[A systematic review of the effectiveness of alternative weight-loss products' ingredients]

The high demand for obesity treatment and conventional therapies' lack of effectiveness increases the use of alternative products. This study was aimed at assessing evidence from randomised clinical trials regarding the effectiveness of alternative weight-loss products' ingredients.

A survey was conducted in Ensenada, Baja California, to assess the frequency of consuming alternative products used for weight reduction. The ingredients in the products most in demand were included in this review. The Pubmed database was searched for all randomised clinical trial papers including these ingredients and assessing weight loss.

Thirty-six percent of the subjects questioned had used alternative methods for weight-loss, 83% of them being women. The most frequently used products were shakes, tea, pills and flaxseed/linseed. Sixteen randomised clinical trials using four ingredients were used: Garcinia cambogia, green tea, L-carnitina and flaxseed. Only two studies (green tea and Garcinia cambogia) showed significant weight-loss (25%) amongst control and experimental groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in the studies regarding L-carnitina and flaxseed.

There is a lack of evidence regarding quality studies justifying the use of alternative products for weight loss.