Metabo-Drene diet pills boast that they contain no ephedra, the powerful stimulant banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after heart attacks and strokes were linked to the Asian herb. But this doesn't mean the weight loss supplement is safe. Serious health problems, including at least one death, can be connected with the active properties in Metabo-Drene.
Guarana
Metabo-Drene diet pills do not come with a food plan or dieting advice but contain four ingredients intended to help you lose weight with a diet of your own. One of them is guarana, a caffeine-like stimulant found in Brazilian soft drinks. Metabo-Drene diet pills contain 909 mg of guarana extract. Guarana grows wild in the Amazon and was used by the Maues Indians to relieve hunger when they went on long hunts. Guarana's ability to provide energy and reduce hunger pangs is well-established, but its widespread reputation in South America as an aphrodisiac is without merit, according to Varro Tyler, former dean of Purdue University's pharmaceutical department.
Garcinia Cambogia
Metabo-Drene diet pills contain 500 mg of Garcinia cambogia, an extract of the bitter mangosteen fruit. The hydroxycitric acid in mangosteen is supposed to inhibit your body from producing fat. But studies involving humans remain inconclusive, according to Dónal O. Mathúna, who holds a PhD in pharmacy and lectures at Dublin City University. He says people using garcinia cambogia have lost weight, but the standards in the clinical trials were sub-par. It is impossible to tell from analysis of the studies whether HCA or other factors should be credited with test results.
Chromium
The 200 mcg of chromium in Metabo-Drene diet pills affects the way your body handles insulin and metabolizes the store of fat, carbohydrates and protein in your body. Adult women get adequate calcium from foods such as broccoli, garlic, red wine and mashed potatoes, while men get more than they need from dietary sources, according to the National Institutes of Health. The NIH reviewed 24 studies about the use of chromium for weight loss and found that the mineral had little or no effect in reducing body mass or composition. Although a few studies linked chromium to weight loss, researchers conducting the studies did not adequately rule out other factors such as food intake, the NIH found.
L-phenylalanine
Metabo-Drene diet pills contain 250 mg of L-phenylalanine, an amino acid that affects mood. If you don't get enough phenylalanine, you may suffer from confusion, lack of energy, depression, memory problems and poor appetite, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. L-phenylalanine can be found naturally in protein sources such as beef, poultry, chicken, eggs, milk and yogurt. The energy-boosting and mood-enhancing properties of L-phenylalanine may help you stick with a weight loss plan.
Side Effects
The HCA in Metabo-Drene diet pills has been blamed for causing serious liver damage, including death. One manufacturer of diet pills containing HCA removed 14 of its products from its shelves after the FDA issued a warning out the dangers of HCA. Lesser but still serious side effects of the HCA in Garcinia cambogia extract include damage to neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, according to The Globe and Mail. Chromium appears to be safe to take as a supplement. Some medications, including antacids, insulin, corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs may increase or decrease your body's ability to absorb chromium. Side effects of guarana are similar to those of caffeine --- jitters, nervousness, difficulty sleeping. If you are pregnant, you should consult a physician before taking guarana as caffeine in coffee, tea and soft drinks has been linked to lower birth weights, according to the British Medical Journal. Taking more than 5,000 mg of L- phenylalanine could cause nerve damage, and taking it in any amount could adversely interact with some medications, especially a type of anti-depressants known as Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or MAOIs.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Ephedra
- "The Globe and Mail"; Diet Supplement Linked to Liver Damage, Death; The Canadian Press and The Associated Press; May 2 2009
- "The Irish Times"; Uncertainty Over Garcinia's Weight-Loss Claims; Donal O'Mathuna; Sept. 29 2009
- National Institutes of Health: Chromium
- "The Globe and Mail"; Brazilians Disbelieve Scientists, Insist Soft Drink's an Aphrodisiac; Matt Moffett and Nikhil Deogun; July 14 1999
- BMJ.com: Maternal Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy and Risk of Fetal Growth Restriction; a Large Prospective Observational Study
