When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned ephedra weight loss supplements, marketers swiftly stepped in with something to take their place. Bitter orange exhibits similar chemical properties as ephedra, according to MayoClinic.Com. The active ingredients in the bitter orange appetite suppressant are precisely what makes it so dangerous to your health.
Background
The rind and leaves of the bitter orange have a longstanding application in many parts of the world. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM, and University of Michigan Health System, or UMHS, bitter orange has been used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as by natives living in the South American Amazon rainforest and Mexico and the Basques in Europe. Bitter orange has traditionally been used for many disparate complaints, including insomnia, indigestion, stomach ache, high blood pressure, constipation and diarrhea. Modern uses of bitter orange supplements are for heartburn, congestion, a flagging appetite and, conversely, weight loss.
Active Ingredients
Most of the constituents that give bitter orange medicinal properties are found in the peel, which is used to make herbal weight loss supplements. The active appetite suppressant ingredients are two alkaloids, synephrine and octopamine. According to NCCAM, synephrine is the chemical in bitter orange that's most like the principal chemical in ephedra, a compound called ephedrine that has amphetamine-like qualities. Ephedra was banned by the FDA in April 2004.
Beware
NCCAM, UMHS and MayoClinic.Com agree: Taking bitter orange as an appetite suppressant is risky to your health. The active ingredients in these supplements can elevate your blood pressure and cause your heart to speed up. Healthy individuals who have used these supplements, alone or with caffeine, have experienced heart attack and stroke. It's best to avoid using bitter orange appetite suppressants as a part of your weight loss plan.
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