Over the last decade or so, dietary supplements have boomed in popularity, appealing to the weight conscious and those looking to shed pounds fast. After all, losing weight is hard work, and with our busy lifestyles, who’s got the time or the energy. But turning to pills isn’t the answer. In fact, taking them can be downright dangerous. Here are five good reasons you should avoid weight loss pills.
Dietary Supplements Are Not Approved By the FDA
If it’s on the store shelf, it must be safe, right? Wrong. Despite what many of us believe, supplements are not pre-tested for safety by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and dietary supplement firms do not need approval from the FDA prior to marketing their products. Companies are responsible for ensuring that their products are safe and that claims made about them are true. The FDA only investigates (and takes steps to remove from the market) a product when safety issues are suspected and/or they receive reports of harm caused.
Many Weight Loss Supplements Are Spiked
That’s right, spiked. Weight loss, muscle-building, and sexual enhancement products are often “tainted” with some type of medicinal drug or synthetic ingredients. These supplements can be found in stores and are heavily promoted online. In recent times, weight-loss products marketed as supplements have been found to contain dangerous hidden pharmaceutical ingredients, including chemicals found in prescription antidepressants, seizure medications, and blood pressure medicines. Even products marked as “natural” or “herbal” can be tainted.
Tainted Products May Cause Interactions or Overdose
The ingredients in tainted products can be dangerous on their own, but that danger increases when a person is on medication for a chronic medical condition or regularly takes a certain drug. The prescription drugs could contain ingredients that interact adversely with the chemicals hidden in the tainted supplements, causing serious illness or worse. There is also the possibility that the tainted dietary supplement might contain one or more of the same chemicals found in your chronic medication, which could lead to overdose and death.
Weight Loss Supplements Are Usually Stimulants
Dietary supplements are popular in the States. The most common ones contain stimulants like caffeine and bitter orange extract, which is an ephedra-like substance that contains synephrine. These ingredients are meant to boost metabolism and suppress appetite, but they come with negative side effects such as insomnia, headaches, and anxiety. The stimulants are especially dangerous for those have heart disease and high blood pressure, and/or people taking blood pressure medication. In addition, when the desired effects wear off, there is a ‘crash.’
They May Not Be Effective
Last but not least, buying weight loss supplements can be a waste of money. Scams abound in the weight management industry, and fake drugs and supplements are everywhere you look – especially on the Internet. Even legitimate products that are effective provide minimal effects at best, and that’s if you combine them with an eating plan and exercise routine based on sound weight loss principles. In fact, when it comes to weight loss, it will always come down to that: you have to eat right and get plenty of exercise. There is no miracle pill. There are no shortcuts.
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