Chapter
14.
Dietary
Supplements and weight loss
Is there a pill or potion that will 'melt away the pounds'?
If there were I can assure you that we would be manufacturing it. But
there is no 'honest' pill that can do this. In spite of this the supply
of 'weight loss' supplements are the biggest part of the entire dietary
supplement business.
None of them work on their own... even the pharmaceutical prescription
drugs!
Most of the 'natural' supplements are harmless but some of them including
the prescription drugs have the ability to do serious long-term harm
to your health. The weight loss business is a multi billion dollar business
which is I believe a factor in the suppression of the real truth. Simply
put, many people are getting rich from the general ignorance of the
public and would very much like for the status quo to remain.
For your information consumers in the US spent an estimated $34 billion
on weight loss programs and products in the year 2000.
We could design a supplement for weight loss which would be superior
to anything that I have seen on the market and sell more of it than
all our other products combined and at higher profits…but we will
not do this on ethical grounds because in order to market it effectively
and compete with other companies even though our product may be superior
we would be forced to 'stretch' the truth which would run contrary to
our corporate policy.
Too many people have had their lives destroyed and created heartaches
for themselves and their loved ones through the impossible promises
of weight loss promoters whether they are selling programs or products.
Some products will help but none of them come into a category of a 'magic'
pill.
If you have any doubt of what I am saying click here where you can download
a PDF on weight loss advertising. It is a 60 page document prepared
by the US Federal Trade Commission. If you are interested you will find
it very enlightening. It examines current practices in the industry
and exposes many scams.
So, before you part with your hard earned money for a miracle weight
loss pill, count to 10 and think very hard. Some of the adverts that
I see for these products would be funny if it was not such a serious
matter. There is more to it than just the loss of the money, it is the
frustration through not getting the promised results and the potential
of health damage through following bad advice.
There are however some safe nutrients and supplements that you can take
which can be helpful. I will address this issue shortly.
What about
fat blockers?
No doubt that you have seen advertisements promoting 'fat blockers'?
The principle behind these is to have them expand in your stomach and
'mop' up excess fat.
I think that they are dangerous as they mop up all fat both good and
bad... and you NEED the good fats both to lose weight and stay healthy.
As you have now learnt, dietary fat is less of a problem than excessive
carbohydrates which starts the mechanism for the PRODUCTION of fat.
Don't be taken in by the advertising hype on these miracle fat absorbers!
Will HGH
help me lose weight... is it safe?
The short answer is yes it will contribute but only to a small degree...
but ONLY if it is produced naturally by your own body.
HGH is the popular term for Human Growth Hormone. Before I explain how
you can raise your own HGH naturally I will first address the subject
of HGH in so far as it relates to dietary supplements. HGH is one of
the most 'touted' products on the market today and certainly one of
the most dishonest.
The first thing to understand is that genuine HGH is only available
by prescription, and that it is called rGH which stands for recombinant
growth hormone which is a synthetic substance identical to real HGH.
Only those people who have been clearly diagnosed with a faulty pituitary
gland and can not produce their own HGH should ever take this substance.
It is not the 'fountain of youth' as portrayed by many.
For more info on this, go to the antiaging section of the Xtend-Life
website
HGH was made popular
by a study carried out by Dr Daniel Rudman in 1990 (now deceased). He
found that older individuals after having regular injections of HGH
experienced significant improvements in all the markers of aging including
the loss of body fat and also had an increase in lean muscle mass. The
popular press latched onto it and the catch cry became that "HGH
will turn back the biological clock by 20 years."
What is not widely known is that the original study did not continue
and that regressions can take place when the treatment is stopped. So
much so that the patient could potentially end up accelerating their
aging!
However, the products that are being sold over the counter and through
the internet are basically harmless as many of them are just colored
water with a minute amount of rGH in them. The FDA in the USA allows
a dose equivalent to about 1/10,000th of the injection dose. So, these
products won't hurt your body... only your wallet!
Some products promoted as HGH are in fact amino acids which are precursors
of HGH. There is some value in these as many people are low on their
amino acid intake which is why they feel a benefit. The only drawback
with these products is that the majority of them are grossly overpriced.
Just about all these products are promoted by relying on the original
study of Dr Rudman. This is dishonest because the study that was done
by Dr Rudman was using a totally different substance. It's a bit like
trying to compare a banana with a rock!
In support of this statement I should mention that recently The New
England Journal of Medicine took the unusual step of denouncing the
misuse of a scientific report it published in 1990 about growth hormone.
I agree with what they say.
They note "that many marketers are misrepresenting the significance
of that report". In their recent article which can be referenced
as 'Drazen JM. Inappropriate advertising of dietary supplements'. New
England Journal of Medicine 348:777-778, 2003 the following warnings
are posted:
- 1. Although
the findings of the 1990 study were biologically interesting, the
duration of treatment was so short that side effects were unlikely
to have emerged, and it was clear that the results were not sufficient
to serve as a basis for treatment recommendations.
- 2. Growth-hormone
injections have not proven safe.
- 3. Studies
that have followed the 1990 report by Rudman et al. confirm the effects
of growth hormone on body composition but do not show improvement
in function.
- 4. Amino acid
pills marketed as so-called "growth hormone releasers" can't
work because they are digested.
The last statement
is both true and false. Most of the amino acid 'releases' don't work
because of the 'delivery' systems used in most tablets, capsules and
liquids. However, they can help when combined with a delivery system
that gets the amino acids into the blood stream.
But keep in mind the ability of amino acids on their own to help HGH
production becomes very low as you get older unless they are combined
with other special substances.
Insulin
blocks natural HGH production
It is important for you to also be aware that if you are overweight
it is likely that you have developed an insulin resistance. Excess insulin
inhibits the production of HGH. So, does excessive dietary fat.
How do
you increase your production of HGH naturally?
t's actually
easier than what you think.
If you follow the principles outlined in this report you will raise
your natural production of this substance. Plenty of good protein helps
a great deal.
Also, quality sleep is a big factor which is another reason why you
should not eat 2 - 3 hours before going to bed at night as that will
not only affect the quality of your sleep but also the production of
your HGH.
It has also been found that 24 hour water fasts as I mentioned earlier
will give your HGH a boost.
Lastly, but not least is exercise. This will also raise your levels
of HGH.
In summary, it is possible to raise your levels just by eating correctly,
sensible supplementation for general health and exercise. I know this
from personal experience. My level of HGH as measured by IGF-1 is the
same as a healthy male in their mid 20's and I am in my mid 50's.
Dietary
supplements play an essential part in weight loss...
In a perfect world, there would be no need for dietary supplements!
In that same world there would be no need for this special report and
indeed there would be no need for a company such as Xtend-Life because
we would all be fit, slim and healthy.
Sadly,
we do not live in a perfect world... and never will!
The biggest problem that we are all faced with in today's modern world
is finding food which will sustain all our bodily systems and keep our
body functioning 100% as nature intended.
Of course there appears to be an abundance of food in most western countries
but when you examine the nutritious value of most food it is easy to
understand why a rather unusual situation exists primarily in the USA.
This unusual situation is overweight people suffering from malnutrition.
Hard to come to grips with isn't it? But it is a fact nonetheless. This
is because so much of the food that is consumed is devoid of the essential
nutrients. For more information about this rather bad state of affairs
read our 21st August edition of Xtend-Your-Life called: Malnourished…with
fruit and veges? This will shock you!
You will find it in the archives section of Xtend-Your-Life by clicking
here. The bottom line is that no matter how much effort you put into
selecting your food it is nigh on impossible to get all the nutrients
your body needs just from food alone. My family and I go to a lot of
trouble to source quality food with high natural levels of nutrients
but this is often not possible for many people living in big cities.
Even so I am sure that we would not have such a high level of health
and well being if we were not sensible users of dietary supplements
as well.
Dietary supplements
are essential for the good health of everyone and crucial for people
who have a weight problem. If you are subject to stress either at home
or work your need increases. Also, if you live in an environment in
which you are exposed to air pollution or spend time driving on freeways
your need for supplementation goes up.
So, what do you need by way of dietary supplements if you want to lose
weight?
Basically the same supplements that you need if you wish to promote
general good health! Remember what I said earlier... there is no magic
pill that will lose weight for you without changing eating and lifestyle
habits!
Here is what you need... THIS IS IMPORTANT... specific recommendations
will be given in the resources part of this report.
- 1. A high quality
'foundation' supplement. This has to comprise a broad range of vitamins,
minerals, amino acids, herbal extracts, enzymes and other specialty
nutrients. Your ordinary 'multi' will not do the job. This is because
the basic vitamins and minerals are quite weak in comparison to other
nutrients and are only a small part of the body's nutrient needs.
Whilst on this subject, don't be fooled into thinking more is better.
Many people literally overdose on many vitamins and minerals and create
serious imbalances as a result. The types of ingredients are as important
as the amount.
NOTE: If you only use just one supplement this is the one that is
most the most important for long term reliable weight loss and good
health.
- 2. A high quality
fish oil supplement.
- 3. A high quality
calcium supplement. I mention this because recent studies have confirmed
the importance of calcium in normalizing weight. For more info on
this report refer to our Xtend-15sec-News archives dated the 16th
April 2003.
- 4. You may
also wish to add a natural appetite suppressant which will give you
an energy boost as well.
These specific recommendations will not only help you normalize your
weight over the medium to long term but they will also pay you excellent
health dividends.
Make sure you refer to the RESOURCES section of this report. You will
find specific details in this area.
