This post has been updated since it was originally published on April 26, 2022.
Losing weight and losing fat are not easy or simple processes, and are only possible with a balanced diet, frequent hydration, regular exercise and a consistent sleep schedule. With that said, many people find that taking vitamins and supplements help not only their overall health, but also provide vital energy for their weight loss journeys.
We checked in with nutrition, health and supplement experts to learn more about one essential vitamin that has an array of benefits, including the possibility to speed up fat loss. Read on for tips and suggestions from health and supplement experts Dr. Kire Stojkovski, M.D., of Farr Institute and Dr. Virginia Blackwell, M.D., of Eve Magazine as well as Jesse Feder, RDN, CPT, certified personal trainer and registered dietitian at Strength Warehouse.
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How Vitamin B Supplements Can Aid Fat Loss
If you are taking all of the other necessary steps to lose fat (reevaluating your diet and adding more nutrients, drinking enough water, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep), Stojkovski explains that taking vitamin B supplements can be a great asset to your goals and progress.
“Vitamin B is the most effective vitamin to take if you are already actively trying to lose weight,” he says. The primary function of vitamin B, he notes (i.e. vitamin B12) is to break down food to fuel (metabolizes carbohydrates and fats). “Carbohydrates, rather than being stored as fats, will be metabolized to generate energy with aid from B vitamins,” he adds.
Feder agrees, and reiterates that one of the “most helpful vitamins for weight loss is a B-complex vitamin.” The B vitamins, he says, help our bodies not only metabolize food for fuel, but also help with “maintaining energy levels, brain function, and maintaining cellular health.” Signs of low B vitamin intake can include things like “fatigue or tiredness,” Feder points out, “making you less likely to want to workout,” which can greatly “hinder your weight loss.”
B12 is often linked with weight loss, Blackwell says, simply because of its ability to boost the metabolism process, “which may tend to be more helpful in burning calories resulting in reduced weight.” Additionally, she says B12 may “help suppress and ensure that your body is getting proper nutrients, and this may result in weight loss.” Overall, vitamin B, as the experts shared, can help with long-lasting energy, which is needed for a healthy and swift metabolism, and ultimately, fat loss.
