#30. Supplements for Challah Bread Abs Monday, September 6, 2021 In last week's blog, we talked about challah bread abs and some tricks to acquire them. In this week's blog, we'll talk about some even trickier tricks to employ: supplements. Let's begin with coffee. The caffeinated kind. The necessary kind. The kind that instills life into our otherwise-lifeless morning selves. Does that miraculous cup of steaming, muddied water interact with our fat cells at all? Why yes... yes it does. And since it's hardly regarded as a "supplement" (rather, it is perceived to be a fluid every bit as vital as the very blood in our veins), we will not relegate it to the ranking of a tip. It merits its own paragraph. Here. This paragraph: Caffeine does a lot. Assisting the drinker in fat loss can be counted among that lot. But it isn't a one-pathway process. Perhaps adenosine inhibition and its relationship with NEAT is a more potent contributor to fat loss, but phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibition is a more interesting pathway. Technically, it's PDE3b inhibition; there are multiple forms of PDE and this particular form is the enzyme that antagonizes lipolysis. Last week, we discussed the mechanism by which epinephrine and norepinephrine stimulate fat loss: they initiate a signaling cascade that increases the amount of cyclic AMP (cAMP) in a cell; cAMP then activates PKA, which is the enzyme that cracks the whip at lipolysis; hya! hya! (Braun et al., 2018). We also talked about insulin, and how it blocks that process by initiating an opposing cascade, which activates PDE. And PDE converts cAMP into regular ol' AMP, and regular ol' AMP won't stimulate PKA (Zhao et al., 2020). Caffeine does the opposite. As a non-selective PDE inhibitor, it obstructs PDE's ability to thwart lipolysis's plans. The dose of caffeine does have to be pretty big to exert this effect, but luckily, caffeine exerts itself in other ways as well (Dulloo et al., 1992; Monteiro et al., 2019). As we transition from caffeine to compounds that people actually regard as supplements, Kratos does have an overarching philosophy on the subject, explained in Blog 17. It goes something like this: supplements should never be one's first-line treatment. There's nothing lazier and less productive than skipping (or at least skimping on) behavioral interventions, and simply swallowing pills. But once the fundamental behaviors (e.g., sufficient sleep, proper nutrition, effective exercise) are in place, supplements can supplement those fundamentals to assist us in goal attainment. Some supplements are popular and pointless. Others have proven to be effective in numerous experiments. And then there are the in-betweens. The maybes. As in: maybe these supplements work, but the research on them is young and inconclusive. Or: maybe they work, but only in a particular set of circumstances among a particular set of people. This week's tips stratify 23 different compounds into those three categories. Tip 1 has the "don't bother"s. Tip 2 contains the maybes. And Tip 3 lists the supplements that are well supported in the literature. And all three tips begin in 18th-century pirate vernacular: Tip 1) These be the bottles that hornswaggle many'a'buccaneer. They cost us our loot, and offer no booty. Not even the rowdiest carouser on the poop deck should waste a coin. Contemporary translation: skip these supplements. They're not worth it. In alphabetical order: Beta-glucans (the good-for-your-cholesterol fiber that oatmeal brags so much about is unlikely to simultaneously slim our waistlines). Citrus aurantium (i.e., bitter orange; dubious evidence of a positive effect, and some evidence of adverse effects). Capsinoid (a compound found in chili peppers that doesn't appear to work any better than a placebo). Chromium picolinate (if it has a weight loss effect, it's too weak and unreliable to recommend). Green tea extract (probably pointless, but if you have to rescue one supplement from the condemned list, this is a good candidate). Guar gum (a food thickener that doesn't deliver on weight loss claims, although it does seem to increase satiety). Hoodia gordonii (a succulent plant that boasts of weight loss without compelling support in the literature). Those are the supplements that don't deserve your attention... at least for fat loss (Barrea et al., 2019; Wharton et al., 2020; Bent et al., 2004). Tip 2) Here be the maybes. Glasses of grog for the mateys with plunder'a'plenty squander. Contemporary translation: feel free to try these supplements if you're feeling experimental, but set low expectations. I mean, like, Davy Jones' locker low. That way, if they do end up working for you, it will be received as a happy surprise. But if it turns out to be money unwell spent, at least you'll have prepared yourself for that disappointment. The maybes: Berberine (a compound found in numerous plants with some evidence as a weight loss aid). Calcium (it definitely helps us poop out fat, limiting the amount absorbed from our food, but the effect on weight loss is pretty weak). Coleus forskohlii (i.e., forskolin; an herb with some animal evidence of weight loss, and less evidence in humans). Conjugated linoleic acid (i.e., CLA; weak and unreliable evidence, but perhaps worth it for those who are eager to try anything). Garcinia cambogia (this fruit rind, which sometimes finds itself in fish curries, has conflicted evidence regarding its efficacy in weight loss). Glucomannan (a fiber supplement with a modest effect in some studies, and no effect in others). Irvingia gabonesis (i.e, African mango; it's a fiber that bulks up our stools and might help us lose weight, but research is limited). Pyruvate (this is the thing glycolysis turns glucose into; the evidence of its effect in aiding fat loss is very weak... but it's not totally, totally missing from the literature). Raspberry ketone (an aroma compound in raspberries; the emerging evidence of its effect in enhancing body composition is compelling, but it's way too early to be canonized in the "yes" list). Yerba Mate (having a morning tea made from the Ilex paraguariensis plant may enhance satiety and weight management). And that ends the list of supplements that might earn their place on your supplement shelf (Barrea et al., 2019; Wharton et al., 2020; Ilyas et al., 2020; Semwal et al., 2015; Alkhatib et al., 2017). Tip 3) These booties be the crowns in the coffers, me hearties. So splice the Mainbrace and let's all guzzle our sheets to the wind. Contemporary translation: these supplements are well supported in the literature. Capsaicin (this is also found in chili peppers, except, unlike capsinoid, capsaicin has somewhat encouraging support for weight loss). Carnitine (a compound made from the amino acids lysine and methionine; it is critical in beta-oxidation and there's some evidence that it can aid in fat loss). Chitosan (a polysaccharide with reasonable support for its role in weight loss). Fucoxanthin (an antioxidant that has scarcely been examined, but the young and limited results are encouraging). Phaseolus vulgaris (this "common bean" has evidence behind it as a weight loss enhancer, but it's not overwhelming; if you're going to purge one supplement from the good column, this is a candidate). Psyllium (a fiber supplement that has support among a tiny body of evidence; plus, if used as an ingredient in baking, it can make any pastry incredibly goopy). And that concludes our list of useful supplements to consider once you've finished your cup of morning coffee (Barrea et al., 2019; Wharton et al., 2020).