Best Appetite Suppressant Supplements 2023

The Best Appetite Suppressant Over The Counter

To begin with let's have a look at the OTC options, and things that you can get yourself without needing to see a medical proffessional. We'll look at the other options a little later. Insurance coverage for weight loss is of course spotty at best, so in many cases commercial options are functionally as effective and substantially cheaper, especially if they work by expanding in the stomach.

Glucomannan (Konjac Root Extract) - Glucomannan is a type of dietary fiber that comes from the roots of the elephant yam plant that is native to East Asia. It helps to suppress appetite as it is very low in calories but will expand to take up a huge amount of space in your gut when it comes in contact with water. This is mainly used to reduce hunger pains and stop you from wanting to eat, helping to keep your calorie intake down (1). It can also slow the rate that food is released from your gut too though. This gives you longer to process it, ensuring everything else available is used first.
This combination will prevent weight gain, encourage fat burning when energy is required, and make optimum use of the food you consume. It is also ideal for helping people to stick to a healthy diet. Glucomannan is most effective when taken 1 hour before eating with water.

White Kidney Bean Extract - White kidney bean extract is a compound rich in dietary fiber that is taken from legumes native to South America. Like most types of dietary fiber, white kidney bean extract has a number of effects on the digestive system. Similar to glucomannan, it can swell in the gut to make you feel full, although not to the same extent. White kidney bean extract also effects the conversion of carbs into sugar. This will not only optimise your nutrient usage, further helping with hunger control, but it will also prevent weight gain and fat storage from occurring, which will help you lose weight much faster (2). 

Caffiene - Research has shown that consuming caffeine before a meal can influence stomach emptying, appetite hormones, and feelings of hunger. This effect lasts about 4 hours, but it does have other benefits to dieting besides appetite suppression. For example, when we diet our body subconciously tells us to move less, we do this without knowing and thus we actually burn slightly less calories through the day. Caffeine being a stimulant also helps mitigate this.

Chromium Picolinate - Chromium picolinate is a compound formed when the amino acid derivative of chromium is mixed with picolinic acid. Research has shown that it can be effective for appetite suppression as it raises serotonin levels, which will help to keep your food cravings in check.
It also has the ability to enhance the activity of insulin receptors in your brain. This helps to lower blood glucose levels, preventing blood sugar spikes, while breaking down the nutrients you consume more effectively to avoid weight gain (2).
Other benefits of chromium picolinate that are useful for weight loss include preserving muscle mass, enhancing cognitive functions, boosting energy, and improving your quality of sleep. 

5-HTP - 5-HTP is the abbreviated name for the chemical known as 5-hydroxytryptophan, which is a type of naturally occurring amino acid. Its use as an appetite suppressant comes from the fact that it is also a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Much like with chromium picolinate, it can therefore induce feelings of fullness and satiety, which will prevent you from giving in to your food cravings (4).
Other benefits of 5-HTP include an ability to boost mood, reduce anxiety, increase relaxation, enhance your quality of sleep, and combat depression. All of these functions can then have a beneficial effect on weight loss and help you to control hunger in their own right. 

Green Tea Extract (EGCG) -  Green tea extract has been widely studied for its weight loss benefits. It contains caffeine and catechins, such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which can boost metabolism, increase fat burning, and suppress appetite. The caffeine content is relatively low, to low to function by itself, as you need about 100mg per serving for the effect, and green tea has about 20% of this at best. So you'll want to look for the EGCG content to be standardized specifically. It's often found in combination with caffeine in commercial weight loss aids.

Gymnema sylvestre - This herb that has mostly been studied for its anti-diabetic properties. But, more recent studies suggest it can aid in weight loss by reducing sugar cravings and appetite. However, it turns out, what's actually happening is the active compounds in Gymnema sylvestre, called gymnemic acids, can block the sweetness of food, reducing the taste of sugar in the mouth. It doesn't particularly stop you craving as the initial theories suggested, but it does make sugar less satisfying in general training people out of the craving. It's functionally akin to the method of adding polish to a persons nails, to make them taste bad as a way to prevent nail biting.

NB:  Whilst Orlistat is commonly associated with weight loss as both an over the counter and perscription option does not actually supress hunger. It is something known as a lipase inhibitor, and designed to prevent the absorbtion of fat in the digestive tract, it's efficacy is highly dependant on diet.

Perscription Appetite Suppressants

Now that we've looked at the commercially available options, which should be more than enough for most cases, let's take a look at the medical options.

Diethylpropion (Tenuate dospan®) - Diethylpropion is a prescription appetite suppressant that affects the central nervous system, reducing hunger and promoting weight loss. It is typically used for short-term management of obesity.


Liraglutide (Saxenda®) - Liraglutide is an injectable medication that mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). It helps regulate blood sugar levels and can also lead to weight loss as a side effect. Liraglutide is usually prescribed for individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.


Naltrexone-Bupropion (Contrave®) -  Naltrexone-bupropion is a combination medication that targets both the brain's reward system and the hunger signals. It helps reduce food cravings and promotes weight loss. This prescription appetite suppressant is typically used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.


Phendimetrazine (Prelu-2®) - Phendimetrazine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system, decreasing appetite and promoting weight loss. It is prescribed for short-term use to help individuals with obesity or overweight kickstart their weight loss journey.


Phentermine (Pro-Fast®) - Phentermine is one of the most commonly prescribed appetite suppressants. It works by suppressing appetite and increasing metabolism, making it easier to lose weight. Phentermine is typically used for short-term weight loss in individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher.


Phentermine/Topiramate (Qsymia®) - Phentermine/topiramate is a combination medication that works by suppressing appetite and increasing feelings of fullness. It is often prescribed to individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher or those with a BMI of 27 or higher with weight-related comorbidities.

It is important to note that orlistat (Alli®), although commonly associated with weight loss, is not an appetite suppressant. It works by blocking fat absorption in the intestines and is available over-the-counter.