Introduction
According to the Mayo Clinic, Alli is a watered down version of the prescription weight loss drug orlistat (Xenical). In February 2007, Alli was the first over-the-counter weight loss dietary supplement to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, giving it a huge boost in sales among over-the-counter weight loss pills.. But the FDA is investigating 32 serious liver injury claims related to the product between 1999 and October 2008.
Lipase
According to preventive medicine and nutrition specialist Dr. Donald Hensrud, Alli works by disabling the enzyme lipase. Lipase is a digestive tract enzyme that helps the body break down the fats you consume on a daily basis into a form that can be stored by the body. If the body cannot break down these fats to store them, some of the fats will simply continue through the digestive tract to be released in your feces. Since Alli only works on the enzymes that affect fat storage, carbohydrates and proteins remain unaffected. This allows the body to gain the energy it needs through other nutritional sources, without storing as much fat on the body. Less fat equals greater weight loss.
Side Effects
Alli's side effects mostly occur when users consume too much fat during a meal. The result, according to the Alli website, can be frequent bowel movements that are hard to control, diarrhea, and the most talked about side effect, uncontrollable oily discharges. Keeping your fat intake below 15 g per meal should prevent these treatment effects from occurring.
Results
The Mayo Clinic notes that the most extra weight a person can expect to lose while on Alli is three pounds; However, most studies revolving around Alli weight loss are based on of its prescription strength version orlistat (Xenical). The official Alli website states that for every 10 pounds you would normally lose with diet and exercise, you can lose an additional 5 pounds by taking Alli.
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