There are no magical vitamins and minerals available that promote weight loss.
Most of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs should come from a well-balanced diet.
But if you’re on a restricted diet, adding a few vitamins will make sure your body functions properly during the weight loss process.
Here are 5 vitamins and minerals that promote weight loss.
Table of Contents
1. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important, especially for people on a calorie-restricted diet. It can help the body keep minerals such as calcium and prevent infection by boosting your immune system.
Your body can get vitamin D from the sun, yet most individuals spend too much time indoors or live in environments where there is no sun for weeks or months.
It is also hard to get sufficient VD from the diet alone. Though health experts often suggest VD supplements.
According to some studies, adequate levels of vitamin D can help avoid depression. For an efficient diet, a positive mood is also essential to promote weight loss.
Researchers have noticed that serum vitamin D levels in heavy people are lower than normal people. However, the precise function of weight loss and vitamin D remains unknown.
A study conducted in 2011 discovered that heavy adults taking supplements with calcium and vitamin D lost considerably more belly fat than individuals not taking supplements (1, 2).
2. B Vitamins
B vitamins are popular among people looking to lose weight. Some even claim that vitamin B can fight fatigue, increase energy levels, and speed up your metabolism.
The B vitamins are:
- thiamine (B-1)
- riboflavin (B-2)
- niacin (B-3)
- pantothenic acid (B-5)
- pyridoxine (B-6)
- biotin (B-7)
- folate (B-9)
- cobalamin (B-12)
These vitamins are crucial for the metabolism to work.
The primary role of B vitamins is to help metabolize macronutrients in your body and to generate energy.
For example, thiamine (B-1) helps carbohydrates be converted into energy by the body cells.
To put it another way, a low level of one or more of these vitamins and minerals implies that your metabolism will not work properly. This makes it even more difficult to lose weight.
Some foods are also rich in B vitamins, such as lean meat, milk, eggs, beans, and lentils.
Vegans are usually at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency because plant-based foods contain little to no B12 (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).
3. Magnesium
The body needs magnesium to produce energy. It functions as a cofactor in over 300 enzyme responses, meaning its presence is essential for the activity of an enzyme.
Magnesium is accountable for a variety of body processes, such as blood pressure, bone health, blood glucose, and the nervous system. For instance, it may increase insulin sensitivity in heavy people, which can help you burn fat.
For many people, it is hard to achieve the dietary reference intake from an ordinary diet. Therefore, taking a magnesium supplement can guarantee that you get enough of it.
Food sources that can provide magnesium include nuts, seeds, legumes, and leafy green vegetables (9, 10, 11).
4. Iron
Iron is an important mineral for the body’s energy production. It helps by transporting oxygen to all of your body’s cells, including your muscles, which can enable your body to lose weight.
People with iron deficiency experience symptoms such as fatigue and low energy. In worst cases, it can lead to anemia, which is a life-threatening disease.
Women who experience heavy menstrual periods and individuals who donate blood are more likely to suffer from iron deficiency.
If you are in greater danger of an iron deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. Foods that contain iron include lean meat, shellfish, beans, and spinach.
Your body absorbs iron found in meat that is better than the plant-based iron. If you have not accurately replaced meat with another source of iron, you might be deficient in iron.
Eating foods rich in iron and vitamin C can enhance its absorption and promote weight loss (12).
5. Green tea extract
Green tea is not technically a vitamin or mineral, but it is one of the few supplements worth trying. It can boost energy expenditure and fat oxidation and decrease the absorption of fat.
Green tea extract contains strong flavonoid antioxidants known as catechins. There is also a good dose of caffeine in green tea.
Studies discovered that caffeine in combination with catechins substantially improved energy expenditure.
One study published in 2012 discovered that green tea supplements reduced body weight by nearly 2 pounds in heavy people when compared to a placebo.
Green tea extract is safe, but doctors recommend taking the extract with food to minimize potential hazards (13, 14).
Conclusion
Vitamins and minerals can help you provide the energy you need to handle stress, maintain a favorable mood, and decrease fatigue during the weight loss process.
However, without changing how much you exercise and how many calories you eat each day, you won’t lose any weight.
The foundation for long-term weight loss is to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
The best way is to discuss with your doctor before starting any supplementation or weight-loss diet.