Ranking the best natural weight loss supplements of 2023

You know the drill: you need to eat cleaner and move more if you want to lose weight.

That’s a given. But what about that extra “boost”?

Enter: natural weight loss supplements.

The three most common ways diet aids work:

1) Revving up the metabolism, so you burn more calories

2) Decreasing nutrient absorption, especially fat, so total calorie intake drops

3) Triggering appetite reduction that results in more feelings of satiation while eating less

The following are the ten best natural weight loss aids, along with our research team’s evidence on how well they work:

Rankings

Last updated: November 8, 2022
Natural weight loss supplements considered: 27
Hours of research: 54
Experts reviewed: 21
Scientific papers referenced: 45

1. LeanBean

Click here for the lowest price

LeanBean is the trendiest natural weight loss supplement for women. 

It has many of the powerful ingredients in the list below, making it a morning ritual with professional bodybuilders and Instagram models.

LeanBean has a formula designed to control diet (suppressant) while accelerating metabolism as well. The result is faster weight loss allowing for increased fat burning all over the body. No harmful additives. All natural.

How it works

Each serving of Leanbean is filled with garcinia cambogia, green tea, green coffee, turmeric, cayenne pepper, konjac, and chromium. 

The result: the most powerful natural weight loss supplement of 2023.  

And testimonials like these:

Other benefits:

1) LeanBean helps you overcome cravings

2) LeanBean boosts your metabolism

Easily the best overall natural weight loss supplement out there.

Click here for the lowest price

2. Instant Knockout

Click here for the lowest price

Instant Knockout is more for the dudes.

This fat burner was designed to help MMA fighters melt fat before their fights. Several professional MMA fighters take the supplement, including Diego Sanchez and his training coach Greg Jackson.

We love Instant Knockout because its been proven to work (many times over) and the ingredients are natural and effective: green tea extract, cayenne pepper, glucomannan, caffeine, zinc, chromium, green coffee bean and piperine.

After we vetted all the fat loss supplements for men, this one simply offers the best stack.

The result? Testimonials like this:

Its not the end-all for belly fat (diet and exercise will get you there), but Instant Knockout can give you a “boost”. Worth the daily routine for any man wanting to melt more fat.

Click here for the lowest price

3. PhenQ

Click here for the lowest price

PhenQ doesn’t market specifically to men or women, but their ingredient profile is pretty stacked.

We love it because it contains a range of powerful ingredients intended to help you burn fat, stop fat production, boost your energy, improve your mood, and suppress your appetite.

This supplement contains natural ingredients, such as capsimax powder, chromium picolinate, caffeine, nopal, and L-carnitine furmarate.

With a range of awesome ingredients and some very compelling reviews, PhenQ is a top-3 option if you want to tackle multiple elements of your weight loss journey while packing a punch with some major caffeine.

4. Green tea extract

Check price at Amazon

A super common ingredient in many weight loss supplements, green tea extract contains EGCG, an antioxidant believed to help in burning fat. It may also increase norepinephrine, a fat-burning hormone. (1)

Several studies show green tea extract helps people lose weight, targeting belly fat. (2, 3)

5. Green coffee bean extract

Click here for the lowest price

Unroasted coffee beans contain chlorogenic acid and caffeine, both of which can help with weight loss (4, 5).

Three separate studies found subjects taking green coffee bean extract lost an average of 5.4 pounds more than those who took the placebo. (6)

Added benefits include high levels of antioxidants, as well as the potential for lowering both blood sugar levels and blood pressure. (7, 8, 9, 10) Some of the potential side effects are nausea, diarrhea, insomnia and anxiety. (11)

6. Forskolin

Click here for the lowest price

Extracted from a plant in the mint family, forskolin raises cellular levels of a compound called cAMP, which is believed to cause increased fat burning. (12)

When 30 men overweight or obese men took forskolin, their weight didn’t change, but body composition did: they increased muscle mass and decreased fat mass (13).

7. Conjugated linoleic acid

Click here for the lowest price

A natural and harmless trans fat occurring in full-fat dairy products like butter and cheese, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is believed to cover all three bases: increase the body’s efficiency at breaking down fat, reduce the appetite, and kick up metabolic processes. (14, 15)

When 18 separate studies were reviewed, the average weight loss for subjects taking CLA amounted to 0.2 pounds weekly over a six-month period. (16)

A similar review conducted in 2012 reported participants lost an average of 3 pounds. (17)

8. Orlistat (Alli)

Check price at Amazon

This pharmaceutical drug is designed to inhibit the breakdown of fat in the gut, leading to fewer calories absorbed from fatty foods eaten.

When data was correlated from 11 studies, subjects taking Alli lost up to 6 more pounds than those taking placebo pills. (18)

The drug can also drop blood pressure slightly, and one study indicated participants taking Alli were 37% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. (19, 20)

9. Meratrim

Check price at Amazon

The two plant extracts in Meratrim are supposed to cut back on the amount of fat snagged from the blood, assist in fat-burning processes, and make it more difficult for fat cells to multiply.

Since the product is relatively new, only one 8-week study has been done, but the results are promising. Meratrim users lost 11 pounds, and more than 4 inches of waist circumference, while following a 2000 calorie diet. (21)

The test group also dropped triglycerides, blood sugar and cholesterol with no side effects reported.

10. Caffeine

Click here for the lowest price

Found in coffee, dark chocolate and green tea, caffeine is a popular ingredient in supplements for weight loss because it boosts the metabolism by as much as 11% and causes up to 29% more fat to be burned (22, 23, 24).

Caffeine is an incredibly powerful weight loss supplement, when used judiciously – too much can cause jitters and sleeplessness.

Category winners

Best natural weight loss supplement overall: LeanBean

When it comes to all-natural formulations for weight loss, LeanBean is hard to beat—it has top of the line ingredients like green tea extract, garcinia cambogia, and cayenne pepper to accelerate weight loss beyond what you’d be able to accomplish with diet and exercise alone. 

Best natural weight loss supplement for women: LeanBean

LeanBean is formulated using all-natural ingredients with a great combination of fat burners and appetite suppressants. Women who struggle to keep their fat oxidation high and their hunger cravings under control should opt for LeanBean. 

Best natural weight loss supplement for men: Instant Knockout

Instant Knockout helps men leverage the natural fat-burning properties of testosterone, thanks to its inclusion of zinc and B-complex vitamins. It also leverages caffeine, green coffee bean extract, and green tea extract for powerful metabolism-boosting effects, making it the best choice for men who are serious about weight loss. 

Best natural weight loss supplement for older adults: Green tea extract

Green tea extract is a proven supplement that keeps fat oxidation high and has numerous additional health benefits for heart health and cognitive health, which are particularly attractive features for older adults.

Best natural weight loss supplement to lose weight fast: PhenQ

PhenQ is a simple and focused weight loss supplement that uses caffeine, carnitine, and capsicum for maximum efficacy. If you’re looking to lose weight quickly, PhenQ’s formulation is the way to go.

Best natural weight loss supplement without stimulants: Forskolin

Forskolin is an all-natural herbal extract that’s free from stimulants. Instead, it helps upregulate cellular mechanisms that burn fat, helping you drop pounds without the negative side effects of caffeine and other stimulants.

Who should buy a natural weight loss supplement?

If you are aiming to lose weight, but having a hard time meeting your goals, a natural weight loss supplement might be just what you need for that extra boost. Here’s who will benefit the most from a natural weight loss supplement:

People with a low resting metabolic rate. Many weight loss supplements, like green coffee bean extract and caffeine, boost your metabolic rate via thermogenic mechanisms, which increases fat oxidation and burns more calories. This can help people with a stubborn metabolism lose more weight than had they just tried diet and exercise alone.

People who have hunger cravings when dieting. Other weight loss supplements act as appetite suppressants, making you less inclined to eat a lot of calories at your next meal.

Older adults who are having trouble losing weight. Losing weight can be easy if you are young and pretty fit. People who need some extra help losing weight often don’t have these advantages going for them.

They might be older men whose testosterone is lower than it used to be, and as a result have a lower metabolism and a greater natural inclination towards gaining body fat and losing muscle mass. Or perhaps they are out of shape already, and thus have a hard time burning a lot of calories at the gym.

Natural weight loss supplements can drive up your energy levels, boost your metabolism, and make you less inclined to overeat. 

How we ranked

Our natural weight loss supplements were informed by the best scientific research on plant-based and herbal compounds for losing weight. Here were the criteria we used to evaluate supplements:

Ingredients with a good safety record.  First off, we wanted to include only products that used ingredients with a good safety record. Risky supplements, like synephrine or bitter orange, got eliminated right away.

Evidence-based compounds that burn fat and suppress appetite. Next up, we looked to the scientific research to find answers on the most effective natural weight loss supplements.

Broadly, weight loss generating compounds can be divided into products that boost your metabolism (like thermogenics and fat burners), and appetite suppressants. A select few compounds do both. 

Research-backed formulations. When evaluating the scientific research, we placed the most weight on randomized experiments on humans, especially when positive findings had been replicated in multiple studies. We put much less weight on lab animal studies.

We also considered observational research when it was on a large scale, such as some of the findings supporting green tea extract and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

Clean formulation and high-quality supplement design. The remaining products were selected for purity, quality, and clean supplement design. Most importantly, you want a supplement that’s going to deliver on the benefits that have been uncovered in medical and scientific research.

So, when selecting the best green coffee bean extract or the best raspberry ketones or any of the other top-rated compounds, we made sure you’ll get the best product of each. 

FAQ

Q: What is the best natural fat burner? 

A: When it comes to burning fat, it’s hard to argue with compounds that are based at least to some extent on caffeine.

While you could just take caffeine pills, research actually indicates that caffeine-based natural compounds like green coffee bean extract and green tea extract offer fat oxidation benefits that extend beyond caffeine’s effects alone.

While both green coffee bean extract and green tea extract are strong candidates, green tea extract comes out on top thanks to its widely-studied safety profile and its long-term health benefits. 

Q: What natural weight loss supplements counter appetite? 

A: When it comes to countering appetite, a simple approach based on fiber is an easy and low-risk way to decrease your sensation of hunger.

A psyllium husk supplement, for example, provides a lot of fiber, which should reduce your desire to eat. If you want to get more sophisticated you can opt for a natural weight loss supplement like forskolin, which uses a different mechanism to stimulate your satiety (the opposite of appetite). 

Q: What are some medically proven weight loss supplements?

A: If you want a supplement that’s been medically proven to work, look no further than orlistat (also known as Alli). It’s similar in design to a carb blocker, except that it blocks fat absorption instead.

While it’s approved by the FDA for over the counter sales, it tends to work best when you are on a diet that’s fairly high in fat. Beyond supplements that have been medically approved as weight loss aids, green tea extract is probably the next best candidate, thanks to the wealth of studies supporting its benefits when it comes to fat oxidation and weight loss. 

Q: Do natural weight loss supplements really work? 

A: Several scientific studies suggest that the right natural weight loss supplement can provide a small but significant boost to weight loss.

Many people expect a weight loss supplement to work miracles, which sets them up for disappointment—especially if you were hoping for a weight loss pill to completely replace a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

Even the best natural weight loss supplement can only provide assistance; it can’t do all of the work for you. 

Related articles

• Fat burners for men
• Fat burners for women
• Weight loss pills
• Weight loss program
• Thermogenics
• Appetite suppressants
• Snacks for weight loss

Recap

Once you’ve made the decision to take off excess weight, boosting your metabolism and suppressing your appetite through weight loss supplements can help you hit your weight loss goals.

Sticking to clean foods and a healthy lifestyle should be at the core of your weight loss, but a weight loss supplement can give you an added boost.

For BodyNutrition‘s #1 natural weight loss supplement recommendation, click here.