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All vitamins and minerals are important for your body to be its absolute healthiest. But if you’re trying to lose weight and burn stubborn belly fat, certain supplements are more effective than others.
The key way to burn belly fat is by being consistent — meaning: a consistent diet that is high in protein and low in sugar and a consistent series of lifestyle changes that include plenty of cardio and strength training and more sleep/less stress.
Supplements can’t do it all, but they can help. Here are five anti-inflammatory vitamins you should try to blast belly fat fast.
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B-Complex Vitamins
All of the B vitamins — there are eight of them — are important for your metabolism and to ensure your body is using stored energy in food so that it isn’t stored as fat. The easiest way to ensure you’re getting enough of your B vitamins is by taking a B-complex supplement that includes niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, biotin, folate, pantothenic acid, and cobalamin (better known as B-12).
If you have a healthy diet but are vegan or vegetarian, you may want to only wake a B-12 supplement — as this nutrient is only available in animal products.
Iron
You need iron to help your body get energy and fuel from the foods you eat. And too little iron can result in anemia, which makes you feel weak and fatigued. But here’s the flip side: too much iron can actually be upsetting to your stomach. The best way to get this nutrient is from foods like meat, fish, and beans.
Vitamin D
Although the link still needs further research, studies have shown that people who are overweight are more likely to also have a vitamin D deficiency. And, according to Reader’s Digest: “When you are low in vitamin D, your body will convert sugar to fat instead of energy.”
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that is more important than you might think. Magnesium helps control blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as keep you fueled for workouts and ensure your muscles recovery properly after those workouts.
Beta-alanine
We’ve recently learned that high-intensity interval workouts are a lot more efficient in helping you lose weight than straight-up cardio like running on a treadmill. Of course, these workouts require lots of energy — and beta-alanine is the supplement that can provide that energy.
“Researchers have found that 4 to 6 grams of beta-alanine can boost levels of carnosine in skeletal muscle and improve exercise performance in quick burst efforts (about two to four minutes), such as occur in high-intensity interval training,” according to Reader’s Digest.
If taken alone, this supplement can’t do much to help you — but combined with a healthy exercise regimen, it’s a secret supplement weapon.
