffee and green tea are things thatare 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 peopleto 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 Commissionfiled 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 modelso 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 ifit is the healthiest drink out therethat will help you in weight loss.However, doing this has become a very common nowadays.So-called 'healthy' breakfast cerealscontains high levels of sugar."Does this have sugar?"So-called 'healthy' packaged juiceshave 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 thatdue 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 thatin 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 companiesis 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 ingredientsthat are good for our health.Some people will say thateven if the product doesn't cause weight losssince it is a "herbal product"there would be no side effects.There must be some net benefit.The thing to be noted here is thatevery natural thing doesn't automatically become safe.There are many plants and fruitswhich are poisonous for humans.Several research papers have shown thatmany herbal medicines and herbal supplementscan result in liver damage or kidney damage.Dr Abby Phillips,whose username on Twitter is TheLiverDoc,he has highlighted many dangersthat 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 casewas filed by Himalaya Wellness Corporation.Why?Because TheLiverDoc posted a Twitter threadabout their flagship product, Liv 52.The doctor talked to India Todayand 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 supplementsthat they start buying just about anything.Literally anything.Two companies in Americahad started selling caffeine-infused underwear.The company claimed thatthe micro-fibers of their underwearhad micro-capsules of caffeine,that activated micro-circulationand sped up fat breakdown.The Federal Trade Commissionfined 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 supplementthat will help you lose weight magically.Melinda Manore, a professor at Oregon State University,reviewed the evidence of hundreds of different weight loss supplementsand concluded thatthere's no research evidencethat even a single productcan 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 thatno over-the-counter fat burner should be taken.There are only two things that actually work for weight loss.First is calorie restrictionand the second is exercise.Look at the forms of exercise on the screenthese 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 minutesor gardening for 30 minutes.You have to ensure thatevery weekyou do these moderate-intensity activities for at least 3 hours.It is so easy to make yourself physically active.And this small differencecan 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 belowto find the perfect health insurance plan for your family.