I wasn't super interested when I heard the name, because I like to do things "the old fashioned way" of eating right and exercising. But hey -- I also like to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter. And that doesn't help me see my rock hard abs. ;)
But then I heard something else really awesome about Fat Fighters. Like WOW!
Fight Fighters are GREAT for a person suffering from Diabetes. WHAT?
Here's the info. I'll start with the basics.
Diabetes is a disease where a person's body has a problem with the hormone insulin. WebMD says normally your pancreas releases insulin to help your body store and use the sugar and fat that you eat. There are different types of diabetes, but basically the disease occurs when your body
1) doesn't make insulin
2) doesn't make enough insulin
3) or when your body doesn't respond to insulin correctly. (all info is from this source)
Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Over 18 million people have diabetes and over 5 million don't even know they have it! And over 41 million people have pre-diabetes (that means their blood sugar is higher than normal, but not so high to get a diagnosis of diabetes). There is no cure for diabetes, but there are ways to control it and stay healthy.
Basics of Insulin and Food
When you eat, your body converts most of what you eat into a simple sugar called "glucose." The glucose travels in your blood to different parts of your body to give them energy. Insulin regulates the amount of glucose in your blood. Your pancreas is always releasing small amount of insulin to regulate this glucose. When there's a lot of glucose in your blood, the pancreas will release more insulin to push more glucose into your cells. Since the glucose goes into your cells, the glucose level in your blood drops. Your body doesn't want this glucose level to drop too low, so your body signals you to eat, and I guess there's some glucose stored in the liver that can get circulated around.
People with diabetes don't make (enough) insulin, or their body is resistant to insulin, so instead of the glucose being pushed into the cells, the glucose stays in the blood stream and it makes them have high blood sugar (because remember, glucose is sugar).
So the goal is to manage diabetes. Since there isn't a cure, there's only mitigating damages.
The goals of managing diabetes are to:
1) Keep blood sugars as close to normal by balancing food with medication and activity
2) Maintain your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and close to normal by avoiding sugars, processed starches, and reducing saturated fats and cholesterol.
3) Control your blood sugar
4) Slow or prevent diabetes related health problems.
So how does a person suffering from diabetes do this?
1) plan and eat a balanced diet
2) exercise regularly
3) monitor blood sugar and blood pressure at home
4) regularly see a doctor and do required lab tests
And like I said, I am a big believer in eating right and exercising. BUT -- sometimes you can't eat 100% healthy. No one can do that. There are times where you eat things that aren't good for your body. And some days, everything you eat isn't good for your body. And sometimes you don't even KNOW what isn't good for your body. You feel me?
So Fat Fighters is AWESOME -- because it absorbs some of the fat and carbohydrates (sugar!) from your food so your body doesn't absorb it! I'll detail the ingredients below, but it uses NeOptunia (ingredients from prickly pear cactus) to absorb all that stuff you wanted to eat, but didn't want your body to absorb.
So I'm not saying you should feel fine about going through the McDonald's drive through every day and eating whatever you want and taking some Fat Fighters. No. You shouldn't be doing that. Eating unhealthy food isn't good for you no matter what supplements you take. Of course, you could choose to go through McDonalds AND take your Fat Fighters and it would work. But if you are trying to be healthy, just be healthy. Eat right. Take the Fat Fighters for those occasions when you don't. Take them to help control your blood sugar levels. But overall, be good to your body. Treat it nicely.
SO -- Fat Fighters basics are this:
a) Blocks some of the fats and carbs from meals
b) Helps balance healthy blood glucose level and reduce cravings
c) Designed to be taken up to an hour after a meal
d) Cactus based formula
e) Does not contain shellfish
So really, how does it work?
There are two ways Fat Fighters works. First, the active ingredient, NeOptunia, is the most powerful, kosher, and vegetarian fat binding ingredient on the market today. The cactus's natural fibers have lipopholic (definition of lipopholic: tending to combine with or dissolve into lipids or fats) properties binding to the fats from your food in your stomach. Because some of the fat and carbohydrates are binded together with the NeOptunia, the food isn't absorbed into your body, but is excreted through your body naturally.
The second way Fat Fighters works, is it contains phaseolamin. Phaseolamin is a white kidney bean extract that acts as a carb inhibitor. The Phaseolamin paralyzes the enzyme in your stomach that's job is to turn the starch from carbs into sugar. Since the carbs are not turned into sugar, those carbs are excreted naturally.
Ok, so it sounds like it works. How often can I take it?
Well, It Works says you can take one to two tablets 15 minutes to one hour after eating your two largest meals of the day. Or after a snack with a high fat content. So you can take it every day. Awesome. Don't take more than 4 per day. It may cause some constipation.
Can I take the Fat Fighters with other supplements or medications?
Well, since it binds things together, NO. You want your body to absorb your medication or supplement. Fat Fighters stops that. So allow one to two hours to pass between taking Fat Fighters and any medication or supplement.
Now, here's a breakdown of the list of ingredients. I was impressed. Who knew so many fat/carb fighting ingredients existed? I sure didn't!
Chromium (chromium dinicotinate glycinate): Chromium is a mineral. Very small amounts of chromium are essential to our health. Chromium helps keep blood sugar levels normal by improving the way our bodies use insulin. Some people use Chromium to improve weight loss, increase muscle, and decrease fat. Chromium is also used to aid in athletic performance, increase energy, and prevent age related mental decline. source
NeOptunia (cactus leaf): Prickly pear cactus leaf is a plant. The young ones are eaten in a Mexican diet. They are also used for medicine. The cactus contains fiber and pectin which can lower blood glucose by decreasing the absorption of sugar in the stomach and intestines. Some researchers also think it can decrease cholesterol levels and kill viruses in the body. WebMD states that prickly pear cactus can be "possibly effective" for diabetes in decreasing blood sugar levels by 17% - 46% in some people. source
Proprietary blend:
Garcinia cambogia fruit extract (hydroxycitric acid): Garcinia is a tree that grows in India and Southeast Asia. The fruit rind contains the chemicals hydoxycitric acid (HCA), and HCA may prevent fat storage, control appetite, and increase exercise endurance. source
Green Tea Leaf Extract (20% caffeine):
Phaseolamin (white kidney bean extract): Phaseolamin may aid in weight loss by lessening the body's production of alpha-amalyse, an enzyme that helps digest carbohydrates. A study suggests that phaseolamin significantly interferes with the digestion of starch, and the people who took phaseolamin were significantly more likely to lose weight than those that took a placebo. Because the body doesn't break down and digest these
bitter melon fruit extract (2.5% bitter principles): Bitter melon is a plant whose fruit and seeds are used to make medicine. The chemicals contained in the melon may act like insulin in the body to reduce blood sugar levels. source.
banaba leaf extract (Lagerstroemia speciosa)(1% corosolic acid): Banaba is a species of crepe myrtle tree found in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The leaves make a medicine that seem to lower blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It may help the body use insulin better. source.
Gymnema slyvestre leaf extract (25% gymnemic acids): Gymnema is native to India and Africa and the leaves are used to make medicine. The Hindi name "gurmar" means "destroyer of sugar." Gymnema decreases the absorption of sugar in the intestines and it may also increase the amount of insulin in the body and increase the growth of cells in the pancreas. source.
Wheat amylase inhibitor: amylase inhibitors are also know as "starch blockers" that prevent dietary starches from being digested by the body. Starches are complex carbohydrates that cannot be digested unless broken down by enzymes in the body. source.
vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate): Vanadium is a mineral. There is some evidence that vanadium may act like insulin, or help to increase the effects of insulin. source
dicalcium phosphate: Dicalcium phosphate is a ionic salt made up of calcium and phosphate. You need calcium and phosphate in your diet, and it's also an anti-caking agent that can help keep food fresh. source
microcrystalline cellulose: Microcrystalline cellulose is commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry to be used as an anti-caking agent, It's generally regarded to be safe when used in normal quantities. source
croscarmellose sodium: croscarmellose sodium delivers drugs to a persons intestines. It's FDA approved it as an inactive ingredient in any pharmaceutical. source
stearic acid: The FDA has affirmed that stearic acid is generally regarded as safe and can be added to foods in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices. Stearic acid is one of the most common long-chain fatty acids found in both animal and vegetable fats. Stearic acid is naturally present in many food in greater quantities than in supplements. Stearic acid is one of the main fats in cocoa butter. source.
magnesium stearate: Magnesium stearate is derived solely from palm oil. It is the magnesium salt of fatty acid and doesn't contain trans-fatty acids. Magnesium stearate is the combination of stearic acid and magnesium (an essential mineral). source.
silica: There's lots of information on silica. Silica is a mineral found in our bodies that help make our bones strong. There are supplements out there just to take Silica because most of our diet doesn't provide the adequate amount of silica. source. But if you look on the internet, there's a danger associated with inhaling silica. Like on a construction site, where there's sand, soil, concrete, masonry, etc and those items may be disturbed, moved, or cut, little particles of silica get in the air and when you get them in your lungs, it's not good. source But that's not how you are taking the silica in the Fat Fighters. Just like lots of materials that are good for your body (like water), it's not a good idea to get them in your lungs!
pharmaceutical glaze: Pharmaceutical glaze is a good grade shellac often used for coating medicines. It's found in time released or extended release medicines to slow down the drug breaking down in the stomach. source.
It is ALWAYS a good idea to talk with your doctor before starting a supplement. If you are taking this to help control your diabetes, I would encourage you to chat with your doctor about it.
Sounds like a pretty great and diverse list of ingredients!
You can check out the Fat Fighters here. It's $23 a month if you sign up as a Loyal Customer. That means you order for 3 consecutive months.
You can also see a great demonstration on youtube here about how great the Fat Fighters dissolves.
