By Daniella Lindsey

Did you know, the variety of vitamins, minerals and herbal INGREDIENTS available for use in dietary supplements and diet weight loss pills runs to over 2000?

Many have serious or unknown side effects according to American Academy of Family Physicians.

So how are we ever supposed to sort out that little lot? Especially for natural weight loss?

Let’s start with a few basic facts.

A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is the name given to products that supply minerals, vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids to the diet of a person who may be missing these in their normal diet.

Usually a dietary supplement is taken as a tablet, capsule, powder or some liquid formulas in a prepared drink.

It's a food not a drug.

Under FDA rules a dietary supplement cannot be sold as a treatment or cure for any disease and must not state anything about being a cure on any labeling to conform with Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.

The safety of the supplement must be ensured by the manufacturer prior to sale and it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure the product is correctly labeled and contains exactly what is on the label.

The manufacturer is not required to inform the FDA of any problems with their product as supplements are not regarded as a drug by the FDA. Therefore it doesn’t seem prudent to start a dietary program with any product new  to the market.

Do you want to be the guinea pig or act as the lab monkey?

If a supplement has been marketed for some time and has no side effects showing up in any search of problems relating to use of the formulae, then one would assume there is a greater degree of personal safety.

The FDA only has to show the supplement is “unsafe” after the product is on the market and accordingly has created a web site with tips and information about supplements being marketed.

Any questions regarding additional information on any dietary supplement should be referred back to the manufacturer or distributor.

Don't Mix.   There is growing evidence that many supplements are taken by people who are also on courses of prescription drugs.

This should never happen.

The risks involved in mixing the two are dangerous as there are side effects with many herbal ingredients and little research on the effects that may occur when prescribed drugs and herbal ingredients are combined.

Diet Pills

“Magic weight loss” “Incredible new formula” “Lots of hoop-la”

You’ve seen the ads and with claims like these, who needs to exercise or watch their diet?

Just sit down, pop a pill and you'll reach your perfect weight by the end of the week!

Right now around 60% of Americans are on the overweight side of the scales and the diet pill industry has become a huge industry simply because once you’re overweight, you lose mental energy and motivation to do anything about it.

So pill taking seems to be the easy way out.

Do dietary pills deliver?

In the short term some diet pills will assist with weight loss but you can’t stay on them forever as many weight loss pills have been associated with some nasty ailments such as stroke and heart attack.

If you’re on a diet pill alone, after a short period you’re body will become used to the  e effects and so you will see a drop in weight removal and if you’re not starting to do something extra like walking more or hopping onto an exercise bicycle, you will probably begin to see your weight actually increase again.

Many of the products advertised are unproven, untested and as we know, unregulated as they are regarded as food supplements not drugs.

Some of the side effects of fat blockers, fat burners or diet pills are caused by the removal of excess fats from the intestine and they can include effects such as gas, diarrhea and cramping.

The body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients can be reduced by different weight loss pills and it’s often necessary to take a daily multi-vitamin supplement to bring things back into balance.

However, dietary supplements are not meant to treat, prevent, or cure disease.

In some cases, dietary supplements may have unwanted effects, especially if taken before surgery or with other dietary supplements or medicines, or if you have certain health conditions.

You should always check with your health professional if you're not sure what impact supplements will have on a current condition.

Appetite suppressants stimulate the nervous system and can raise blood pressure and heart rate.

If you suffer from high blood pressure, and in middle age many do, these suppressants can increase the risk of heart attack or cardiac arrest. Add to this the complications of prescribed drugs to lower blood pressure and the result is anybody's guess.

Minor side effects include sleeplessness, headache and constipation.

Your body can become used to the effects of both Fat Binders and Appetite Suppressants and you may regain weight even though you continue taking a supplement. 

Richard Atkinson at the  University of Wisconsin  ran a study of this weight gain and maintains that at present, nobody is quite sure why this happens.   

Therefore alternating a Fat Binder with an Appetite Suppressant will give the best results, but never take both at the same time. There is no information on side effects of combining these supplements. 

And remember, if something is called “Herbal” that doesn’t necessarily mean its safe as there are many herbs with nasty side effects, and as herbal weight loss products are regarded as foods, once again there are no regulations directing their use by the FDA.

But not all Weight Loss or Diet Pills are bad, and the next page has a couple that are popular and have been on the market for some time.

If you have any doubts or queries regarding any product visit The National Agricultural Library (NAL) at http://www.nal.usda.gov  for more information.

For further information visit Weight Loss and Diet Supplements Programs  

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