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.
This last piece of advice is prudent as many supplements do not have Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. They are not regulated in other words. They do not meet the criterai by which other medicines are deemed suitable. Indeed, 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.
One example of a weight loss dietary supplement that was banned was Ephedra. Studies suggested that Ephedra could lead to depression and chronic headaches. It may even have contributed to higher blood pressure and seizures in some cases. Sometimes what you read on the label isn’t what is actually found in the supplement, because these pills are not regulated by the FDA.
Ever since ephedra was recalled from the market, bitter orange has been touted as being safe although its effectiveness has been unproven. Its effects on the body may be similar to those of ephedra. Bitter orange as a weight loss dietary supplement has not yet been recalled, although it has been shown to be unsafe and unhealthy.
Guar gum and chitosan have been shown to be two very popular but ineffective weight loss dietary supplements. Ingestion of these two dietary supplements for weight loss is not encouraged anymore. Their long term effects on the body are not known since neither of them has been studied or tested for that in particular. However, it has been shown that they do not contribute or help dieters to reduce appetite or lose weight.
St. John’s Wart and green tea are generally thought to be helpful in weight loss without having side effects (they may have caffeine in them so check this if you are going caffeine free). When used together with diet and exercise both of these have proven to be effective weight loss dietary supplements. Green Tea can come as pills and patches if you would like a change from the traditional tea form.