Diet Fuel Facts
What
You Can Expect When Taking Diet Fuel
Like many other ephedrine/caffeine-based products on the market,
Diet Fuel will induce thermogenesis (raise
your body's temperature) and cause you to burn more calories.
It will also suppress your appetite, preserve lean muscle mass,
and increase your energy levels. HCA (hydroxycitric acid) is another
nutrient that helps to reduce appetite, while the phosphates in
the formulation help to keep your thyroid gland functioning normally.
The naringin in the citrus bioflavonoid complex prolongs the life
of caffeine. Cayenne works well with the ECA stack, elevating
metabolic rate and fat oxidation. Ginger root helps to reduce
the gastrointestinal upset that can sometimes occur with caffeine.
Be aware that there are some widely documented side effects associated
with ECA-based products. For more information, click here Diet
Fuel Side Effects.
Diet
Fuel Facts: What the Individual Ingredients Do
Diet Fuel
contains a combination of ingredients that helps you to lose weight
through a number of different mechanisms. But the main ingredients
that produce its fat-burning effects are ephedrine and caffeine.
Studies have shown that when these ingredients are combined in
fairly specific ratios – 200 mg caffeine to 20 mg ephedrine
(two or three times daily) – the results are synergistic.
In other words, the effects of each are greater than the sum of
their individual effects. (For more studies on the ingredients
contained in Diet Fuel, see Diet
Fuel Review.
Here is a breakdown of the individual ingredients in Diet Fuel
and what they do:
Ephedra
Ephedrine is the primary fat-burning chemical in the Ephedra sinica
plant, from which it gets its name. Also known as ma huang, this
plant has a long history of usage in Asian countries for the treatment
of asthma and other bronchial conditions. A related chemical,
pseudoephedrine, is also found in the plant and is an ingredient
in many cold and flu remedies.
Ephedrine is a stimulant that works on the adrenergic receptors
of the central nervous system. It has been shown to increase the
level of dopamine, which is a precursor to both epinephrine and
norepinephrine, which are vital neurotransmitters. Dopamine is
also an important neurotransmitter around the hypothalamus, an
area of the brain that is important for body arousal. Unlike caffeine,
which exerts many of its benefits in muscle tissue, ephedrine
appears to work primarily on the central nervous system.
Ephedrine is an effective fat burner on its own, and when it is
combined with caffeine, the effects are even greater. While the
reasons for this are still not known, it is thought that caffeine
has a "permissive" action on ephedrine, lowering the
amounts needed to achieve its physiological effects. In other
words, caffeine potentiates ephedrine's effect. The E/C studies
that showed the greatest benefits used a 10:1 ratio of caffeine
to ephedrine — the same ratio used in Diet Fuel.
Caffeine
There are two caffeine sources in Diet Fuel: guarana seed extract
and green tea extract. There is no difference in the caffeine
of these two herbs — caffeine is caffeine. They do have some
other differences, however.
Green tea contains potent antioxidant compounds called polyphenols.
There are four primary polyphenols in green tea. While all four
appear to have protective value, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
occurs in the greatest amounts and has the strongest benefits.
EGCG is an antioxidant that is several times more potent than
vitamin E. It also prolongs the life of norepinephrine, which
triggers thermogenesis. As a result, EGCG keeps the thermogenic
process going for a longer period of time, boosting your metabolic
rate and facilitating fat loss. The amount of caffeine, polyphenols
and epigallocatechin gallate in the green tea in Diet Fuel is
not indicated.
Guarana is a bushy tree that grows in the Amazon rainforest. Known
botanically as Paullina cupana, it is almost as popular as coffee
in Brazil. Guarana does not have as much acid as coffee, so it
can be less irritating to the stomach than coffee can. Guarana
also has epicathechin (in the same chemical family as EGCG) and
proanthocyanidins, both of which are powerful antioxidants that
help reduce free-radical damage in cells. Diet Fuel contains 200
mg of caffeine from guarana.
As far as fat burning is concerned, the primary active ingredient
in green tea and guarana is caffeine. This plant chemical is rapidly
absorbed by the body and remains in circulation for more than
seven hours. Plasma concentrations reach a peak one hour after
it is consumed. It is then slowly metabolized, with a half-life
of four to six hours.
Caffeine has been shown to dramatically increase free fatty-acid
levels, providing the body with a fuel source that it can use
instead of the glycogen stored in your liver and muscles. In fact,
one study found a 100% increase in plasma free fatty acids after
the subjects took 330 mg of caffeine.
At the same time, caffeine has been shown to increase adrenaline
levels. This "fight-or-flight" hormone increases alertness
and boosts energy levels, helping you to go through your daily
tasks with less food intake. Most people experience a reduced
appetite when their adrenaline levels are high, usually because
they are focused on more essential tasks. With these two mechanisms,
it's easy to understand why caffeine is important for jump-starting
your weight-loss efforts.
Hydroxycitric acid (HCA)
Garcinia cambogia is a grapefruit-sized, pumpkin-shaped fruit
also known as the Malabar tamarind. This fruit has been used for
thousands of years as a condiment and preservative in Thai and
Indian cuisine. The dried fruit contains up to 30% hydroxycitric
acid, or HCA, and a 50% concentration is sold as CitriMax. The
amount of HCA in Diet Fuel is 250 mg.
In order to understand how HCA works, you need a bit of background
in how fats are burned for fuel (technically called oxidation).
The enzyme that regulates fatty-acid oxidation is carnitine palmitoyl
transferase 1, or CPT-1. This enzyme catalyzes (speeds up) the
reaction that allows fatty acids to get into the mitochondria,
which are the cell's energy factories. Greater amounts of CPT-1
lead to higher rates of fat oxidation. However, a substance known
as malonyl CoA, which is involved in fat synthesis, inhibits CPT-1
in many instances. Fortunately, another enzyme, citrate lyase,
is involved in the production of malonyl CoA. A reduced level
of citrate lyase lowers the availability of malonyl CoA, allowing
greater fatty acid oxidation to occur.
HCA inhibits the action of citrate lyase, which increases the
body's propensity to burn fats while simultaneously decreasing
the utilization of carbohydrates for fuel. HCA also promotes the
production of additional glycogen, which is the storage form of
glucose. Glycogen is stored in the muscles and more importantly
in the liver, where the body's hunger receptors are located. These
receptors measure the amount of glycogen and another energy molecule
called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in the liver. Higher liver-glycogen
levels reduce the intensity of the signal sent by these receptors
to the brain. This, in turn, lowers the hunger sensations produced
by the brain, so you don't get as hungry as you otherwise would.
This appetite suppression makes it easier to stay on your diet.
Chromium picolinate
Chromium is a mineral that helps insulin bind to its receptor
sites. It is also involved in the metabolism of glucose for energy.
A deficiency of chromium can lead to increased fat storage, fatigue,
sugar cravings and mood swings, all of which are counterproductive
to your weight-loss goals. The average American does not get close
to enough chromium, so supplementation is often required. Getting
your chromium in a fat burner is as good as buying and consuming
it separately.
The picolinate part of the molecule increases the bioavailability
of the chromium compared to the pure metal. While there is a lot
of brouhaha about the supposed advantages of specific carrier
molecules, no comparative research has ever been done. All of
the commonly available forms of chromium supplements are sufficiently
bioavailable to eliminate any deficiency of this mineral that
you may have.
L-carnitine
L-carnitine is a vitamin like compound that facilitates the movement
of free-fatty acids to the mitochondria for oxidation through
the actions of the enzyme carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1, or
CPT-1. This helps to stimulate fat burning. While L-carnitine
can be synthesized in the body from the amino acids lysine and
methionine, supplementation appears to offer additional benefits.
By consuming carnitine in food (red meat contains relatively large
amounts of it) or in supplement form, you increase the supply
of a raw material needed to activate CPT-1, potentially increasing
the amount of fat transported into the mitochondria for oxidation.
This would also help to maintain liver-glycogen concentrations
at higher levels, reducing your appetite.
Phosphates
Diet Fuel contains potassium phosphate and magnesium phosphate.
These two compounds provide bioavailable sources of phosphate,
which helps to increase the level of an essential energy molecule
called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in the liver. Studies have
shown that hepatic ATP levels normally decline during a diet,
which in turn reduces the availability of the active thyroid hormone
T3. The end result is a slower metabolism. Phosphate supplementation
promotes a greater level of T3 and therefore a higher metabolic
rate, making it easier for you to burn body fat.
Citrus bioflavonoid complex
Diet Fuel contains a combination of citrus bioflavonoids that
includes naringin. Naringin is the substance that gives grapefruit
its bitter taste. This flavonoid prolongs the effects of caffeine
by slowing the breakdown of caffeine into its metabolite, paraxanthine,
in the liver. This extends caffeine's half-life (the time it takes
for the chemical to decrease to half of its initial level in the
blood) by 31%. Since caffeine potentiates the effects of ephedrine,
having more caffeine in the blood for a longer period of time
increases the total fat-burning effect. Whether the other citrus
bioflavonoids have a similar action on caffeine is not known.
The amount of naringin in the formulation is not indicated.
Ginger root
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is indigenous to tropical Asia and
is now cultivated in tropical areas throughout the world. The
rhizome, which is technically an underground stem instead of a
root, contains oleoresins that are rich in gingerols. These compounds
have a variety of sedative effects. Ginger is traditionally used
to calm the stomach and as a treatment for motion sickness. Since
some individuals experience gastrointestinal upset with caffeine
and other stimulatory chemicals, ginger should help to eliminate
this occasional side effect. Ginger does not have any fat-burning
properties.
Cayenne
Cayenne is a source of capsaicin, a plant chemical that helps
to boost metabolic rate. It is the main reason that peppers in
the Capsicum genus of plants are hot. Other peppers in this genus
are Tabasco pepper and various chilies. Capsaicin activates neurons
and neuropeptides in the brain that are thought to suppress appetite.
It also increases the secretions of epinephrine and boosts the
release of catacholamines from the adrenal glands, both of which
help to promote thermogenesis. This is why studies have shown
that capsaicin supplementation results in more energy expenditure
and fat oxidation. The amounts of cayenne and capsaicin in Diet
Fuel are not indicated.
While this
article gives useful Diet Fuel facts, the only true way to experience
Diet Fuel results is to actually try the product out yourself.
To compare
Diet Fuel prices among dozens of top on-line sources, see Cheapest
Diet Fuel Online.
For more information
on how Diet Fuel works, see Does
Diet Fuel Work.
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