Can Supplements Help With Carb Cravings and Weight Loss?

Can Supplements Help with Cravings and Weight Loss?

Written and Clinically Validated by: Matt Marshall, PharmD.

All it takes is a trip to the vitamin aisle at any local supermarket to realize there are A LOT of supplements marketed for weight loss. Let me save you some time by answering your next question – No, most of them don’t work.

Sorry to dash your hopes of eating pizza and birthday cake for every meal henceforth – trust me, my hopes are equally crushed.

There is some good news, however. While nothing out there besides effort and diet can slim you up – there are some supplements that make the process easier. These supplements forgo the usual “fat-burner” approach by working on a different mechanism of metabolism – the appetite.

For us to explain how these supplements work, take a look at the diagram above.

To understand how cravings and appetite work, think about how you teach a puppy. You reward good behavior by giving your pup a treat, right?

Your digestive system works exactly the same way.

When you consume that delicious, greasy slice of pizza, your digestive system, evolved from ages of hunting and gathering, will naturally go nuts at the site of something so calorically rich. It means not starving to death after all! Because it tastes good, you naturally don’t complain much either.

As a result, your brain and your digestive system unleash a surge of dopamine – the body’s feel good chemical – making it seem like a good idea to seek out pizza on the regular.

Obviously, unless you are also living like a hunter-gatherer, you probably aren’t burning enough calories to burn off that slice of pizza. Last I checked, modern technology has made hunting down your pizza a pretty easy task.

Now that we understand why cravings happen, let’s talk about what we can do about them. Check out the diagram below:

As seen above, Each supplement has its own area of the cycle that it attacks to help block cravings. Let’s take a look at each in detail.

5-htp

The Science: 5-htp is a precursor to serotonin – another mood chemical in the body. Serotonin specifically has a role in well being and satiety, and supplementing 5-htp has been shown to curb appetite and cravings.

It also goes hand-in-hand with preventing late-night snacking as it helps improve sleep quality.

To that effect, it may cause some drowsiness, so make sure you aren’t going anywhere the first time you take it.

How to take it: To prevent cravings – take one dose (50-100mg) before a meal. Be cautious as this may cause drowsiness the first few times you take it.

Do not take this supplement if you are taking any prescription medications for depression or mental health.

Salacia

The Science: Salacia is a unique supplement, and not one you’ll find in the diet section of the vitamin aisle.

Why is it in this article then?

Because while there aren’t any studies looking at weight loss specifically, it will absolutely help with that given what it does help with – blood sugar. More specifically, how it affects the blood sugar. Salacia has been shown to reduce the absorption of carbohydrates by 20-25% when taken alongside a carb containing meal.

Because of this – less carbs are absorbed, less calories are absorbed, and the damage from a carb-rich meal is mitigated somewhat. It should go without saying that this isn’t a perfect fix; but if you are struggling with carb cravings specifically, Salacia can help you out.

A word of caution – be careful with this one if you are following any sort of low-carb diet already, as this can further drop your blood sugar and possibly cause hypoglycemia.

How to take it: How to take: Take a dose before a meal containing carbohydrates. Be especially cautious if taking any prescription medications for diabetes as this will impact your blood sugar.

Protein

The Science: While Protein is usually what you expect to see bodybuilders and weight lifters using, it helps just as much for losing weight as it does for gaining muscle.

Think about why this is. Not only is protein relatively dense, it’s very low calorie and inefficient for the body to metabolize into fat.

Thus when you take a scoop of protein, you aren’t just helping your muscles grow – you’re helping your appetite shrink by virtue of filling your stomach with something nutritionally rich.

How to take it: There are many calculators available online to determine your specific daily protein needs, but the general rule of thumb is 0.8g per kg of bodyweight for a minimum daily requirement.

If you aren’t trying to put on muscle, then simply take one scoop mixed in with a (low-calorie!) beverage once or twice daily.

Fiber

The Science: While there are various fiber supplements – they work in different ways. Some, like glucomannan or chia seeds work by absorbing water in the stomach. Others like Psyllium just expand and take up space in the stomach that way.

Regardless, they all work the same way to curb appetite – by increasing fullness in the stomach.

How to take it: Simply take one serving 30 minutes or less before a meal. Make sure you have a to-go box ready for your leftovers!