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For people that want to lose weight quickly or without a huge change in their lifestyle, there is a natural attraction towards weight loss dietary supplements. This article will discuss exactly what weight loss dietary supplements are ? Are they safe and healthy for you to use? Will they really be effective? What can you genuinely expect from these products ? Should you save your money ?

Some people use weight loss dietary supplements as an enhancement to an existing program of exercise and dieting. The supplements are generally a blend of vitamins, amino acids and minerals. They may also contain herb and plant extracts. Before you decide to start using a supplement you should always confirm with your doctor that it will not have a negative impact on your health.

You will find that many of these types of supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so look at the contents of these products before you try them. Tell your doctor about them too. They are not subject to the standards that other medications must pass. Only if they are deemed by the FDA as not being suitable for human consumption would these supplements be discontinued from being sold.

Ephedra was a well known example of a popular weight loss dietary supplement that was discontinued. This was after stories surfaced that it led to seizures, increased blood pressure, lead to depression, and was linked to chronic headaches. The label on many supplements may not accurately reflect their ingredients, since the FDA does not regulate these pills.

Ephedra has been banned as a weight loss dietary supplement and in its place, some are promoting bitter orange. However, bitter orange has recently been shown to possibly produce similar effects on the body as ephedra, making it an ineffective and possibly dangerous weight loss dietary supplement. So far, bitter orange is still available for purchase, but it may not be available for too much longer.

Guar gum and chitosan are two weight loss dietary supplements that have not seen any positive results on weight loss. Using either of these products has generally been discouraged. Primarily, this is because there have been no tests or studies regarding the long term effects of the ingredients. It is known, however, that neither has proven effective in either appetite suppression or helping with weight loss.

However some very simple supplements are thought to be beneficial in weight loss when they are added to a special diet and a consistent exercise program. These are green tea and St. John’s Wart. They help to suppress the appetite to some extent and also increase the metabolism which helps to burn more calories for less physical effort. Green tea is available in various forms, including pills, patches and, of course, tea.

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