Diet Supplements To Lose Weight

If you're overweight, losing excess pounds can reduce your chances of developing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. With that in mind, you may be tempted to take diet supplements to lose weight as quickly as you can. However, weight loss supplements aren't a "magic bullet" and some may even increase your risk of other health problems.

Regulations

Most weight loss dietary supplements haven't been proved effective and some may be dangerous, according to the Mayo Clinic. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, isn't responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of a dietary supplement before the supplement is sold; supplement manufacturers are responsible for carrying out the necessary steps to make sure that their supplements are safe. However, the FDA monitors a supplement's safety once it is on the market. If the FDA can show that a supplement is unsafe, it can restrict or remove a product from the marketplace. This has been the case with supplements such as Ephedra.

Purported Function

Over-the-counter diet pills purport to aid in weight loss in three primary ways: helping the body break down fat, suppressing the appetite and reducing the body's ability to absorb fat during digestion, according to Health Services at Columbia University. Some weight loss supplements work in more than one way to target weight loss from multiple angles.

Potential Side Effects

Potential side effects associated with a weight loss supplement depends on the active ingredient. As examples: supplements containing chitosan may cause intestinal issues such as bloating, gas and diarrhea; supplements containing guarana may cause heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia and headaches; supplements containing conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, may increase risk factors for cardiovascular disease; and supplements containing a form of chromium known as chromium picolinate may cause memory loss, anemia and DNA damage, according to the Colorado State University Extension.

Warning

Because the efficacy and safety of the popular dietary supplement chromium are uncertain and the supplements guar gum and chitosan appear to be ineffective, the American Academy of Family Physicians discourages using them for weight loss. Conflicting or insufficient evidence regarding the supplements ginsing, green tea, pyruvate, St. John's wort, glucomannan, conjugated linoleic acid, hydroxycitric acid, L-cartinine and psyllium leads the American Academy of Family Physicians to encourage physicians to caution and closely monitor patients who wish to take these supplements.

Considerations

Be wary of supplements that claim to have been "proven in clinical trials," recommends Health Services at Columbia University. Said "clinical trials" might not have involved humans and they may have done tests using amounts of the supplement that aren't actually available for sale, according to Health Services at Columbia University. Talk to your doctor before you use a weight loss supplement, particularly if you are currently taking any prescription medications or if you have any health problems, recommends the Mayo Clinic. The ingredients in the supplement may potentially worsen pre-existing conditions or interact negatively with what you already take.