Do diet pills really work? What about herbs? If diet supplements work, how do they work? Some diet pills promise nigh on miraculous results, claiming record weight loss with no downside. So, what’s the truth? Are diet pills safe? Are there any side-effects? What are the side-effects? Which diet pills are legal.
Although nutritionists and scientists are pretty much unanimous in their agreement that permanent weight loss can only be achieved though diet and exercise, there are a lot of diet pills on the market. Find out if their effectiveness justifies the hype and which diet pills work. However, whatever the case, if you are on prescription medication you should see your doctor before taking any weight loss pills. There may be potential danger in mixing some diet pills with some prescription medicines. Plus, not all diet pills are as rigorously checked for purity and ensuring they contain the labeled ingredients and the correct dosage as they perhaps should be. Therefore, if you decide to go for a weight loss supplement make sure it is of good quality and check with your doctor. Don’t mess with your health.
| Supplement | Action | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | Increases fat burning and metabolic rate. | Caffeine has moderate effects on fat burning. However, only in combination with exercise. Caffeine alone does not decrease body weight. The UK Food Standards Agency has recommended that pregnant women limit caffeine intake to 200 mg of caffeine a day or less. This is equivalent to two cups of instant coffee or 1/2 to 2 cups of fresh coffee. |
| Carnitine | Increases the fat available for fat burning | Although Carnitine is necessary for fat burning, extra Carnitine does not appear to increase fat burning. |
| Clenbuterol | Read more about the side effects of clenbuterol | |
| Chitosan | Binds to fat in the intestine, decreasing absorption and increasing excretion from the body. | Research has not proven this effect in humans, such that the FDA has issued warning letters to companies making claims of chitosan as a fat blocker. |
| Chromium | Stimulates insulin, which will increase fat burning. Will also increase muscle mass. | Use of chromium-containing dietary supplements is controversial due to potential toxic effects in humans. It may increase insulin sensitivity, but no positive impact on weight loss. |
| Citrus aurantium | Boosts fat loss by increasing fat burning and metabolism. | Little research on this supplement. Bitter orange has not undergone the same formal safety testing as ephedra, but may cause the same spectrum of adverse effects. Strokes, angina and ischemic colitis have been linked to bitter orange supplements. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that “there is currently little evidence that bitter orange is safer to use than ephedra”. |
| Coleus forskohlii | Coleus Forskohlii is an Indian herb is thought to suppress appetite and increase the availability of fat for fat burning. | There is little research to suggest that Coleus Forskohlii help weight loss or prevent weight gain. |
| Conjugated Linoleic Acid – CLA | Increases metabolic rate and fat used for fat burning. | Research shows that CLA may have only modest effects on fat loss, and also has side-effects. |
| Green Tea | Green tea contains polyphenols which are thought to improve health, particularly catechins, the most abundant of which is epigallocatechin gallate. Green tea increases fat burning, metabolism and fat available for fat burning. | Several studies have shown that Green Tea may boost metabolism and moderately increase fat burning. |
| Hoodia |
