Weight Loss Dietary Supplements

What do you think of when you consider weight loss dietary supplements? Do you consider whether they are good for you? Will they affect your weight loss quest positively, negatively, or have no affect at all? People who are looking for a quick and easy to solution to weight loss often consider over the counter supplements.

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.

Weight loss dietary supplements are typically not approved by the FDA, so use them with caution. They don’t have to meet the guidelines that most other medications have to conform to. They can be prohibited for sale if the FDA finds that they do not meet the standards of being fit for human consumption.

A weight loss dietary supplement that was banned from being sold is ephedra. Ephedra contributes to depression and chronic headaches, will cause blood pressure to rise, can cause seizures, and can even lead to death. 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.

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.

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.