Losing weight isn’t as easy as taking a few magical pills. However, certain vitamins and minerals can help ensure your body is functioning as efficiently as possible for weight loss.

A well-balanced diet can fulfill most of your nutrient needs.

But if you’re on a limited diet or have health issues that affect how you absorb nutrients, a few specific vitamin supplements may provide the extra boost you need to stay on track with your healthy weight-loss regimen.

When it comes to weight loss, not all vitamins and minerals are created equal. Read on to find out which ones can help you shed excess weight and keep it off.

On supplement safety

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does notTrusted Source regulate supplements the same way it regulates medications. If you decide to take a vitamin or supplement, it’s best to choose products that have gone through independent third-party testing. This helps verify that the supplements contain what they say they do and in the listed amounts.

In addition, supplements typically contain much higher doses of vitamins and nutrients than are commonly found in food. It’s best to talk with a doctor before adding a new supplement to your routine, as they can cause unintended side effects and may interact with medications.

Read more about how to safely choose supplements.

Vitamin B complex includes various vitamins often found in the same foods. The B vitamins include:

These vitamins are essential for a fully functioning metabolism. The main function of the B vitamins is to help your body metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and use the stored energy in food.

Thiamine (B1), for example, helps the body cells convert carbohydrates into energy. In other words, low levels of one or more of these vitamins mean your metabolism may not function at its best. This can make losing weight harder.

Tip: In general, dietary supplements containing all eight B vitamins are known as B-complex vitamins. They can easily be found in stores or online.

Try it: Learn our picks for the best B-complex vitamins.

Food sources of B vitamins

Foods that contain one of the B vitamins often contain others. Good sources include:

However, cobalamin (B12) usually doesn’t naturally occur in plants, except for certain mushrooms in very small amounts, so it’s difficult for someone following a vegan diet to get enough without taking supplements.

Vitamin D is critical to a healthy immune system.

The sun can potentially provide your body with all the vitamin D it needs. Yet some people may have difficulty getting enough if they:

  • spend too much time indoors
  • live in climates where the sun doesn’t always shine
  • live in climates where it’s too hot or too cold to be outdoors long enough to get the recommended amount

Getting enough vitamin D from food is difficult, so healthcare professionals may recommend supplements. Inadequate levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of depression, according to 2020 research.

Researchers have noticed lower-than-normal serum vitamin D levels in people with obesity. However, 2023 researchTrusted Source suggests taking vitamin D supplements did not meaningfully support weight loss or improve other measures of metabolic health.

The exact role of vitamin D in weight loss is still unclear.

Tip: You might want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement if you spend most of your days indoors. You can test your vitamin D levels at home to see if you have a deficiency.

Food sources of vitamin D

While the sun is the best source of vitamin D, you can also get this vitamin from food, especially fortified foods.

Foods with vitamin D include:

Iron plays a role in helping your body create energy from nutrients. It helps carry oxygen to all of the cells in your body, including your muscles. This, in turn, helps them burn fat.

Too little iron can lead to iron deficiency anemia, which is a commonTrusted Source nutritional deficiency in the United States.

Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia can include:

Low iron levels also reduce your physical endurance and athletic performance.

Women who experience heavy menstrual periods and people who frequently donate blood are more prone to iron deficiency.

If you’re at higher risk for iron deficiency, consider talking with your doctor about an iron supplement.

Tip: Take iron supplements with food and add extra fiber to your diet, as iron supplements can be constipating.

Try it: Compare different iron supplements recommended by dietitians.

Food sources of iron

You can grow your body’s iron stores with the following foods:

Your body absorbs the type of iron found in meat better than the iron that comes from a plant-based source. Not a meat eater? You could be deficient in iron if you haven’t properly replaced meat with another source of iron.

Eating iron-rich foods along with a source of vitamin C, like strawberries or tomatoes, can help improve absorption.

Magnesium is necessary for energy production in the body. This mineral acts as a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems. These systems are responsible for a wide range of reactions in the body, including:

Tip: Very high doses of magnesium from supplements or medications often result in diarrhea.

Try it: Discover the best magnesium supplements, as recommended by dietitians.

Food sources of magnesium

Rich food sources of magnesium include:

You may want to keep a handful of nuts on hand for quick energy boosts and to prevent fatigue while you diet, especially if you work out a lot. But it’s best not to overeat them, as nuts are high in calories.

It’s technically not a vitamin or mineral, but green tea extract is one of the few marketed supplements worth a second look. Green tea is thought to increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation, and to reduce fat production and absorption.

The extract of this popular beverage is known to contain powerful flavonoid antioxidants known as catechins. Green tea also contains a healthy dose of caffeine.

An analysis of six controlled clinical trials found that caffeine alone or in combination with catechins significantly increased energy expenditure when compared to placebo.

A 2012 studyTrusted Source found that green tea supplements reduced body weight in obese individuals by an average of nearly 2 pounds, as compared to placebo.

Tip: Green tea extract is considered safe, but clinicians advise people to take the extract with food to minimize any potential risks.

Try it: Learn more about the possible benefits and drawbacks of taking green tea extract.

Food sources of green tea extract

You can drink green tea or matcha tea to get these benefits. Matcha is a powdered version of green tea that may provide more of its nutrients, as you consume the powdered leaves in your tea rather than water steeped in tea leaves.

You can also use matcha powder in cooking to add flavor and color.

The list of supplements that claim to increase the metabolism of fat is quite long. But there isn’t sufficient research to back up the claims for the majority of these supplements.

This isn’t an exhaustive list. However, at the moment, there’s no sufficient evidenceTrusted Source to show that the following supplements help promote weight loss or increase lean body mass safely:

If you’re considering taking a vitamin or supplement to assist with weight loss, talk with a doctor. They can discuss each product’s potential benefits and risks.

This is especially true for people who are pregnant, nursing, or who have underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.

Be sure to ask your doctor about possible interactions with any medications you might be taking. If you experience any side effects after taking a supplement, stop taking it and contact your doctor.

Finally, if you’re trying to boost your energy because you’re constantly feeling under the weather or fatigued, see your doctor. This might be a symptom of a larger problem that vitamins can’t fix.

Vitamin and mineral supplements may help provide you with the energy necessary to manage stress, keep a positive mood, and reduce fatigue. All of these add up to a diet that’s more likely to be successful.

However, you’re unlikely to lose weight without also modifying how much you exercise and your calorie intake.

Experts agree that the basis for long-term weight loss is following an overall balanced eating pattern, reducing caloric intake, and participating in physical activity.

Most of your required vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients should come from food. Supplements can help fill in any gaps in your diet that come from a limited eating plan, but it’s best to get your nutrients from food if you can.

Make sure to read the label thoroughly to check its active ingredients and to understand the correct dosage. It’s possible to overdose on certain vitamins if you’re not careful. Keep in mind that taking extra or mega doses of a vitamin or mineral supplement won’t help you.

Also, note the expiration date prior to taking the supplement. Vitamins lose potency over time, so you should discard any supplements that are past their expiration date.