Categorized as dietary supplements, weight loss pills can help you lose weight but do not, in any case, substitute your diet. Losing weight is usually a difficult task. For the great majority of people, gaining extra pounds is as easy as it is difficult to lose them. Fortunately, nowadays many different tools can complement your weight loss plan – whose main pillars should be diet and sport – and help you in the pursuit of feeling better and getting the perfect body. To that end, weight loss pills can be a good ally. However, these diet supplements are surrounded by great controversy that makes most people question whether they should use them or not.
ARE WEIGHT LOSS PILLS SAFE?
Like most things in life, it depends on how you use them. They are safe if you use the right ones for you at the right dose. We highly recommend only using weight loss pills under the prescription and survey of your doctor or dietitian.
There are two types of weight loss pills.
- Weight Loss Drugs: They are categorized and regulated as medications. These contain pharmacological ingredients and can only be used under medical prescription. They are authorized by European Medicines Agency (EMA), and its American counterpart, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as other regulatory organizations around the world to control obesity or overweight when it implies a risk for health. They can boost the effectiveness of any weight-loss plan, hence improving or preventing other more serious health conditions linked to obesity, such as cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or breathing problems among many others.
- Weight Loss Supplements or dietary supplements for weight loss: They are nutritional supplements that include specific ingredients to help you reduce and control weight. These do not contain any pharmacological elements, but their ingredients may help to cleanse your system, prevent sugar cravings, and promote fat burning. Moreover, they usually include other health benefits, such as antioxidant effects or vitamin content. Nevertheless, you must only take the right dosage. Keep in mind that the overdose of a nutrient, vitamin, or active ingredient can have health consequences.
Be careful…
Unfortunately, not all companies comply with the regulations. Sadly, over the years we have found in the market weight loss pills that can be addictive, suppress hunger dramatically (and dramatically is not what we want because you can get sick), or even mess up your thyroid gland, adding thyroxine (T4) or thriiodothyronine (T3) which can ultimately cause irreversible metabolic disorders.
To avoid risks, we recommend you to make sure that the manufacturer is a pharmaceutical laboratory before buying anything.
HOW DO DIET SUPPLEMENTS WORK?
The main purposes of diet pills are:
- Help to control appetite.
- Promote the elimination of wastes.
- Favor the metabolization of fats.
To achieve one or more of these targets, the most common active ingredients included in weight loss supplements are:
- Caffeine: Can boost metabolism and subtly promote fat burning. The intake should be controlled as it can be addictive and have side effects, such as insomnia or anxiety.
- L-theanine: Although L-theanine contains caffeine, it has a relaxing effect that suppresses anxiety, effectively preventing unhealthy food cravings. Moreover, it improves sleep quality and mental focus.
- L-carnitine: This amino acid is well known for promoting fat burn. It transports the fat into the mitochondria to transform fat into energy, hence helping to lose those extra pounds.
- Garcinia Cambogia Extract: Fruit origin extract that contains Hydroxycitric acid. It can reduce fatty acid synthesis by helping to inhibit the enzyme citric acid lyase. Therefore, it is believed to contribute to weight loss, but it should only be taken in controlled doses.
- Choline: Not so popular but one of the most effective, this ingredient promotes fat burning and helps the dissolution of fats and cholesterol. It is part of the vitamin B-complex and, as such, has many other benefits. For instance, it helps to maintain your liver healthy.
