White willow bark has traditionally been used as an analgesic, dating back to around 400BC. Back then, it was mainly used to reduce pain, fever and inflammation.

The anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects of white willow bark are due to the presence of salicin. Salicin was identified in the 1800s but was expensive to extract so a synthetic compound, salicylic acid, was produced. This, however, was too harsh on the stomach so a milder version called acetylsalicylic acid was derived. Acetylsalicylic acid is more commonly known as aspirin.

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If you’re really into bodybuilding – and I mean really into it – then Muscle Asylum Project might have the sort of supplements you’d be interested in. By their own admission, they manufacture products for people who are totally obsessed with building huge, ripped muscle. Their website says that they aim to “transform average men into beasts, and beasts into freaks of nature”.

Muscle Asylum Project have created a delivery system called Rapid Wave Pulse Technology, which revolutionizes the way that nutrients are transported throughout the body. They have also discovered research on an anabolic compound which, if used in a certain way, has the ability to stimulate satellite cells to produce new muscle tissue.

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Green tea extract is, these days, a popular ingredient in weight loss products. This is because studies have shown that green tea acts as a metabolic stimulant.

Green tea, as do other teas, contains caffeine. Maybe you’d think that it’s reasonable to assume that it’s the caffeine component that boosts the metabolism. However, green tea contains catechin polyphenols and it’s believed to be these compounds which are mainly responsible for the increase in metabolism. Catechin polyphenols are thermogenic, which means that they increase the rate at which the body burns calories.

In addition to this metabolic boost, studies conducted by two universities have also indicated that green tea extract will increase the rate at which fat is oxidized and that it improves glucose tolerance.

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With all the weight loss supplements on the market today, it’s hard to know which one to choose. Yellow Devils are one of the many diet pills available.

Yellow Devils are a synergistic fat burning supplement containing ephedra and caffeine.

In China, ephedra, or ma huang as the Chinese call it, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to stimulate the metabolism and to treat asthma and allergies.

Caffeine is more well known in the Western world. Most of us are probably aware, from first hand experience, of the kick that a cup of coffee or a cola drink can give us, helping us to get started in the morning or stay up later at night. Caffeine is also a stimulant and increases heart rate and blood pressure.

Yellow Devils contain 25mg of ephedra and 300mg of caffeine. They can increase metabolism, energy, endurance and concentration. Increased metabolism means that you will burn more fat.

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If you want to lose weight, crash diets aren’t the way to go. You need a good weight loss meal plan to provide you with all the nutrients you need, in the right quantities and ratios.

Eating five small meals a day is much better for weight loss that three large meals. Eating five meals gives your body the fuel it needs throughout the day without allowing your blood sugar levels to become too high or low. It also helps you to burn fat more efficiently.

One of the reasons so many of us put on weight is because we eat too large a meal. We’ve been trained since we were children to not leave any food on our plates so we tend to keep on eating even if we’re feeling full. One important aspect of a weight loss meal plan is to get the portion size right. If we reduce the amount we eat we’re half way there.

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In the past, ephedrine has been used in Western medicine as a decongestant, and as a bronchodilator for the treatment of asthma.

The Chinese, however, have been using ephedra, the plant from which ephedrine is derived, for several thousand years. They call ephedra, ma huang. In Chinese medicine it has been used not only to treat asthma, allergies and hay fever but also as a metabolic stimulant.

Today, in the Western world, ephedrine diet pills have become popular due to this ability to stimulate the metabolism. This means that it can help your body to burn more fat. It also acts as an appetite suppressant.

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Eggs have long been known to be a valuable source of high-quality protein with a good range of essential amino acids. Egg protein is the benchmark by which all other proteins are measured. Sometimes called “the perfect protein”, it has a biological value of 100. This means that your body uses 100 per cent of the egg protein that you ingest.

Egg protein powders are a popular protein supplement. Why not just eat eggs, you might ask. A 50g egg contains about 6.3g of protein, with 3.6g found in the white and 2.7g in the yolk. It also contains around 4.5g of fat (although only about a third of this is the unhealthy, saturated fat) with over 98 per cent of this found in the yolk. So if you want to get the protein from eggs without the fat, your choices are either to eat just the whites or to get your egg protein in powder form.

Unless you like your egg whites raw, it could be argued that egg protein powder is also a more convenient way to get your protein requirements. Just add it the beverage of your choice in a blender or shaker bottle and you have an instant meal replacement shake or pre- or post-workout protein boost.

Claimed to be “the strongest female fat burner”, Slimquick Extreme by Nx Labs is a diet pill designed for women that combines several fat burning ingredients in the one tablet.

The main ingredient in Slimquick Extreme is green tea extract. Green tea is believed to assist with fat burning and also to increase fat oxidization. This means that more fat is released from the cells, resulting in the body using more fat as an energy source.

It also contains some stimulants, such as caffeine and theobromine. We’re probably all familiar with caffeine as an ingredient in everyday products such as coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks and are aware of the effects it can have on our bodies - it increases heart rate and makes us more alert for a short period of time. This can also mean that we burn more energy during this time.

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Diet pills come in lots of different forms with a wide range of ingredients. If you’re looking for a diet pill that’s 100% natural, Zylene could be your answer. Zylene contains a blend of minerals and herbs that may give you an energy boost, reduce your appetite and increase fat loss.

The main mineral in Zylene is chromium. Chromium is involved in converting fats and carbohydrates to energy. It regulates our insulin, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, and lowers cholesterol. Healthy insulin levels help us to sustain energy throughout the day. From a weight loss point of view, chromium helps fat metabolism and reduces hunger and food cravings. Zylene also contains many other trace minerals.

Another ingredient in Zylene is resveratrol, a substance produced by plants as a defense against disease. It is found in high concentrations in grape seeds and red wine, and helps to increase energy and lower blood sugar levels.

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When you combine two of the best fat loss support ingredients into one supplement, the results are powerful!  Slimquick Extreme does just that by taking the fat burning power of Yohimbe and combining it with the appetite control of Hoodia Gordonii.  With this great one- two punch, designed specifically for women, the best environment for fat loss is created.  By combining this with exercise and good eating, tremendous weight loss results can occur.  Click on the link to visit the Slimquick page on LiveLeanToday.com