Introduction
Maintaining optimal physical fitness is crucial for military personnel, and the pressure to meet body composition standards can lead some to seek quick solutions through weight loss supplements. However, the safety and efficacy of these supplements are often questionable, and some may even pose serious health risks. This article examines the use of weight loss supplements within the military, highlighting potential benefits, hazards, and guidelines for safe and informed decision-making.
The Appeal of Weight Loss Supplements in the Military
Service members often turn to dietary supplements to improve performance, build muscle, lose weight, or enhance overall health. The desire to meet weight or performance standards, coupled with the stresses of military life, can make weight loss supplements a tempting solution. These supplements are sometimes marketed as "thermogenics," "fat burners," or "appetite suppressants," promising quick and easy results.
Concerns and Risks Associated with Weight Loss Supplements
Mislabeled and Adulterated Products
A significant concern is the mislabeling and adulteration of weight loss supplements. Studies have revealed that many supplements sold online and in stores contain ingredients not listed on the label, lack ingredients that are listed, or include hidden additives, including substances banned for consumption by troops.
Defense Department researchers tested 30 weight-loss supplements available online and in stores to determine whether they contained the ingredients listed on their labels or had any hidden additives. They found that 24 listed ingredients that weren't actually in them, seven had additives that weren't listed as ingredients, and one-third had substances found on the Defense Department's Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients List.
This poses a significant risk to service members who may unknowingly ingest unsafe substances, potentially endangering their health, careers, and financial well-being. The predatory marketing to service members and low quality of dietary supplements promoted for weight loss pose a threat to military members and the public.
Read also: An In-Depth Look at the Military Diet
Presence of Stimulants and Prohibited Substances
Many weight loss supplements contain stimulants, such as caffeine, synephrine/bitter orange, yohimbine, hordenine, theobromine, and phenethylamine (PEA). While some studies suggest that ingredients like caffeine and green tea can increase energy expenditure and breakdown of fatty acids in the short term, there isn't enough evidence that these effects translate into meaningful weight or fat loss in the long term.
Taking too much or too many stimulants can lead to side effects. Some weight loss supplement ingredients are prohibited for use by Military Service Members, such as DMAA, DMBA, ephedra, and methylsynephrine. Some products have even been found to contain hidden drugs, other potentially harmful ingredients, or ingredients that haven’t been studied enough (or at all) in humans.
Thermogenics, which are drugs or supplements that facilitate weight loss and increase energy, often contain stimulants that increase energy levels and blood flow, leading to an increase in body temperature. Common substances used as thermogenics contain different forms of caffeine such as kola nut, guarana and green tea. Other thermogenic substances include bitter orange, ma huang (ephedra) and dimethylamylamine, or DMAA, which was originally sold as a nasal decongestant. The FDA banned the use of ephedra in over-the-counter supplements in 2004.
Even over-the-counter thermogenic supplements can be associated with significant side effects, many of which can be life threatening. These include changes in heart rate, increased body temperature, addiction, gastrointestinal problems and anxiety, among others. Nationwide, many deaths have been associated to their use because of significant cardiac compromise or severe heat injuries.
DMAA is linked to serious medical conditions, including dangerous increase in blood pressure, headaches, lightheadedness, stroke, depression, irregular heartbeat, dehydration, tremors and lethal exhaustion. In the Army population, the usual mechanism of bodily injury from the use of thermogenics is heat injuries, which could lead to heat stroke. Thermogenic substances can cause a dramatic and rapid increase in body temperature.
Read also: Is the Military Diet right for you?
Lack of Scientific Evidence and Misleading Claims
There is little scientific evidence that weight loss supplements alone can help individuals lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off. Ingredients such as capsaicin, CLA, Garcinia cambogia, green coffee bean, and raspberry ketone are commonly touted for weight loss, yet the research to support these claims is either inconsistent or lacking. More research is needed to determine which ingredients are safe and effective and in what amounts or combinations. Question the claims on the label, and remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Potential Interactions with Medications
The committee emphasizes that it is very important that interactions between dietary supplements, medications, nutrients, and other dietary supplements be considered in all elements of this framework: when conducting surveys, when applying the framework and conducting reviews, and when examining and associating adverse events with dietary supplement use. However, when conducting the reviews, it would not be feasible for this committee to address all the potential combination scenarios for dietary supplements, and only a few known and potential interactions with medications have been noted.
The Role of Caffeine in Weight Loss Supplements
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that can also have physiological effects on the autonomic nervous system as well as the cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal systems. The actions of caffeine and its metabolites on these systems are mediated by way of several mechanisms, including antagonism of adenosine receptors (caffeine and paraxanthine are nonselective antagonists for A1 and A2a receptors, but the effect of caffeine on A3 receptors is unknown). A1 receptors have been identified in many brain regions, including the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebel- lar cortex, and thalamus (Porkka-Heiskanen, 1999). Other mechanistic pathways for the effects of caffeine and its metabolites include inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity, increased calcium mobilization, and antagonism of benzodiazepine receptors.
Caffeine intake per serving and per day was calculated using the maximum recommendations on each product label. Laboratory analyses revealed product means ranging from 1 to 829 mg caffeine per day.
Less than one-third (11 of 36) of the products whose caffeine content was more than that of one cup of brewed coffee per day listed caffeine as an ingredient, although a majority of these products (27 of 36) did voluntarily list a caffeine level on the label.
Read also: Replacing Cottage Cheese on the Military Diet
While caffeine can provide a temporary boost in energy and metabolism, it is not a sustainable solution for long-term weight management.
Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS)
The Defense Department launched Operation Supplement Safety in 2012 to educate the military community about dietary supplements and the potential health risks of ingredients.
Operation Supplement Safety webpage, the program of record under the Consortium for Health and Military Performance at the Uniformed Services University, provides evidence-based educational information about dietary supplements, health and wellness products and ingredients. Department of Defense Instruction 6130.06Article on OPSS webpage, “Use of Dietary Supplements in the DOD,” formalizes OPSS as the Department of Defense program for dietary supplements. “The OPSS team works closely with all the services to increase education and awareness to promote safer supplement use across the force,” said DeMay.
Guidelines for Safe and Informed Decision-Making
- Consult with Healthcare Providers: Talk with your healthcare provider before taking a dietary supplement.
- Prioritize Balanced Eating: Do not use dietary supplements as a replacement for consuming a balanced eating pattern.
- Be Wary of False Claims: Learn to spot false claims.
- Look for Third-Party Certifications: Look for dietary supplements that display the label of a well-vetted, third party certification programArticle on OPSS.
- Focus on Sustainable Lifestyle Changes: Weight-loss supplements aren’t “miracle pills” that will have you shedding pounds without any effort. In order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. So, the key to losing weight and keeping it off is to follow a balanced eating plan and a structured exercise program-and sticking to it. When it comes to weight loss, it’s important to be patient (and realistic) because making meaningful changes to your body takes time.
- Consider Alternatives: Although the use of vitamins and certain amino acids are encouraged for most individuals, the use of performance-enhancing substances and over-the-counter weight loss supplements is not recommended. In the meanwhile, there is no substitute for a well-balanced meal, good rest and moderate exercise to achieve your weight or performance standards.
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