Are Diet Pills Safe

Diet pills are increasingly getting popular as a method to lose weight and so are their side effects. Easily available in drugstores, grocery stores, health food stores, convenient stores, pharmacies and on the internet, people presume that these magic pills are the solution to all their weight problems. However, these pills are not without their fair share of side effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that several diet pills contain ingredients such as bitter orange, the herb kava and usnic acid that are known to adversely affect a human being. No weight loss supplement or diet pill is considered to be perfectly safe and should be avoided altogether. To lose weight successfully and ensure a healthy body, the best option is to make lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, dietary changes and regular check-ups. Fad diets and diet pills have more pros, than the cons. Read on further to know some of the major warnings against consuming diet pills and see for yourself, whether they are safe or not.

Health Risks Of Diet Pills

Many diet pills contain bitter orange, also known as citrus naringin, which increases heart rate and constricts blood vessels. Combining them with caffeine can even heighten these effects.
Bitter orange is also linked with high blood pressure and dangerous heart arrhythmias.
Studies say that the usnic acid present in some diet pills can cause acute liver toxicity and even death. The pills containing the herb kava are also associated with liver toxicity.
Most of the diet pills contain the compound ephedrine and are sold as “thermo”, “lean” or “fat burner”. Products containing ephedrine result in a number of illnesses, such as seizures, heart attacks, strokes, depression, nervousness, insomnia, rapid heart rate and even death. This compound dilates the bronchial muscles, contacts the nasal mucosa and raises blood pressure.
Although there are companies that offer ephedrine-free pills, they can still produce some of the same side effects, like increased heart rate, dizziness, high blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, dry mouth and diarrhea.
There are diet pills that suppress the appetite, thus resulting in consumption of fewer calories. Intake of less calories means that your metabolism rate reduces, which in turn reduces your weight loss rate.
Diet pills that are sold as fat blockers have various side effects, which include oily spotting, anal leakage, intestinal cramping, gas with discharge, nausea, diarrhea, oily discharge, fecal urgency, loose and oily stools, fecal incontinence, frequent bowel movements, and inability to control bowels.
Carb-blocker pills that claim to reduce 30 to 45 grams of carbohydrates entering your body also have some short-term side effects, like gastrointestinal distress, heartburn, excessive gas and diarrhea.

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