Slimming Supplement: Vitamin D
People who have high vitamin D levels at the start of a diet lose more weight, suggests research presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting.
Recommended Intake: Get 1,000 IU through fatty fish and fortified cereal, juice, and dairy products or a D3 supplement daily.
Health Bonus: Vitamin D fights cancer and helps your body absorb bone-building calcium.
Slimming Supplement: Prebiotics
Overweight adults who took a prebiotic supplement lost an average of 2 pounds over 12 weeks, compared with those on a placebo, found Canadian researchers.
Recommended Intake: Aim for 4 to 20 g daily from foods such as garlic, onions, artichokes, and fortified yogurt, or supplements.
Health Bonus: Prebiotics stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria (probiotics) in the gut to regulate digestion.
Slimming Supplement: Calcium
When women deficient in calcium took 1,200 mg of calcium daily for 15 weeks, they lost 4 times as much weight as those who took a placebo.
Recommended Intake: Get 1,000 to 1,200 mg daily from low-fat dairy and leafy green vegetables or a 500 or 600 mg calcium carbonate or citrate supplement taken twice a day.
Health Bonus: Calcium builds and maintains strong bones to prevent injury and osteoporosis.
Slimming Supplement: Multivitamin
In a 15-week study, women who popped a daily multivitamin felt 45% less hungry than those who took a placebo.
Recommended Intake: Eat plenty of colorful fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean protein daily, and take a multi that provides no more than 100% of your daily value for each nutrient.
Health Bonus: The wide range of nutrients in multivitamins plays a critical part in immune function.
