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Ingredient suppliers have invested considerable resources to provide effective ingredients that address common blocks to weight loss in those who want to embark on a healthy lifestyle and get into shape. 

Jordi Riera, chief business officer at Kaneka Probiotics, affirmed the category’s potential, noting, “With a growing market encompassing a range of demographics and user needs, there is a need for scientifically backed, safe and effective supplements that address specific aspects of weight management.” 

A recent Nutrition Business Journal survey of 1,029 consumers ages 20 to 73 found that nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents were using supplements to help them manage their weight, slim down and reduce fat. 

Several ingredient suppliers have tested their weight management products in populations that ate nutritious diets and exercised, reflecting the mindset that a supplement can enhance broader-approach weight loss effects. 

An example is Micropyhyt’s PhaeOptim, derived from the microalgae strain Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and standardized to 4.4 mg of fucoxanthin. According to Christel Lemaire, marketing manager, in a 12-week double-blind randomized study, 37 overweight but healthy women followed a calorie-restricted diet with supervised exercise, also supplementing with 220 mg/day of PhaeOptim or placebo. Greater reductions in total energy intake and a 2.5-fold improvement in aerobic capacity were observed in the PhaeOptim group when compared to placebo at six weeks and 12 weeks. 

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Slendacor, a patented blend of turmeric (Curcuma longa), moringa (Moringa oleifera) and curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) from PLT Health Solutions, has also been studied in healthy, non-obese men and women. According to Steve Fink, VP of marketing, consistent body weight reductions were observed, starting with statistically significant weight loss at two weeks. Participants averaged a total weight loss of nearly 12 pounds by the end of the study. The subjects taking Slendacor lost 2 inches in waist circumference and had no reduction in lean body mass. Further, Fink noted, “Slendacor was shown to be six times more effective than diet and exercise alone in reducing weight, and four times better than placebo at improving body mass index.” 

Thermogenesis 

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Thermogenesis is a sought-after benefit by those who rely on exercise to burn fat, and it remains an attractive subcategory of weight management — along with relevance for sports nutrition — giving it crossover appeal. 

Slendacor’s mechanism of action was shown in studies to increase expression of UCP1 (uncoupling protein) and promote a metabolic shift from white to beige or brown adipose tissue. A 2021 human clinical trial found that in only one week of a single daily dose of Slendacor, resting energy expenditure (REE) without a stimulant effect increased 15.2%.