Health Information

For those who seek a quick and easy solution to weight loss, it is natural to gravitate toward weight loss dietary supplements. But what exactly are weight loss dietary supplements? Are they safe and healthy for you to use? Will they really be effective? Or will they be counter-productive and/or a total waste of money?

Weight loss dietary supplements include a variety of ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids and occasionally, herbs and plants. They can be used in conjunction with proper diet and exercise to assist in weight loss. But always check with a physician prior to using them.

Caution should be used when deciding whether or not to take dietary weight loss supplements because they are not FDA approved. They do not have to meet the rigorous standards that other medications must comply with. The FDA can force companies to remove a product from the market if evidence is found showing that the product is not fit for human consumption.

Because there is no government regulation as to what goes into these weight loss dietary supplements, sometimes the ingredients listed on the labels do not match the actual ingredients used in the product. Ephedra, touted as a weight loss dietary supplement, was taken off the market after it was shown to cause seizures, raise blood pressure, and exacerbate depression, chronic headaches and even cause death.

Since ephedra is no longer available on the market, bitter orange is being promoted, even though it hasn’t shown any effect with weight loss. New research suggests that it has the same effects as ephedra did on the body. An unhealthy and unsafe weight loss dietary supplement, bitter orange has yet to be pulled from store shelves.

Chitosan and guar gum are two weight loss dietary supplements available that have been shown to be ineffective in achieving weight loss. Consumers are now discouraged from using these products. It is not known what long term affects these supplements will have on people because they are untested and no studies have been done. No study has been done that shows either product helps people with weight loss or appetite.

Two weight loss dietary supplements that have proven effective for weight loss are St. John’s Wart and green tea. These are proven to burn additional calories and suppress appetite. It’s also been shown that they help when used as part of a diet and exercise regimen. Green tea is available in pill form, as a patch, or as a drinkable tea.

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