5 Natural Fat Burners That Work

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is a substance commonly found in coffee, green tea, and cocoa beans. It’s also a popular ingredient in commercial fat-burning supplements — and for good reason.

A 2021 review of studies suggests that the caffeine in coffee can prevent and reduce fat stores in the body. It can also boost your metabolism and help your body burn additional fat.

A 2024 study found that caffeine can boost basal metabolic rates by increasing systemic catecholamine levels. Catecholamines are molecules that act as neurotransmitters and hormones; they include dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline).

To reap the benefits of caffeine, you don’t need to take a dietary supplement. You can try drinking strong coffee, which is an excellent source of caffeine with many health benefits.

That said, these health benefits are only temporary. Plus, it’s important to note that caffeine can interfere with quality sleep, which has negative effects on weight management.

In addition, consuming caffeine too often can make your body more tolerant to its effects.

2. Green tea extract

Green tea extract is simply a concentrated form of green tea. It provides all the benefits of green tea in a convenient powder or capsule form.

Green tea extract is also rich in caffeine and the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), both of which are compounds that can help you burn fat.

In addition, these two compounds complement each other and can help you burn fat through a process called thermogenesis. In simple terms, thermogenesis is a process in which your body burns calories to produce heat.

For instance, an analysis of six studies found that taking a combination of green tea extract and caffeine helped people burn 16% more fat than a placebo.

In an earlier study, scientists compared the effects of a placebo, caffeine, and a combination of green tea extract and caffeine on burning fat. They discovered that the combination of green tea and caffeine burned roughly 65 more calories per day than caffeine alone and 80 more calories than the placebo.

Keep in mind that participants in these studies took green tea extract in combination with additional caffeine. Therefore, this does not definitively show that green tea extract alone has these same effects.

Studies have shown that while no detrimental effects have been reported from green tea itself, excess consumption may prove to be harmful to the liver, particularly if taken on an empty stomach. Do not exceed the recommended dosage.

3. Protein powder

Protein is incredibly important for burning fat.

A high protein intake can help you burn fat by boosting your metabolism and curbing your appetite. It also helps your body preserve muscle mass.

Research has also shown that protein-enriched diets can lead to greater weight loss and improvements in metabolic biomarkers.

Protein can also curb your appetite by increasing the levels of fullness hormones like GLP-1, CCK, and PYY while reducing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

While you can get all the protein you need from protein-rich foods, many people still find it challenging to eat enough protein daily.

Protein powder supplements are a convenient way to increase your protein intake.

Options include whey, casein, soy, egg, and hemp protein powders. However, it’s important to choose a protein supplement that’s low in sugar and additives, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.

Keep in mind that calories are still important. Protein supplements should replace snacks or be part of a meal rather than an extra addition to your diet. This is especially true if you’re trying to lose weight by maintaining a calorie deficit.

If you’re finding it difficult to eat enough protein, try taking 1 to 2 scoops (25 to 50 grams) of protein powder per day.

The recommended daily intake of protein will vary based on your activity levels, age, sex, weight, height, etc. That said, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

4. Soluble fiber

There are two different types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber absorbs water in your digestive tract and forms a viscous gel-like substance.

Interestingly, studies have shown that soluble fiber can help you burn fat by curbing your appetite.

That’s because soluble fiber can help increase the levels of fullness hormones like PYY and GLP-1. It can also help reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

In addition, soluble fiber helps slow down the delivery of nutrients to the gut. When this happens, your body takes more time to digest and absorb nutrients, which can leave you feeling full for longer.

What’s more, soluble fiber may also help you burn fat by reducing how many calories you absorb from food.

While you can get all the soluble fiber you need from food, many people find this challenging. If that’s the case for you, try taking a soluble fiber supplement such as glucomannan or psyllium husk.

5. Yohimbine

Yohimbine is a substance found in the bark of Pausinystalia yohimbe, a tree found in Central and Western Africa.

It’s commonly used as an aphrodisiac, but it also has properties that may help you burn fat.

Yohimbine works by blocking receptors called alpha-2 adrenergic receptors.

These receptors normally bind adrenaline to suppress its effects, one of which is encouraging the body to burn fat for fuel. Since yohimbine blocks these receptors, it can prolong adrenaline’s effects and promote the breakdown of fat for fuel.

A 2006 study involving 20 elite soccer players found that taking 10 mg of yohimbine twice daily helped them shed 2.2% of their body fat, on average, in only 3 weeks. Keep in mind that these athletes were already quite lean, so a 2.2% reduction in body fat is significant.

A more recent 2024 study also found therapeutic potential in yohimbe for weight loss. However, researchers expressed concern about potential toxic effects, particularly at higher doses.

Because yohimbine keeps your adrenaline levels elevated, it may cause side effects like:

• nausea
• anxiety
• panic attacks
• high blood pressure

Yohimbe can also interact with common medications for blood pressure and depression. If you take medications for these conditions or have anxiety, you might want to avoid yohimbine.

More clinical research is needed on yohimbine before it can be recommended as a go-to fat-burning supplement.

Dangers and limitations of fat-burning supplements

Commercial fat-burning supplements are widely available and very easy to access. However, they often do not live up to their hefty claims and may even harm your health.

That’s because fat-burning supplements do not need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration before they can be sold on the market.

Instead, it’s the manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure that their supplements are tested for safety and effectiveness. And many fat-burning supplements have been pulled off the market because they were tainted with harmful ingredients.

There have even been cases in which contaminated supplements caused dangerous side effects like high blood pressure, strokes, seizures, and even death.

Remember that a supplement cannot replace health-promoting activities like exercising and eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet.

Talk with a doctor if you’re interested in developing a healthy program that can help you manage your weight.

The takeaway

There is no single “magic pill” to help you lose weight.

However, plenty of natural solutions can help you burn more fat when combined with a health-promoting lifestyle that includes eating a nutrient-rich diet and exercising.

These natural solutions include caffeine, green tea extract, protein supplements, soluble fiber supplements, and yohimbine.

Caffeine, green tea extract, and protein supplements are likely to be the most effective at helping you burn fat.

Talk with a medical professional before starting any new supplement to make sure you fully understand the risks, benefits, and potential interactions.