Increasing numbers of people are becoming overweight. The sad truth is that approximately two thirds of adult Americans are overweight. The encouraging part of this is that around half of them are trying to lose weight. Exercise and diet are essential to losing weight. This can be combined with weight loss supplements although many people are attempting the supplements without the diet. It is estimated that as many as 15% of the population have tried weight loss supplements. These supplements can come in a variety of forms and have a variety of ingredients. Some of these ingredients can be harmful or counteract existing medication and you should always consult a doctor before adding them to your diet.
The US Government has performed some research and surveys on the effectiveness of dietary supplements on the body. These have concluded that little is known about the effectiveness of these supplements but some have been known to cause physical harm. Ingredients should be carefully scrutinized before any supplements are taken.
Regulation
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA for short) is in charge of regulating dietary supplements. All types of dietary supplements, including ones used for weight loss, are not classified as drugs. As they are not classified as drugs, they do not require reviews or approval from the FDA before being available to consumers.
The emphasis is on the manufacturer to know that the supplements they are producing are safe for human consumption. Manufacturers do not need to provide any evidence of this to the FDA before selling the supplements. The FDA monitors all products and if they deem something to be unsafe they can ask the manufacturer to remove it from the market. Failing this they have the power to remove the weight loss supplement themselves.
It is not permissible to include pharmaceutical ingredients in a supplement and the manufacturer is forbidden from claiming any supplement can treat, cure or even prevent a disease.
Common ingredients
There are many different ingredients included in the huge range of weight loss supplements on the market. Many manufacturers quote the benefits of certain ingredients and refer to research and trials. Unfortunately, many trials are short and focus on a very small test group. As such they cannot provide reliable results.
The variety of ingredients in each supplement also make it very difficult to work out what reaction each of these ingredients will provide and how they will interact with each other. This combined with the amount of each ingredient varying from product to product makes it very difficult to compare supplements or research notes. It is possible to list each ingredient and its benefits and potential side effects but this will not assist with analysing the supplements as the mixtures are different every time and there is little research into the effects of mixing these ingredients.
Safety
Whilst some ingredients can be identified and have been analyzed others have never been studied. The unknown side effects and combinations could have a serious affect on the health of anyone taking them. There any many facts which remain unknown about these supplements. This is something which the manufacturer does not call attention to. They prefer to mention the known effects and hope that the consumers desire to lose weight easily will cause them to take the supplement.
There are many weight loss supplements on the market which claim to be miracle weight loss cures. These claims are illegal and not true. There is no medical proof to confirm any claim like this. The supplements could actually be harmful. Over 200 dietary supplements have been recalled by the FDA between 2004 and 2012. These supplements had a high probability of causing serious adverse health consequences.
The answer
Unfortunately, dietary supplements are not the cure for weight gain. If you want to lose weight, it’s best to adhere to a healthy meal plan. If you’re a vegetarian, include vegan omega 3 food sources into your diet to stay energized. Mushrooms, beans, whole grains are all a great addition to the meal plan of a vegan. While some pills are marketed as all-natural and based solely on herbs, there’s no way of knowing that for sure. Rather than take a chance and play with your health, it’s best to remain on the safe side.
We live in a world where very few people have time to exercise and eat right. That being said, it is common for our bodies to suffer from severe vitamin deficiencies. Nutritionists advise us to stay away from pills when we’re trying to remain in good health. However, believe it or not there are supplements that are all-natural. These might get our bodies on the right track, particularly if we want to lose weight.
Weight loss supplements – the plain truth
The market is packed with dietary supplements that could harm our general health. Most of these pills are overly advertised, but that’s not even the worst aspect. The problem is most manufacturers claim they’re all-natural when they’re not. Basically, even if some company develops a healthy supplement, many would still not believe it doesn’t contain chemicals.
Dietary supplements are not included in the drug type of category, so they don’t have to be approved by the FDA if the manufacturer claims their products are herb-based. Ironically, a lot of these are sold in drug stores and pharmacies. If you’ve decided to turn to supplements to lose a couple of pounds, make sure to read the ingredient list carefully. Ask for advice from a nutritionist anyway just to be on the safe side.
Bottom line is most dietary supplements contain ingredients that speed up the fat burning process. They don’t just make your body lose weight by miracle. In order to burn that fat, you have to work out, hydrate and eat right. Starving yourself and taking supplements will make the body lose weight, particularly muscle mass. But as soon as you go back to your regular lifestyle, you’ll start eating more than usual to compensate for the loss. Don’t play with your health and remain rational if you want to lose weight and look great in the long term.