The 11 Best Gnc Fat Burners in 2024 – Reviews & Buyer Guide

Welcome to our article dedicated to the best fat burners. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want a magic pill to lose weight? And not just for aesthetic reasons, we all know today that overweight and obesity are a real health threat, increasing the chances of suffering from numerous diseases.

Before starting with our guide, we want to make a premise immediately: there are no miraculous remedies, so we will not try to make you have false expectations.

However, there are fat burners, which are exciting compounds that can help you in the crusade against weight loss, if you use them with caution.

Here we had selected the best gnc fat burners for you that are listed below. These can be helpful in your weight loss.

Buyer Guide to Choose Gnc Fat Burners

Fat burners are a very different series of products that promise to improve body composition by eliminating stored fat or preventing the creation of new deposits. Their effects on metabolism are not yet well known, so it is necessary to act wisely during supplementation.

What Are Fat Burners and How Do They Work?

Fat burners are supplements or food supplements that are used to stimulate body weight loss. In general, this effect is achieved through an increase in energy expenditure, which will require greater destruction of the stored lipids to produce energy.

They have a different mechanism of action than thermogenic fat burners and will be discussed in another article in more detail. There are countless supplements called fat burners. Their operation is not yet well known and still presents unknowns to experts.

Are Fat Burners Safe?

Freely sold fat burner supplements are not subject to the same health standards as medications, so consumers should act very carefully when purchasing a new weight loss product.

Most of these side effects can be prevented by avoiding exceeding the recommended daily dose and refraining from combining fat-burning molecules or with other compounds, such as alcohol, drugs, or medications.

However, the potential danger posed by the following fat burners makes the options undesirable in any case:

• Capsaicin. Capsaicin is the active compound of hot peppers. In food, this molecule is found in minimal concentrations and is harmless. However, the administration of large quantities of this substance could favor the appearance of tumors and long-term neurological damage.
• Raspberry Ketones. This compound has become very popular in herbalists and nutrition stores, taking pride of place among fat burning supplements. However, the absence of reliable studies on its long-term safety and its potential cardiotoxic effect makes it an undesirable option.
• Chrome Salts. Depending on their formulation, chromium salts can act as oxidizing molecules harmful to the body’s tissues. Chromium nicotinate is considered a safer option; however, more studies are needed before the safety of this compound can be clarified.
• Synephrine. Synephrine is made from bitter orange extract. Despite its natural origin, this molecule is a powerful activator of the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for our body’s fight and flight reactions), which can cause dangerous tachycardias and increases in blood pressure.

After discarding the most insecure compounds, we continued to analyze the composition of other supplements with a fat-burning activity, which, without being toxic, can become dangerous under certain conditions.

The following supplements, therefore, require informed use and must be analyzed in individual articles :

1. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). Although CLA has proven to be a harmless compound in animal experiments, it has been shown that it has the potential to damage the liver of healthy people if the maximum recommended dose (3 g) is exceeded or if it is used for some time longer than six months.
2. Garcinia Cambogia. This plant-based supplement has been used safely for years, even at high doses. However, its use in combination with other fat burners or certain medications may be toxic. For this reason, it must be analyzed more carefully.
3. Green Tea. Although tea is considered safe in the infusion and accompanied by food, cases of liver damage have been reported following the consumption of poor quality green tea supplements (containing heavy metals or other contaminants), therefore a thorough examination of each product before starting with an integration.

Therefore, after careful investigation, we have removed seven of the fifteen most popular fat burners from our list.

The side effects of green coffee, caffeine, forskolin, fucoxanthin, L-carnitine, ginseng, taurine, and yohimbine are mild enough to be used with relative safety. But what about its effectiveness?

Are Fat Burners Effective?

It is useless to find a reliable and easy-to-use fat burning supplement if its effects are not satisfactory. In the following lines, you will find a summary of the latest information on fat burners that have passed our safety criteria, with references to the most recent studies:

1. Chlorogenic acid (green coffee) – Chlorogenic acid is a polyphenol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In animals, this compound can reduce the fatty tissue accumulated in the body, contributing to weight loss. However, it has not been established whether this fat loss results in tangible results in humans.
2. Caffeine – The activating effect of caffeine has been shown to accelerate the body’s metabolism in the short term. In the long run, however, tolerance to the results of this molecule is produced, and its fat-burning effect is lost.
3. Forskolin – Forskolin is a compound found in a mint-related plant (Coleus forskohlii). In the form of supplements, forskolin has proven useful in reducing the fat mass of obese rats. Even in a study with overweight men, this product was able to achieve significant weight loss.
4. Fucoxanthin – Fucoxanthin is obtained from seaweed Undaria pinnatifida. Human studies have shown that this compound can promote weight loss and oxidation of fat mass in humans, although the clinical studies available so far may be subject to various conflicts of interest.
5. L-Carnitine – L-carnitine acts as a fat transporter to the mitochondria (responsible for body energy production); therefore, it is essential to maintain adequate levels of this substance to use lipids as fuel. Its effectiveness decreases in people who already have sufficient carnitine levels.
6. Panax Ginseng – The root extract of this millennial plant has high fat-burning power in studies on obese rats. Human studies show that ginseng supplementation has a slight slimming effect, which combines with other benefits (such as a strengthening of the intestinal microbiota).
7. Taurine – A cyclist supplement was given to professional cyclists in a 2010 study, hoping to find an increase in their physical performance. Although no improvement in the athletic parameters of these subjects was found, a significant increase in fat oxidation was observed.
8. Yohimbine – There are two studies (conducted respectively in 1991 and 2002), relating to yohimbine (from the bark of the African tree Pausinystalia Yohimbe), which demonstrate an increase in weight loss in the elderly on a low-calorie diet. Unfortunately, this effect was not reproduced in subsequent experiments.

Most fat burners are capable of promoting weight loss in animals. However, human experiments have been conducted on a small number of individuals who need further studies before they can ratify their effects.

Caffeine is the exception, being unequivocally capable of speeding up the metabolism (for a short period).

How to Take a Fat Burner to Get the Most Out Of It?

It is necessary to demonstrate that the effects of fat burners depend, to a greater or lesser extent, on the degree of physical activity.

The best way to increase basal metabolic expenditure (amount of calories consumed by our body at rest) is through sport. They will not be useful in combination with a sedentary lifestyle.

Also, a series of healthy lifestyles will help increase the chances of success of our fat burning supplement, avoiding the appearance of the dreaded “rebound effect” (recovery of the weight lost when the use of the fat-burning product is abandoned). You will find them described in the following list:

• Follow a healthy diet. A diet low in simple carbohydrates (but which provides enough protein, good fats, vitamins, and minerals) will contribute to weight loss. Also, reducing the intake of ‘bad’ fats prevents the onset of gastrointestinal adverse effects from supplements such as forskolin.
• Drink. The most stimulating fat burners, such as caffeine, cause an increase in body temperature and sweating. The contribution of water (also in the form of soups, infusions, or drinks) will be significant to avoid the appearance of dehydration.
• Get enough rest. People who sleep less than 7-8 hours each night are more likely to suffer from obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. If you want to get the most out of your fat burner, keep your metabolism healthy while respecting the hours of rest.
• Stay away from alcohol and drugs. Since many fat burning supplements require liver function metabolism, it is not recommended to combine them with alcohol, which also depends on this organ for proper elimination. Some exciting drugs, such as amphetamines, could potentiate the effects of fat burners with potentially lethal consequences.

What Precautions Should I Take While Taking a Fat Burner?

Supplementation with a fat burner should be considered fundamentally different from that performed with any other food supplement.

The use of a fat burner should be limited in time (until the desired amount of weight is lost), and its use is not recommended for people with weight within the expected parameters.

Can I use fat burners if I suffer from chronic conditions? People with cardiac, hypertensive, diabetic, renal, metabolic, neurological, psychiatric, or muscular conditions should refrain from using fat burners without the prior approval of a doctor.

Can my drugs interact with fat burners? Surely! Unfortunately, fat burners can affect drugs, decrease their effects, or generate dangerous reactions. Although each of these products can interact with different medications, the main substances involved will be:

1. Anticoagulants
2. Antidiabetic
3. Psychiatric Drugs
4. Antihypertensive
5. Antithyroid
6. Thyroid Hormones
7. Contraceptives

Can children take fat burners? The safety of fat burning supplements in children who have such a vulnerable metabolism has not been studied. For this reason, it is recommended not to administer fat burning supplements under the age of 18.

What about pregnant or breastfeeding women? The influence of fat burners on the fetus or their presence in breast milk has not been studied, although there is evidence that these supplements could adversely affect the growth of the baby. Therefore, its use is not recommended.

In conclusion, the people who can make safer use of fat burning supplements will be those who are healthy, in good general condition, and who do not take drugs for chronic diseases. Otherwise, it is advisable to consult a doctor before starting to use a new fat burner.

Purchase Criteria

The real challenge of fat burners is that of deciding when to buy them. You won’t find hundreds, but thousands of items that will promise you to “dissolve” unwanted fat from your body at a meager price.

Don’t be fooled by empty promises and read our purchase criteria before entrusting your health to an unknown manufacturer.

• Dietary needs
• Origin of the product
• Sensitivity to stimulants
• Combination of ingredients
• Preservation and expiration

Dietary Needs

Don’t lose sight of your dietary preferences, allergies, and intolerances. If you are celiac, make sure your fat burning product is labeled “gluten-free.”

If you are vegan, take a plant-based supplement, for example, based on ginseng or caffeine. Pay attention to the capsules of these supplements, which can be made of animal jelly.

Origin of The Product

Intoxication has been described during integration with forskolin and fucoxanthin secondary to the contaminating products contained in these articles.

It is essential to avoid any type of toxic or pesticide in our fat burners; choose organic farm products whenever you are looking for a plant extract.

Sensitivity to Stimulants

Pay close attention to stimulant-based supplements, such as ginseng or caffeine. If you are a nervous or anxious person, these fat burners can worsen your condition and give you a very unpleasant experience.

Know yourself, and if your personality is prone to discomfort, opt for other compounds, such as fucoxanthin.

It should be noted that while caffeine is considered quite safe in the recommended doses, its overdose can cause arrhythmias, hypertension, and even brain edema and death.

Caffeine sensitive people can present this syndrome using standard doses, so they should refrain from using any fat burners with caffeine.

Combination of Ingredients

Remember that most of the side effects of fat burners (usually a fulminant liver failure, kidney failure, or cardiovascular disease) have appeared after using supplements containing various combinations of fat-burning elements.

For safety, choose a supplement based on a single product and avoid mixing it with other ingredients.

Preservation and Expiration

Follow the Manufacturer’s instructions for storing the fat burning product. In general, these items should be kept in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.