Are Natural Diet Pills Less Effective?
Most of the population, at any age, beginning in adolescence
and continuing throughout life, wishes they could shed a few pounds. The
saying, “eat right and be active,” is imprinted into our brains. We know
exactly how to lose weight, but eating right and being active takes time and
determination.
After a few weeks many people begin
to lose heart and search for alternatives or ways to see faster results. The
most common route taken is to test out dieting pills. While there are
prescription diet pills on the market, many chose to try herbal diet pills
instead.
The reasons for this can be that the user does not want to
put more synthesized chemicals into their system, they are not willing to have
their weight loss journey monitored by a medical professional, or they actually
do not have enough weight to lose that would require a prescription pill. For
these reasons they turn to natural weight loss pills and place their
dreams in them.
While all natural diet pills may seem like a good idea, and
some results may be seen immediately, they are not a substitute for a change in
lifestyle. They also fall under the “dietary supplements” category within
the Food and Drug Administration, so they are not subject to regulation or
testing.
Unless there is evidence that the supplement is harmful,
there are no restrictions and the ingredients advertised may not actually be in
the pills. This can make them dangerous to the user. Many “all natural weight
loss pills,” have been shown to include ingredients that are either controlled
or illegal within the United States.
That being said, natural diet pills are not
necessarily worthless. If they are paired with a lifestyle change, they can
speed up weight loss results. It is important for the user to bear in mind that
they cannot rely solely upon the pills for results, but must maintain healthy
eating habits and exercise.
Ingredients
There are some common active ingredients in the best
natural diet pills that dieters should look for. These include green tea
extract, caffeine, yohimbine, chitosan, chromium, and senna.
Green tea extract is said to decrease appetite, and increase
the metabolism. Caffeine is the most well known and common stimulant. It is a
diuretic, so it drains the body of water, shedding water weight pounds. Yohimbine has
similar effects to green tea extract as an appetite suppressant and an
metabolism booster.
Chitosan blocks the absorption of cholesterol and some fats,
and supposedly helps weight loss even without caloric restriction. Chromium
increases the activation of insulin, which controls how the body metabolises.
This can lead to increased metabolism, decreased appetite, and increase muscle
mass.
Finally senna is historically used as a laxative but in small
doses can simply help stimulate the colon and keep the intestines moving. The
side effects of these ingredients range from headaches, and irritability to
heart attacks and seizures.
It is very important that if a natural diet supplement is
going to be used that the instructions are followed and not overused. Permanentdamage is possible to all of the body’s functions affected by the pills, so
moderation is key. If you are not prepared to suffer the negative side effects,
think twice before taking any diet pills.
Brand
The brand of diet pill used is also important. There are
hundreds of natural weight loss supplements available and while few can boast
significant results, it is better to go with a well-known brand.
A few types to consider are SlimQuick, Alli, Zantrex 3,
Cellucor D4 Thermal Shock, and Biotest Hot Rox. SlimQuick is a diet pill
marketed directly for women, designed to activate the hormones that trigger
weight loss in the female body. It claims to have the fastest release of
ingredients due to its gel capsules, and has active ingredients designed to
boost the metabolism and suppress hunger. It also claims to target belly fat
specifically, but studies have not returned any results on this claim.
Alli is also directed towards women. Its main ingredient
aides in weight loss by interrupting the fat absorption process. This creates
the calorie deficit each day required for weight loss.
Zantrex 3 is a diet pill intended to be combined with diet
and exercise. No magical miracle results here, unless you count hard work. The
work pays off because it has been shown to also help increase muscles gain
paired with loss of fat.
Cellucor D4 Thermal Shock is a stimulant heavy supplement
which helps drain the body of water weight and causes a spike in the
metabolism.
Finally Biotest Hot Rox claims to stimulate weight loss in
the usual ways, but also claims that its ingredient guggulsterones is the key.
The ingredient supposedly stimulates the thyroid gland, which controls
metabolic rate.
Do Your Research
It is important to be aware of the dangers of these herbal
diet pills. Many can interact poorly with other medications already being
taken, and not in positive ways. Other side effects are the jitters, headaches,
dizziness, irritability and the shakes. Even more serious are the
dangerous effects, that range from seizures to heart attacks and lung trouble.
It is vital that the dieter understand that there are not
federal standards for these supplements, so you never know exactly what to
expect when taking them. Research your medications and their possible
interactions with other drugs before you take anything. It really is taking
your diet into your own hands.
Proper Usage
Weight loss pills often produce immediate, within one week,
yet short-term results. Primarily, they cause a spike in energy by activating
adrenaline glands and cause the user to burn more energy.
However, as can be read on the instructions, within ten days
to two weeks the user must up the dosage, normally by double, to continue seeing
results. After the first month passes, the drugs must be given a break for
about two weeks, so as not to destroy the stomach lining, and then started from
the beginning.
Over time the adrenaline glands become used to the supply of
energy from the pills, and if consumption stops the end results is basically a
metabolism that is reliant upon extra energy and is not better at losing weight
but better at getting fatter.
If diet pills are combined with a healthy diet and vigorous
exercise they will help shed the pounds faster, however expect progress to slow
when the pills are stopped. Also, if the healthy eating and exercise is
interrupted, or was never begun, the pounds will return just as quickly as they
fell off. This is the double edged sword we wield when we choose the “easy”
weight loss option.
There really is no way around it – the way to lose weight
long term is through a lifestyle change to a healthy diet and frequent
exercise. Natural diet pills are less effective than consistent exercise and a
healthy diet. They can be used as an aid, however care should be taken to keep
an eye on the negative side effects and make sure they are not detrimentally
affecting the body.
The attitude taken when approaching the use of dieting pills
is imperative. Make sure they are always thought of as an aide and not a
method. If they are treated this way they can produce short term aide in weight
loss.