Weight Loss Dietary Supplements - Do Your Due Diligence

by Adrian Fletcher

What images do weight loss dietary supplements conjuror up in your mind ? Do you know how they work ? Or what affect they will have on your weight loss quest. Will they have a positive or negative affect or have no affect at all? People who are looking for a quick and easy solution to weight loss often consider over the counter supplements but the truth is there is no quick fix cures.

Weight loss dietary supplements include a list of ingredients that include vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs and plants. The purpose of these some of these ingredients is to top up an deficiencies that the person mat have. Others may work at speeding up the metabolism so that a person burns more calories. They are generally used in conjunction with a proper diet and exercise plan. However, should you decide to use one, check that it is ok with your physician prior to use.

You will find that most weight loss dietary supplements are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so use them with caution. They do not conform to the same standards as regulated medication do. In some cases they can be banned or prohibited from sale if the FDA deems them to be not fit for human consumption.

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.

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.

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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