Weight loss gummies are often marketed to help you lose weight, burn fat, decrease appetite, or boost metabolism. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements like weight loss gummies. While some ingredients may offer benefits, there’s not enough evidence to say they are safe or work for weight loss.
How Do Weight Loss Gummies Work?
Weight loss gummies work by incorporating certain ingredients into your diet that may help decrease appetite, boost metabolism, detox the body, or promote fat loss. A common ingredient is apple cider vinegar (ACV).
Most of the studies researching apple cider vinegar’s effect on weight and metabolism have been conducted in animals. One small study was conducted in humans with obesity who received ACV for 12 weeks and followed a low-calorie diet compared to a group taking a placebo (inactive treatment given to people in a study control group).
Participants who took ACV lost more weight than the placebo group and had greater reductions in hip circumference and appetite. However, their weight and hip circumference were back to pre-study measurements within four weeks after stopping ACV.
Another study looked at Lebanese adolescents and young adults who were overweight or had obesity and received either ACV or a placebo for 12 weeks. Those receiving ACV had a decrease in weight, waist circumference, blood glucose (sugar), and cholesterol and triglyceride (fats in the blood) levels. This study did not report any follow-up outcomes after the 12-week study concluded.
This study received some criticism regarding its data and statistical reporting, arguing that it is a low-quality study, leading the authors to write a response addressing the concerns.
This further emphasizes the need for more research to fully understand ACVs' effects on humans, both short and long term.
Common Ingredients in Weight Loss Gummies
Active ingredients often used in weight loss gummies include:
- Apple cider vinegar: May have a modest effect on weight
- Caffeine: May have a modest effect on weight
- Garcinia cambogia: Has little to no effect on weight
- Green coffee bean extract: May have a modest effect on weight
- Green tea: May have a modest effect on weight
- Ketones: There is not enough evidence to suggest an effect on weight
Are They Safe?
The FDA does not review or approve weight loss supplements before they are marketed and sold to consumers. Therefore, it is important to be well-informed about any dietary supplement before buying it.
Be sure to carefully read the label of any weight loss gummies you are thinking of using. Hundreds of weight loss supplements have been reported to the FDA for being potentially dangerous or containing hidden ingredients.
Always talk with a healthcare provider before using weight loss gummies. While some may be well tolerated, others may cause side effects or interact with medications or other dietary supplements you are taking.
Potential side effects vary depending on the specific ingredients used but usually involve the gastrointestinal (GI) system and may include:
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Liver damage
- Nausea
- Stomach cramps
- Urinary tract infections
- Vomiting
Are There Any Effective Weight Loss Supplements?
There is not enough research to say that any single dietary supplement will help achieve healthy, long-term weight loss. Manufacturers of dietary supplements seldom perform clinical trials on their products. Clinical trials are carefully designed human studies on whether a drug or treatment is safe and effective.
Research limitations include:
- Lack of human studies: Some sellers may cite research relating to the active ingredient. However, due to the few studies available, their supposed benefits often involve limited data from animal and laboratory studies instead of human clinical trials.
- Poor quality studies: Studies backing a specific ingredient’s use are often short term, small, and/or of poor quality, which lessens the strength of the study results.
- Multiple ingredients: Many weight loss supplements contain more than one ingredient, making it challenging to fully understand the combined effects of several active ingredients.
- Differences in composition and dosages: The amounts and dosages of active ingredients vary widely among weight-loss supplements, with many not being standardized or being in products containing proprietary blends (a combination of substances within a supplement). This makes it difficult to compare the findings of one study with those of other studies.
This means that more studies are needed to confirm whether any truly effective weight loss supplements exist.
Remember that it is a red flag if any dietary supplement promises weight loss, especially permanently, using their supplement alone. Not many supplements will help you magically shed unwanted pounds without lifestyle changes.
Alternatives to Weight Loss Gummies
If you are unsure about using weight loss gummies, you may be interested in learning about alternative methods to help with weight loss.
The first thing you can do is to look at potential lifestyle changes, including:
- Eating habits
- Physical activity
- Sleep habits
- Stress management
If you feel you are making changes to your lifestyle without seeing any weight loss success, working with a healthcare professional, such as the following, may make a difference:
- A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can help you examine your diet and eating habits more closely to see if there are additional tweaks or changes that may help.
- A certified personal trainer can help identify effective exercises that are practical for your lifestyle while minimizing injuries.
A healthcare provider may recommend medication. As with any medication, speak with a healthcare provider about potential side effects, drug or supplement interactions, dosage and usage, and how it might fit into your long-term weight loss plan.
Some commonly used FDA-approved weight loss medications include:
- Adipex, Suprenza (phentermine)
- Contrave (naltrexone-bupropion)
- Imcivree (setmelanotide)
- Mounjaro, Zepbound (tirzepatide)
- Ozempic, Wegovy(semaglutide)
- Plenity (cellulose and citric acid hydrogel)
- Qsymia (phentermine-topiramate)
- Saxenda (liraglutide)
- Xenical, Alli (orlistat)
Be sure to work closely with your healthcare team while using weight loss medication to ensure safe and effective use.
Summary
There is insufficient research to support the claims that weight loss gummies or any dietary supplement will help with healthy, long-term weight loss. More studies are needed. Always speak with a healthcare provider before using weight loss gummies and discuss alternatives for weight loss.
The most common active ingredient in weight loss gummies is apple cider vinegar (ACV). Other common ingredients are caffeine, green tea, green coffee bean extract, garcinia cambogia, and ketones.
The FDA does not review or approve weight loss supplements before they are marketed and sold to consumers. While some may be well tolerated, others may cause side effects or could interact with medications or other dietary supplements you are taking.
Supplement Safety
In the United States, the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements the way it regulates prescription medications. As a result, some supplement products may not contain the ingredients listed on the label.
When choosing a supplement, look for products independently tested or certified by organizations such as NSF, U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), or ConsumerLab.com. For personalized guidance, consult your healthcare provider, registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), or pharmacist.
