Christian Finn

Forskolin: Magic bullet or fat-loss flop?

In recent months there's been renewed interest in the dietary supplement forskolin — an extract from the roots of the Coleus forskohlii plant — following a study showing that the herbal extract helped a group of men lose almost 10 pounds of fat while gaining over 8 pounds of muscle over a 12-week period.

A perennial herb with fleshy fibrous roots, Coleus forskohlii is a member of the mint family of plants. It grows in the wild in warm temperate areas such as India, Burma, and Thailand.

Although Coleus forskohlii has been used for several hundred years as a pickle or food spice in Indian diets, research into the medicinal value of extracted forskolin began in the 1980′s. It was used primarily to help a number of conditions linked with cardiovascular disease.

The real truth about hoodia and weight loss

Losing weight requires burning more calories than you consume on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, the drive to eat is very powerful. If you've spent more than a few days on a diet, you're probably familiar with that intense sense of hunger that just won't go away.

If we're to believe the hype, a small cactus-like plant in the South African Kalahari Desert called Hoodia gordonii could hold the key. The San Bushmen of the Kalahari have been eating hoodia (pronounced HOO-dee-uh) for thousands of years to stave off hunger during long hunting trips.

Is ephedra making a comeback?

If you want controversy, look no further than the herb ephedra. Ephedra, also known by its Chinese name of Ma-huang, has been a hot topic for some time.

Some people say that ephedra is one of the most dangerous products out there, while others are convinced that it's a safe and effective way to lose fat and boost your performance in the gym.

Although ephedra has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years as a primary part of herbal formulas used to treat bronchial asthma, flu, and fever, the US Food and Drug Administration banned it in April 2004. They claim that the alkaloids in ephedra, which include ephedrine, "present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury."

But one year later in April 2005, a federal judge in Utah overruled the ban. After examining scientific evidence that the FDA consulted in developing its stance on ephedra, the Court determined it had not proved that a daily dosage of 10 milligrams or less of ephedrine alkaloids presents a significant risk of illness or injury.

Despite the ban, it's always been possible — and actually very easy — to make your own ECA (ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin) stack. I'll explain how (and why I don't recommend the use of aspirin) a little later.

Straight talk about green tea and fat loss

Over the past few years, green tea has become very popular with people wanting to lose weight. Green tea is rich in a class of polyphenols known as catechins (pronounced kat-a-kins). Polyphenols give the plant its color. The strongest catechin in green tea is known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Animal research shows that EGCG increases the rate at which fat is burned, as well as reducing the absorption of calories from the diet [5, 6]. A recent study also shows that mice given green tea extract were able to swim for longer before reaching exhaustion. They also burned fat faster [9].

How well does green tea work in humans? Is it worth spending your hard-earned money on?

The no-willpower way to beat sugar cravings

Losing weight means burning more calories than you eat. But that's a lot easier said than done, especially when rich, delicious food is so easily available.

"Nothing undermines a weight-loss plan more," says writes South Beach Diet author Dr. Arthur Agatston, "than the distressing sensation that you need more food."

What does the prohormone ban mean for you?

Back in 1998, baseball slugger McGuire broke Roger Maris' "unbeatable" home run record. However, his admission that he used a supplement called androstenedione (pronounced andro-steen-die-own) attracted a firestorm of interest from the media.

Androstenedione formed part of a class of supplements known as prohormones. They were aggressively promoted as potent muscle-builders and legitimate alternatives to steroids.

Unfortunately, for some, the prohormone era is almost over. New legislation means that many of these compounds will no longer be available as dietary supplements from January 2005.

Should you be stocking up? Here's what the research has to say.

Oxygen water: Are you being ripped off?

These days, you can find food and drinks with all kinds of things added intended to make us healthier. Orange juice fortified with calcium, breads and cereals with extra vitamins.

Now comes bottled water with extra oxygen. Marketers say this new breed of water can boost athletic performance and give you more energy.

Increasing the oxygen concentration of the air you breathe does affect performance, as does increasing the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, which is why blood doping is such a problem in high-level cycling and running competitions [4, 5].

But does adding oxygen to water have the same effect?

Lifting the lid on iron supplements

Have you been feeling a little tired lately? Maybe it's lack of sleep, or too much exercise. Perhaps it's that new low-carb diet you've been trying.

Those are the obvious reasons for feeling drained and weak. But for women, especially those who exercise regularly, the problem could be caused by an iron deficiency.

Because of this, iron supplements are very popular, especially with women and vegetarians.

However, not everyone agrees that iron supplements — especially in combination with vitamin C — are safe or healthy. If you take an iron supplement, or a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that contains a significant amount of iron, here are some vital facts you need to know.

Pyruvate supplements: Sorting the facts from the fiction

Not only is pyruvate reported to have a "phenomenal effect" on weight loss by burning fat, it's also supposed to boost your performance in the gym.

Does it work? Or is pyruvate just another in the long line of supplements to promise much but deliver little?

Creatine supplements: What works and what doesn't?

Most people wanting to build muscle, at one time or another, have either used or toyed with the idea of using creatine supplements. Unfortunately, in an industry dominated by hype and half-truths, independent and unbiased information about creatine is extremely hard to come by.

Pick up any health and fitness magazine, and you'll see numerous advertisements for the latest range of creatine supplements, with each new product promising to be more effective than the last.

Because most magazines are either owned or supported financially (in the form of advertising) by supplement companies, getting to the truth can be extremely difficult.

Does the type of creatine you use really make that much of a difference? Can the benefits of creatine supplements like CELL-Tech® or Meta-CEL™ really justify the extra cost? Are the stories about creatine and its alleged side effects that appear in the popular press based on fact or fiction?

And is there any truth to the rumor that creatine makes fat loss more difficult?