Herbal Diet Pills
Herbal Diet Pills - Are They Safe For Your Health?
There's no easy way to say it... people today are fatter than ever. Obesity is the biggest health problem today. Adults are getting fatter and kids are fatter than ever too. We all know we have to do something about it, but what's the best way to lose weight? Everyone knows that they will lose weight if they eat right and exercise. Many people, though, turn to quick fixes like diet pills.
Diet pills can contain dangerous chemicals. As an alternative, some people are trying herbal diet pills. There are a wide variety of herbal diet pills available at your local health and nutrition store. Recently, though, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled several herbal diet pills and issued warnings for several more. These pills were recalled due to concerns that consumers were wasting their money on substances that had not been tested and had no proven record based upon proper studies. Without proper studies, it is unknown whether there are side effects to any of these substances.
In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). This law stated that manufacturers of herbal diet pills do not have to prove to the FDA that their product is safe or even effective. This has outraged the medical community.
Disturbing cases have been documented where people taking herbal diet pills like ephedra suffered from debilitating illnesses. The illnesses linked to these herbal diet pills included tremors, seizures, strokes, heart attacks and increased blood pressure. In fact, at least one hundred deaths have been found to be directly related to ephedra. Studies have shown that ephedra can be deadly to certain groups of people.
Another herb commonly found in herbal diet pills is called aristolochia fangchi. It originated in Belgium and tests have indicated that using it could lead to kidney disease and urinary tract cancer.
Anyone planning to start a diet plan that includes herbal diet pills, should be sure to have a complete physical to rule out any potential health problems.
Metabolife is a very popular brand of herbal diet pills. The company that produces this product also produces Metabolife 356. Although Metabolife is recognized worldwide as safe, the 356 version is banned in several countries due to concern that the ingredients could be dangerous.
Most of the herbal diet pills on the market today contain hydroxycitric acid (HCA). This drug has been proven to be effective in weight loss by suppressing the appetite of the person taking it. Studies have shown that it slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into fat. But studies have also concluded that it is not effective for everyone.
Herbal diet pill companies market their products as being safe and effective for everyone. The medical community has its doubts and warns against taking diet pills that have not been subjected to conclusive tests.