Is Estrogen Dominance Making You Fat?

by Poliquin™ Editorial Staff

11/28/2012 2:12:48 PM

Estrogen dominance occurs when you have too much estrogen in the body or an imbalance between estrogen and other hormones. Estrogen dominance is a much greater problem than most people realize: It negatively affects men, women, and children, and it could be that one thing that is keeping you from losing weight or getting all that you could out or your workouts!

Beyond our vanity, estrogen dominance significantly increases cancer risk, alters brain transmitters, causes infertility, and can affect mood, making you depressed or irritable. That’s not to say that some estrogen isn’t necessary for both genders—it is!

The right amount of estrogen at the right time is of course responsible for proper female reproduction and is necessary for a healthy pregnancy. In women, it also regulates mood and arterial function, is necessary for bone building, and is even thought to enable women to recover faster from intense exercise.

In men, some estrogen is necessary for optimal sperm health, however, too much compromises male fertility, which is the main point. Also, optimal memory in males is dependent to some basic level of estrogens.

Too much estrogen—Very Bad! Optimal estrogen in balance with the entire hormonal cascade—Perfect!

There are two simple ways to think about estrogen dominance:

1)    Chemical estrogens, called xenoestrogens, are EVERYWHERE and contribute to estrogen dominance. They mimic estrogen, binding to hormone receptors when they enter the body. It is nearly impossible to avoid them, and they are a principal cause of estrogen dominance in men, women, and children.

The most ever-present xenoestrogens include BPA, phthalates, and parabens. Phthalates are found in chemical fragrances such as perfume, air sprays, and candles, whereas parabens are in personal care products like lotion. BPA is found in everything from aluminum cans to new furniture. All three of these chemicals act like estrogen in the body and have caused cancer in animals. In humans, ill health effects of high chemical estrogen levels include heart problems, behavioral issues, and obesity.

For example, a series of studies have linked urinary BPA levels to body fat in all ages—the more BPA people had in their bodies, the fatter they were. People with the most BPA in their urine had a 34 percent chance of being obese compared to only a 23 percent chance in people who had the least urinary BPA. And it’s easy to ingest BPA—simply eating canned soup for dinner for five days was shown to increase BPA levels by 1,223 percent!

2)    Endogenous estrogen is the kind produced within the body. Hormonal balance is a complicated process, but you may have too much internally produced estrogen for a number of reasons including the following:

•    You are overweight. Regardless of gender, fat tissue increases levels of an enzyme called aromatase that turns testosterone to estrogen.

•    You are deficient in certain nutrients (magnesium, vitamin D, selenium, zinc). Nutrient deficiencies elevate aromatase significantly. For example, men with vitamin D deficiency have low testosterone and elevated estrogen due to increased aromatization.

•    You drink alcohol regularly. Alcohol, especially beer, increases aromatase and it’s been repeatedly linked to low testosterone and high estrogen in men.

•    You take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. Both can elevate estrogen or cause an imbalance between estrogen and other hormones.

•    Your body isn’t metabolizing estrogen effectively due to poor gastrointestinal health, lack of certain nutrients, or low fiber intake. Inability to eliminate estrogen quickly will dramatically increase breast and prostate cancer risk.

To treat estrogen dominance you need to focus on two key areas:

1)    Avoid exposure to chemical estrogens.

Even though chemical estrogens are everywhere, you do have some control over your exposure. Now is the time to use that control. Start by only using natural products in the following areas: personal care products like lotion, sunscreen, hair products, soap, cosmetics, perfume; cleaning products (all); air fragrances, including candles, sprays, plug-ins, incense; house paint (stains, solvents, carpet cleaner). Go to the Environmental Working Group web site for information on safe products.

Opt for glass or stainless steel to carry food or water—don’t use plastic unless it’s BPA free. Never heat plastic even if it is BPA free because there are additional hormone-disrupting compounds in plastic other than BPA, that leach out under high temperatures.

Stop buying aluminum cans unless you know they are BPA free. It’s true that eliminating canned goods makes food preparation take longer but it’s worth it to avoid getting fat or having cancer. Cook dried beans, make your own soup (Campbell’s uses BPA-free cans), use frozen (or fresh!) for veggies and fruits, and stew your own tomato sauce (or buy in glass). Some more forward thinking countries like Canada and Norway are presently developing federal laws to ban BPA completely from their canning industries.

Use cloth bags when shopping. Avoid taking receipts and be aware the most recycled paper contains BPA.

Eat organic produce, meats, and dairy to avoid ingesting estrogenic pesticides and growth hormones.

Be aware that most new products (cars, furniture, exercise equipment, yoga mats) contain BPA and other estrogen mimickers. This is harder to avoid, but consider buying antique wood furniture, and air out new cars as much as possible. Here your best bet is to focus on estrogen elimination…

2)    Support the elimination of estrogen (both endogenous and chemical) with diet and supplementation.

Estrogen elimination is a complicated process but a highly simplified version is as follows: Estrogen is first metabolized by the liver. Then it’s sent down one of three pathways, one of which is favorable, one is unfavorable, and one is highly toxic and can cause cancer. Then, if you have a healthy gut and adequate fiber, it will be eliminated. The best way to support the elimination process is with the right diet and supplementation:

Eat a low-carb, high-protein diet because excess insulin in the blood stream results in the elevation of free estrogen levels. Managing insulin with a low-carb, high-protein diet will also support body composition. Protein also provides amino acids that support liver function and detoxification.

Eat lots of healthy omega-3 fats. The omega-3 fats EPA and DHA that are found in wild or organic meat, dairy, and fish promote estrogen metabolism down the most favorable of the three pathways (called the 2-hydroxyestrone pathway). Flaxseeds, which are high in the omega-3 fat ALA, block aromatase and provide fiber that helps keep estrogen bound and unreactive on its way out of the body.

Eat certain nutrients that promote the favorable elimination, including kudzu, alfalfa, leafy greens, clover, licorice, legumes, sesame seeds, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower).

Supplement with selenium, melatonin, zinc, green tea, citrus flavonones (called limonene and found in citrus rinds), folic acid, and B6 and B12.

Perhaps the most beneficial supplement is TNT which is a high fibre supplement that contains a balance of 18 different sources of fibre plus an array of 12 vitamins, 11 minerals and antioxidants in a great tasting orange flavoured drink mix.  Also available in money saving Four Packs.

TNT can be taken alone or alongside other estrogen detox products.
Another excellent supplement choice would be Defence Maintenance.  This is the Key System product for the immune system, and this unique formula provides generous levels of antioxidant  vitamins A, C and E along with Zinc, Selenium, many antioxidants, beneficial cruciferous vegetable powders and extra vitamins and minerals, including turmeric root which contains the super antioxidant curcumin, which is also highly beneficial for health and decreasing inflammation.

Avoid soy, which can mimic estrogen in the body as well. Eating large amounts of processed or non-organic, genetically modified soy has been linked to increased cancer risk.

Get AT LEAST 25 grams of fiber a day. Get MORE if you eat a high-protein diet. Consider taking a high-quality fiber blend (like TNT or LOCLO) and rotating the form of fiber you take because the body will quickly adapt to fiber, making it less effective.


Take magnesium and vitamin D. These are mentioned separately from the other suggested supplements because they are SO IMPORTANT and deficiency in them is so widespread. Consider taking 5,000 IUs of vitamin D daily and 500 mg of magnesium.

For a much more in depth look at how to treat estrogen dominance, read Ten Ways To Lower Estrogen Toxic Load

High Intensity Resistance Training Increases Fat Burning At Rest Even Without Dieting

Performing High-Intensity Interval Resistance Training (HIRT) can increase the amount of fat you burn when not exercising or dieting.  It has been known for ages that performing hypertrophy style (8-12 reps) or circuit training with short rest interval improves your body composition by increasing or maintaining your muscle mass whilst burning fat stores, the holy grail, however you may be better off increasing the intensity of your workout even further.
A recent study from Italy tested the acute effects of HIRT vs. traditional resistance training (TT) on resting energy expenditure and amount of fat burnt for 22 hours post-exercise.  Seventeen trained males carried out HIRT and TT protocols. The HIRT technique consists of using a weigh that the subjects could lift a maximum of 6 repetitions, 20 seconds rest, then as many as possible (usually 2/3 repetitions), 20 secs rest, then as many as possible again.  This counted as one set and the subjects performed two or three sets, with two to three minutes rest between sets.  The subject performed one leg exercise, one chest exercise and one back exercise for a total of 7 sets. The training session lasted approximately 32 minutes (including the warm up period).  The TT technique consisted of eight exercises of 4 sets of 8 – 12 repetitions with one/two minutes rest with a total amount of 32 sets.  This training session lasted approximately62 minutes (including the warm up period).

The researchers measured resting energy expenditure and respiratory ratio (which predicts energy source) for22 hours after the training session. They found that HIRT showed a greater significant increase energy burnt after the session and that more fat was used as an energy source.
This study suggests that shorter HIRT sessions may increase the amount of energy you burn afterwards and the amount of fat used as that energy source.
The shorter exercise time commitment may help to reduce one major barrier site to not being able to exercise, having enough time.

Reference:
Paoli et al (2012). High-Intensity Interval Resistance Training (HIRT) influences resting energy expenditure and respiratory ratio in non-dieting individuals. Journal of Translational Medicine.10:237

Is Your Belly Infested With Toxic Bugs?

Within your gut reside roughly 100 TRILLION living bacteria and maintaining the ideal ratio of “good bacteria” (known as probiotics) to “bad bacteria” is now gaining recognition as perhaps the single most important step you can take to protect your health and further along your fat loss goals.

With specific regard to fat loss, while the ideal healthy ratio of “good” to “bad” bacteria in your gut is 9 to 1, virtually every study performed on the obese population analyzing gut bacteria found higher instances of “bad” bacteria and lower levels of “good” bacteria within these individuals. That's a far cry from the ideal 9 to 1 ratio and you can bet it's DEFINITELY a big reason why these folks are overweight and struggling to lose their stubborn belly flab.

That said, correcting this imbalance can have an IMMEDIATE waist-slimming effect as a recent double-blind study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that test subjects who took active measures to re-balance their gut bacteria ratio were able to reduce their abdominal fat by nearly 5 percent, while the “control” group experienced no positive changes in body fat levels at all.

So what exactly CAN you do to re-balance your gut bacteria ratio and begin experiencing these belly-flattening benefits for yourself?

With research suggesting that probiotic supplementation is even more important to your health than taking a daily multi-vitamin, and the fact that inadequate probiotic levels have been linked through research to more than 170 different diseases and health issues, including obesity and weight gain, we truly believe that EVERYONE should be taking a probiotic daily, ongoing, to continually fight against the bacteria-imbalancing factors that we are constantly exposed to every single day.
We recommend Probiotic Eleven.
 
 
Q:  What specifically makes Probiotic Eleven the best probiotic supplement in the industry?
A: A high potency, multi strain probiotic supplement that provides almost 12 billion bacteria per serving. The eleven strains of bacteria in Probiotic Eleven ensure you replenish your gut with a variety of beneficial flora.  Each capsule contains a built-in prebiotic to nourish and spread the bacteria throughout the gut. Lactobacillus strains release unique enzymes which help to break down larger milk proteins for absorption.  Contain Bifidobacterium strains: longum, infantis and bifidum, which help to create B vitamins
With traditional probiotic products, 93% of the cells are DEAD and useless before ever reaching their final destination.
Simply put, dead probiotics don’t and can’t work, and as mentioned earlier, not only are these products a complete waste of your time and hard-earned money, but much more importantly they are robbing you of the critically important health benefits of probiotics while continuing to leave your body in an endangered state.
In addition to that, Probiotic Eleven:

• Is manufactured via a patented allergen-free process
• Is gluten-free and 100% All Natural
• Contains no artificial additives, colors, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners

Q:  What are the ingredients and amounts used in the formula?

Q:  How do I use this product?
A:  Simply take one or two Probiotic Eleven capsules daily with meals, one capsule just prior to breakfast and one capsule before dinner.
Q:  Is it ok to take this supplement long term?
A:  Yes, absolutely, and that is what is recommended. As mentioned, research suggests that probiotic supplementation is even more important to your health than taking a daily multi-vitamin, and because inadequate probiotic levels have been linked through research to more than 170 different diseases and health issues, including obesity and weight gain, we truly believe that EVERYONE should be taking a probiotic daily, ongoing, to continually fight against the bacteria-imbalancing factors that we are constantly exposed to every single day.
Q:  If I have a medical condition, can I take this product?
A:  Probiotic Eleven is an all-natural formula that is considered safe and extremely effective for nearly everyone. However, if you take prescription medications or have a medical condition, we recommend that you show a bottle of Probiotic Eleven to your physician and/or pharmacist for proper approval.
Q:  How will this product be shipped to me and how quickly?
A:  We will ship your order directly to your home or office and you will have it within 1 to 3 business days.
Q:  Will anything else be sent to me, or billed to me, after I order?
A:  No. But if you want to make use of our auto-ship program, please indicate that when making your order.

Peer-Reviewed Research References

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture,  Office of Inspector General;  FSIS National Residue Program for Cattle, Audit Report 24601-08-KC, March 2010
2. W Kruis, G Forstmaier, C Scheurlen, F Stellaard. Effect of diets low and high in refined sugars on gut transit, bile acid metabolism, and bacterial fermentation; Gut, 1991, 32, 367-371
3. Steinhoff U (June 2005). "Who controls the crowd? New findings and old questions about the intestinal microflora". Immunol. Lett. 99 (1): 12–6.
4. Jean-Pierre Hugot. Inflammatory bowel disease: a complex group of genetic disorders; Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology, Volume 18, Issue 3 , Pages 451-462, June 2004
5. A Venket Rao, Alison C Bested, Tracey M Beaulne, Martin A Katzman, Christina Iorio5, John M Berardi6 and Alan C Logan. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a probiotic in emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome; Gut Pathogens 2009, 1:6
6. Huey-Shi Lye, Chiu-Yin Kuan, Joo-Ann Ewe, Wai-Yee Fung and Min-Tze Liong. The Improvement of Hypertension by Probiotics: Effects on Cholesterol, Diabetes, Renin, and Phytoestrogens; Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2009, 10, 3755-3775.
7. Gregory J. Leyer, PhDa, Shuguang Li, MSb, Mohamed E. Mubasher, PhDc, Cheryl Reifer, PhDd, Arthur C. Ouwehand, PhDe. Probiotic Effects on Cold and Influenza-Like Symptom Incidence and Duration in Children; Pediatrics 2009;124;e172.
8. Silvia Wilson Gratz, Hannu Mykkanen, and Hani S El-Nezami. Probiotics and gut health: A special focus on liver diseases; World J Gastroenterol. 2010 January 28; 16(4): 403–410.
9. Whitney P Bowe, Alan C Logan.  Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis - back to the future? Gut Pathogens 2011, 3:1.
10. Åsa Sullivan, Carl E Nord and Birgitta Evengård. Effect of supplement with lactic-acid producing bacteria on fatigue and physical activity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome; Nutrition Journal 2009, 8:4.
11. Majamaa H, Isolauri E. Probiotics: a novel approach in the management of food allergy; J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1997 Feb;99(2):179-85.
12. Cani PD, Delzenne NM. Involvement of the gut microbiota in the development of low grade inflammation associated with obesity: focus on this neglected partner; Acta Gastroenterol Belg. 2010 Apr-Jun;73(2):267-9.
13. DiBaise JK, Zhang H, Crowell MD, Krajmalnik-Brown R, Decker GA, Rittmann BE. Gut microbiota and its possible relationship with obesity. Mayo Clin Proc. 2008 Apr;83(4):460-9.
14. Abou-Donia MB, El-Masry EM, Abdel-Rahman AA, McLendon RE, Schiffman SS. Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in male rats. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2008;71(21):1415-29.
15. Kadooka Y, Sato M, Imaizumi K, Ogawa A, Ikuyama K, Akai Y, Okano M, Kagoshima M, Tsuchida T. Regulation of abdominal adiposity by probiotics (Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055) in adults with obese tendencies in a randomized controlled trial; Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jun;64(6):636-43.
16. Unpublished clinical study graphical data available upon request.
17. Del Piano M, Morelli L, Strozzi GP, Allesina S, Barba M, Deidda F, Lorenzini P, Ballaré M, Montino F, Orsello M, Sartori M, Garello E, Carmagnola S, Pagliarulo M, Capurso L. Probiotics: from research to consumer; Dig Liver Dis. 2006 Dec;38 Suppl 2:S248-55.
18. Islam, Mohammad Ariful, Cheol-Heui Yun, Yun-Jaie Choi, and Chong-Su Cho. Microencapsulation of Live Probiotic Bacteria; J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. (2010), 20(10), 1367–1377
19. Selvam R, Maheswari P, Kavitha P, Ravichandran M, Sas B, Ramchand CN. Effect of Bacillus subtilis PB6, a natural probiotic on colon mucosal inflammation and plasma cytokines levels in inflammatory bowel disease; Indian J Biochem Biophys. 2009 Feb;46(1):79-85.
20. Mayanagi G, Kimura M, Nakaya S, Hirata H, Sakamoto M, Benno Y, Shimauchi H. Probiotic effects of orally administered Lactobacillus salivarius WB21-containing tablets on periodontopathic bacteria: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial; J Clin Periodontol. 2009 Jun;36(6):506-13. Epub 2009 Apr 22.
21. Iwamoto T, Suzuki N, Tanabe K, Takeshita T, Hirofuji T. Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus salivarius WB21 on halitosis and oral health: an open-label pilot trial; Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2010 Aug;110(2):201-8.
22. McFarland L, Bernasconi P (1993). Saccharomyces boulardii: a review of an innovative biotherapeutic agent;  Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 6: 157–71.
23. Kotowska M, Albrecht P, Szajewska H (2005). Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 21 (5): 583-90.
24. Deters AM, Schröder KR, Hensel A. Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis L.) polysaccharides exert stimulating effects on cell proliferation via enhanced growth factor receptors, energy production, and collagen synthesis of human keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and skin equivalents; J Cell Physiol. 2005 Mar;202(3):717-22.
25. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand, 2008, Volume 32, pages 20-25. Forty Second Annual Conference held in combination with the Australian Nutrition Society at Massey University, Albany Campus, Auckland, New Zealand (December 2007).
26. Bolino CM, Bercik P. Pathogenic factors involved in the development of irritable bowel syndrome: focus on a microbial role; Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2010 Dec;24(4):961-75.
27. Forno E, Onderdonk AB, McCracken J, Litonjua AA, Laskey D, Delaney ML, Dubois AM, Gold DR, Ryan LM, Weiss ST, Celedón JC. Diversity of the gut microbiota and eczema in early life; Clin Mol Allergy. 2008 Sep 22;6:11.
28. Frazier TH, DiBaise JK, McClain CJ. Gut microbiota, intestinal permeability, obesity-induced inflammation, and liver injury; JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2011 Sep;35(5 Suppl):14S-20S.
29. Cani PD, Delzenne NM. The role of the gut microbiota in energy metabolism and metabolic disease; Curr Pharm Des. 2009;15(13):1546-58.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician.

Look into the mirror. What can you see? I see a gathering force that is ready to be unleashed, a weakling that wants to become a beast, an animal that is caged and just waiting to be released, and a wolf in the night who is preparing to eat. I’m ready to attack and proceed.
Recently, I grew tired of lifting light and finally decided to go heavier. Here, I just started strength training with 275 for squats. I managed to rep it 4 times with slow form. I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was. My new goal is to squat at least 320 x 8 with perfect form by the end of summer, which is twice my weight.
#bodybuilding #gym #lift #train #fitness #passion

Two Simple Ways That Will Blow Away Belly Fat

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

Source:
http://optimisepwb.getprograde.com/2-great-ways-to-burn-fat.html

Many people know, in theory, that in order to burn a pound of fat in a week, you need to burn roughly 3500 calories.

And that usually means cutting calories throughout the week, either by diet or through exercise.

In order to burn that pound of fat, you would need to burn an estimated 500 calories – per day.

Now, healthy recommendations for weight loss are to lose at least ONE to TWO pounds per week.

So in theory, you will be doubling the above number - looking to burn 500, if not MORE – calories throughout the day and week.

But there may be one problem: not everyone loses the same amount day in and day out.

In fact, if you regularly weigh yourself throughout the week, you may find yourself down only half a pound – or even less – as your week progresses.

The Reason for Slow Weight Loss

Of course, there are many reasons for slow weight loss.

Things such as emotional eating, poor food choices, and skipping meals may all play a large role in the amount of weight you will lose.

The fact is: Unless you eat the same thing – day in and day out – then you can almost guarantee that your weight will fluctuate throughout the week.

The reason for this is also pretty simple: some days may lead to eating more, cutting less, and no exercise.

And these may lead to smaller than normal decreases on the scale – or sometimes - no decrease at all.

Let’s take a look at how calories translate onto the scale (these are just estimates and may vary):

0.1 pounds = 350 calories

0.2 pounds = 700 calories

0.3 pounds = 1050 calories

0.4 pounds = 1400 calories

Do you see a pattern?

For every tenth of a pound, you would need to burn roughly 350 calories.

And that again, could be from diet, exercise, or a combination of the two.

So how can you start burning today?

Here are some good tips:

Two Ways To Boost Calorie Burn

Here are two good ways to burn more fat throughout the week:

1. High Intensity Exercise

Now, exercise is a great way to expend extra calories.

But, be warned, it does NOT give you the leeway to eat more or eat crappy foods!  It just doesn’t work that way!

The best type of exercise to do is any form of interval training, high intensity training, or sprint training.

Why?

These forms of training may result in increased caloric burn both DURING and AFTER the exercise has been completed.

Basically, you would be alternating between HIGH and LOW periods of exercise bouts.   For example, the high would be sprinting for 30 seconds and the low would be running/jogging for ONE to TWO minutes.

This type of training has been linked to increase lean muscle mass and expending a greater amount of calories from fat.

And this is great for SPIKING your metabolism.

2. Substitute

When it comes to diet, most people think that you need to be extremely strict with your calories.

And this would be true – to a degree.

By making smart substitutions, you could alter your caloric intake, therefore limiting the amount of calories you are eating throughout the day.

Combine this with the tip above and you may find yourself shedding layers of fat in no time.

What’s a good example of a substitution?

Instead of having bread for your lunch sandwich, wrap up your meat in a big lettuce leaf.  This will provide a low-calorie food option, a fiber-rich vegetable source, and a good relief from the complex carbohydrate you may find in bread.

However, be warned: you should include some sort of fat (e.g. TBL olive oil, avocado, or coconut oil) in order to round out the plate and leave you feeling more satisfied instead of starving.

Try These Two Steps on For Size

If you’re looking to boost your fat loss results – then you need to do ONE important thing.

And that is to burn more calories than you are eating!

It seems like a pretty simple concept, however, it may be harder than most people think.

But if you do the two things above – perform high intensity exercise and substitute lower-calorie options – then you may find yourself on the right path to better weight and fat loss.



This Product Helped Burn 8 X More Belly Fat Over The Control Group >>

Trust the process

Fat Loss Supplement Guide

by John Berardi, Ph.D.

Choosing nutritional supplements can be tough. There’s so much information available, and much of it is published by people who are biased in one direction or another. That’s why we have 3 PhDs on staff — to make sense of the mountains of supplement information available, legitimate or otherwise.

We translate high quality research into simple recommendations our clients can use to lose body fat. So when it comes to supplements, we’ve reduced years of research into 4 simple supplement recommendations that you can use right away.
The following 4 supplements are the ones we recommend specifically to our fat loss clients.
These products can reliably help in a fat loss program, while still being safe to use regularly.

1. Fish Oil

You may have heard a lot about Omega-3’s. And fish oil is the key source. There’s a ton of very positive research on fish oil supplementation, it’s been shown to be great for fat loss, and it’s your fish oil.

Choose the right product

Not all omega 3-rich foods are created equal. So, even though flax seeds and flax seed oils are high in omega 3 fats, you can’t substitute these foods in place of fish oils. Further, not all fish oils are the same.
For example, liver oils (like cod liver oil) aren’t the kind you should be using. No, to get the benefits we discuss above, you’ll want to choose omega 3 rich fish oils from the brands recommended below.

Choose the right dose

Our clients start out by using 1 gram of fish oil per percent body fat they have. So, if they’re 10% body fat, they use 10 grams of fish oil. If they’re 20% body fat, they use 20 grams of fish oil.
And so on, up to a maximum dose of 30 grams per day. We follow this protocol for 14 days.
Then, we cut the dose in half. So, if a client starts out taking 10 grams for 2 weeks, they cut the dose down to 5 grams after that. If they start out taking 20 grams for 2 weeks, they cut the dose down to 10 grams after that. This latter dose (1/2 gram per percent body fat) can be followed indefinitely.

2. Multivitamins

As you’ve probably heard, the modern diet often leads to small deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals. These deficiencies can slow your metabolism and impair your ability to burn fat – among other things. And a good multivitamin can help fix that. Here are a few tips for choosing a good one for you.

Choose the right product

Like with most supplements on the market, choosing a multi-vitamin can be confusing. So many companies, so many products; it can be overwhelming. So, to keep it simple, here’s our advice.

Choose the right dose

It’s important not to overdose on vitamins as some of them (particularly the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K) can build up to toxic levels. That’s why you should stick with the recommendations on the label of the brand you choose.

3. Protein Powder

Protein powder’s not entirely necessary if you get enough protein from the foods you eat, like lean meats, chicken and fish. But since most people are crunched for time, they find themselves eating too little protein. That’s why adding some quick high-quality protein can be really, really helpful. So here are some tips for getting the most out of your protein supplementation.

Choose the right product

Protein powder has come a long way since the early days of chalky whey protein. Nowadays, protein powders are extracted from all types of food sources – dairy, eggs, soy, and a host of plant sources like hemp, pea kernels, certain seeds and more. Plus, many of these options actually taste good. So, whether you’re lactose intolerant, allergic to milk, or choose to follow a plant-based diet, you can pick the right product for your unique needs. The key, however, is to choose simple products, without too many additional ingredients.

Choose the right dose

As mentioned above, protein powders aren’t necessary as we can meet our daily protein powders from whole food sources. However, for those of us crunched for time, protein supplements cam come in handy.

The key is to not replace too much of those whole food sources with powders. That’s why we ask our clients to limit their protein powder to a maximum of 4 scoops (about 80 grams) per day.

4. Greens

If you get enough veggies, a greens supplement might not be entirely necessary. But most people simply don’t eat enough vegetables, and are missing out on the micronutrients they contain — many of which help you lose fat either directly or indirectly. And a greens supplement can come in handy here.

Choose the right product

Greens has been shown (in a handful of studies) to increase the antioxidant status of the body, improve pH, lower stress hormones, and more. We’ll, be honest. When we see that a product has been tested repeatedly in a research environment, we get excited. So we’re definitely excited about greens+ and its potential impact on fat loss as well as overall healthy.
So there you have it, our 4 supplements for long-term, sustainable fat loss. A lot of thought and lot of research have gone into these recommendations. These supplements are what I use personally. And they’re also what I have our clients use. Nothing more.So if you have a question about a supplement that we didn’t talk about in this guide, just know that we’ve been doing this a long time and have seen it all. If it’s not one of those 4 — fish oil, multivitamin, protein powder, greens supplement — then I don’t use it regularly, and neither do our clients. And we produce more dramatic fat loss stories than probably anyone else, anywhere else.

Source: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Supplements-For-Men.pdf

Muscle Isn’t Everything: Other Protein Benefits

I lifted the below from an article by John Berardi, PhD CSCS, on how much protein you should eat at every meal....

"Beyond this very narrow view of protein intake (muscle protein synthesis vs. breakdown), there’s a much more important question at stake: why else do we eat protein?

You see, there are other benefits to eating protein beyond muscle building. There’s satiety, the thermogenic effects, the impact on the immune system, and more (see below). Plus, there are probably a few benefits science can’t measure yet. I say the last part because there’s so much experiential evidence suggesting that when you’re training hard and you up your protein intake, you do better. So maybe we just haven’t looked in the right places to notice the real benefits.

Other Protein Benefits

We shouldn’t look at the world through a straw (i.e. see one protein study on one isolated topic and make broad generalizations). So, to help us remember that, let’s review a list of benefits we get from eating extra protein.

Increased thermic effect of feeding – While all macronutrients require metabolic processing for digestion, absorption, and storage or oxidation, the thermic effect of protein is roughly double that of carbohydrates and fat. Therefore, eating protein is actually thermogenic and can lead to a higher metabolic rate. This means greater fat loss when dieting and less fat gain during overfeeding/muscle building.

Increased glucagon – Protein consumption increases plasma concentrations of the hormone glucagon. Glucagon is responsible for antagonizing the effects of insulin in adipose tissue, leading to greater fat mobilization. In addition, glucagon also decreases the amounts and activities of the enzymes responsible for making and storing fat in adipose and liver cells. Again, this leads to greater fat loss during dieting and less fat gain during overfeeding.

Metabolic pathway adjustment –When a higher protein (20-50% of intake) is followed, a host of metabolic adjustments occur. These include: a down-regulation of glycolysis, a reduction in fatty acid synthesis enzymes, and an increase in gluconeogenesis - a carbohydrate “draining” effect where carbons necessary for ridding the body of amino nitrogen is drawn from glucose.

Increased IGF-1 – Protein and amino-acid supplementation has been shown to increase the IGF-1 response to both exercise and feeding. Since IGF-1 is an anabolic hormone that’s related to muscle growth, another advantage associated with consuming more protein is more muscle growth when overfeeding and/or muscle sparing when dieting.

Reduction in cardiovascular risk – Several studies have shown that increasing the percentage of protein in the diet (from 11% to 23%) while decreasing the percentage of carbohydrate (from 63% to 48%) lowers LDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations with concomitant increases in HDL cholesterol concentrations.

Improved weight loss profile – Research by Layman and colleagues has demonstrated that reducing the carbohydrate ratio from 3.5 – 1 to 1.4 – 1 increases body fat loss, spares muscle mass, reduces triglyceride concentrations, improves satiety, and improves blood glucose management

Increased protein turnover — All tissues of the body, including muscle, go through a regular program of turnover. Since the balance between protein breakdown and protein synthesis governs muscle protein turnover, you need to increase your protein turnover rates in order to best improve your muscle quality. A high protein diet does just this. By increasing both protein synthesis and protein breakdown, a high protein diet helps you get rid of the old muscle more quickly and build up new, more functional muscle to take its place.

Increased nitrogen status — A positive nitrogen status means that more protein is entering the body than is leaving the body. High protein diets cause a strong positive protein status and when this increased protein availability is coupled with an exercise program that increases the body’s anabolic efficiency, the growth process may be accelerated.

Increased provision of auxiliary nutrients — Although the benefits mentioned above have related specifically to protein and amino acids, it’s important to recognize that we don’t just eat protein and amino acids — we eat food. Therefore, high protein diets often provide auxiliary nutrients that could enhance performance and/or muscle growth. These nutrients include creatine, branched chain amino acids, conjugated linoleic acids, and/or additional nutrients that are important but remain to be discovered. And don’t forget the vitamins and minerals we get from protein rich foods.

(And lest anyone think I’m a shill for the protein powder industry, this last point clearly illustrates the need to get most of your protein from food, rather than supplements.)

Looking over this list of benefits, it’s hard to ignore the fact that we don’t just eat protein for its muscle synthetic effect. We eat protein for a bunch of other reasons too. Since a higher protein diet can lead to a better health profile, an increased metabolism, improved body composition, and an improved training response, why would anyone ever try to limit their protein intake to the bare minimum?

Take-home Message

It seems to me that whether someone’s on a hypoenergetic diet (low calorie) or a hyperenergetic diet (high calorie), the one macronutrient they would want to be sure to “overeat” (relatively speaking) would be protein.

But that’s not what people do, is it?

Instead, they look for the bare minimum of protein (whether it’s 20-30g/meal or 0.8g/kg/day), and then overeat carbohydrates and fats instead. That could prove to be a performance – and body composition – mistake.

So here’s my recommendation for men and women interested in losing fat, gaining lean muscle, and improving their health and performance:

Women – Eat 1 palm-sized portion of lean, complete protein (about 20-30g) with each meal, every few hours. If you eat less frequently, eat a bit more protein with each meal. If you eat more frequently, eat a bit less protein with each meal.

Men – Eat 2 palm-sized portions of lean, complete protein (about 40-60g) with each meal, every few hours. If you eat less frequently, eat a bit more protein with each meal. If you eat more frequently, eat a bit less protein with each meal.

This pattern of intake will make sure you’re getting enough protein to reap all the benefits that this amazing macronutrient has to offer.

Dr. John Berardi is the co-founder of Precision Nutrition and the co-creator of the Precision Nutrition Certification program."