Do Polyphenols Help You Lose Weight?

Diet and exercise are the keys to losing weight, but some people fail to see noticeable results by eating well and increasing their physical activity. If this sounds all too familiar, ensuring that you get the right micronutrients may help you boost your metabolism and lose weight naturally. Read on to discover how specific polyphenols nutrients may support your weight loss efforts.

How Do You Burn More Fat?

To understand the benefits of polyphenols, you need a basic understanding of metabolism function. Your body needs a constant energy supply to power it around the clock. Your metabolism is what supplies that power by converting the food you eat into energy. Calories are the way of measuring that energy. When you eat more calories than you burn, your body stores the excess in the form of body fat in case food is ever scarce. You can put your body into that state by eating fewer calories than you burn. A calorie deficit causes your metabolism to burn stored fat for energy.

There are several reasons why your metabolism may not burn enough fat for you to see noticeable weight loss. If you only have a few pounds to lose, it can be challenging to create enough deficit to encourage your body to burn more fat. Metabolism function also naturally slows down with age. Women have a tough time shedding pounds as they grow older due to hormonal changes. Plus, an extreme calorie deficit may trick your body into thinking you are starving. If this occurs, metabolic rates plummet to protect your body. Although more research is needed, early scientific studies indicate that polyphenols may act as natural fat burners to counteract the forces that lead to sluggish weight loss.

What Are Polyphenols?

Polyphenols are micronutrients found in plants. There are four main types: phenolic acids, lignans, stilbenes, and flavonoids. Each category has its specific structure, but all polyphenols have one thing in common--they act as antioxidants, which fight oxidative stress. All-day long, your body is bombarded by reactive particles called free radicals. They are present in ultraviolet energy as well as environmental pollution. When free radicals contact cells, they can oxidize or damage them. Over time, this damage can speed up the aging process and contribute to many medical conditions, including heart disease and cancer.

Your body produces antioxidants to defend itself, but our natural defenses are often not enough to completely eliminate oxidative stress in today's modern world. Polyphenols can support your natural antioxidants to make oxidative stress less likely.

Benefits of Polyphenols for Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, polyphenols may provide the following benefits:

• Aiding in post-exercise recovery: Antioxidants may help your body repair muscle fibers after workouts to enhance results.
• Supporting fat burning: Some polyphenols have been shown to interfere with a major enzyme that causes your body to store fat. In doing so, they may boost metabolism function and potentially allow you to burn more fat.
• Managing blood sugar: Polyphenols may have the ability to increase glucose uptake. Excess glucose in the bloodstream can be converted to body fat so that this action may discourage fat formation.

Polyphenol-Rich Foods 

Polyphenols are found in many foods. Some of the best sources include:

• Almonds
• Beans
• Black raisins
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cloves
• Dark chocolate
• Garlic
• Hazelnuts
• Onion
• Pecans
• Pomegranates
• Raspberries
• Red wine
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Tea
• Walnuts

Unfortunately, some items like dark chocolate, nuts, and beans are also calorie-dense foods. Overeating them could inhibit weight loss. Many people turn to anti-obesity polyphenol supplements to complete their weight loss programs.

Best Polyphenols for Weight Loss

Many weight loss supplements contain polyphenols, so it can be challenging to determine which one to choose. Because various polyphenols work in different ways, the best approach is often to select a product that includes at least two polyphenols to support weight loss. Body Kitchen TrimGlo with DygloFit contains two essential polyphenols:

• DygloFit: DygloFit is an extract of the Dichrostachys glomerata fruit from West Africa standardized to maximize its polyphenol content. One study found that people who took 200 milligrams per day lost 24.5 pounds without making any other changes to their diet, lifestyle, or fitness routines.

• Green tea extract: Green tea extract contains EGCG, a polyphenol that disrupts the process that triggers fat storage. Polyphenol may encourage your body to burn more fat in response to diet and exercise.

Although polyphenol dietary supplements may help you lose weight naturally without relying on stimulant prescription diet pills, they can still cause side effects in some people and may interact with some medications. As a result, you should consult your health care provider before taking any new dietary supplement for weight loss.