Weight Loss Pills and Diet Supplements – Can They Help You?

Drug therapies are considered a desirable alternative to surgical treatments or other weight loss solutions whenever possible because of the cost and time savings involved. The mechanisms of drug treatment for weight loss include inhibiting appetite, increasing energy expenditure, stimulating fat movement, lowering triacylglycerol synthesis, and inhibiting fat absorption. Examples of weight-loss help blocking drugs are phenylpropanolamine (PPA), orlistat, and sibutramine. There are three main ways for the pharmaceutical treatment of overweight and they’re inhibition of absorption of nutrition in the intestine; modulation of the activities of the metabolic and central nervous system (hypothalamic) satiety and food consumption signals; and induction of energy dissipation in tissues, especially adipose tissue (thermogenesis). The drugs used to promote weight loss are anorexiants or appetite suppressants.

Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide

Diet pills, or weight loss pills, are medications (prescription) or supplements (non-prescription) used for suppressing appetite and inhibiting the absorption of nutrients in the body to shed weight. Diet pills are very appealing to guys and girls who want quick weight loss. Diet pills work by suppressing appetite, increasing body metabolism, or block absorption of nutrients. There’re many types of diet pills on the market. The drug types include amphetamines and adrenergic drugs that suppress appetite, metabolic medications which expedite the burning of calories, diuretics that help reduce blocking the body losing water fast, and laxatives that speed food through the digestive system before it is converted to fat. Nonprescription or OTC diet pills may contain caffeine, benzocaine, or fiber. Caffeine is a stimulant and diuretic. Bezocaine numbs the tongue, which reduces taste sensations and discourages eating. Numerous dietary supplements are also marketed for weight loss. Popular ingredients include chromium picolinate, chitosan, hydroxy citric acid (HCA), ephedra, green tea extract, and St. John’s wort. In addition, diet pills with fiber are designed to fill the stomach and provide a feeling of fullness. Currently, Benzocainesubstances popular appetite-suppressing compositions include substance derived from desert succulent plants of the genera Trichocaulon and Hoodia, such as Hoodia Gordonii. The OTC (over-the-counter) fiber supplements glucomannan and guar gum have been used for the purpose of inhibiting digestion and lowering caloric absorption. Although moderately effective, fiber pills can lead to dehydration; much of the lost weight is water, which is easily regained when the weight loss pills are stopped.

If weight loss diet and exercise are ineffective alone, diet pills are a choice for some patients. Pills operate through one or more mechanisms. Pills that aim at a reduction in the absorption of nutrients block the action of digestive enzymes or absorption of nutrients. An example of this type of medication is orlistat which inhibits gastric and pancreatic lipase activity. Pills by increasing in energy expenditure may be accomplished by increasing metabolic rate, for example, through changes in sympathetic nervous system tone or uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. Such drugs affect thermogenesis-metabolism and include ephedrine alone and in combination with caffeine and/or aspirin. This class of medications is not approved by the FDA for weight control. Anorectics are primarily used to suppress the appetite, but most of the drugs in this category also act as stimulants. Amphetamines acted on the brain by stimulating the release of norepinephrine and dopamine at the nerve synapses. This medication suffered from limited effectiveness and from potential side effects including nervousness, irritability, insomnia, and risk for addiction. Another b class of central nervous system active appetite control medications interferes with serotonergic systems. D-fenfluramine, for example, releases and depletes brain serotonin, but it may cause sedation at appetite suppressant levels, and it may contribute to depression upon its withdrawal. Other weight loss aids to weight loss have been proposed, such as substances that prevent the absorption of nutrients from the digestive system, but the value of such approaches is minimal, and in general, the accepted ingredients of value in weight loss act by modulating neurotransmitter function in the central nervous system or peripherally.

More recently, attention has been focused on ephedrine, which was originally thought to suppress the hunger center in the brain. Ephedrine is an amphetamine-like nervous system stimulant used as herbal medicine for centuries in China. Recently, ephedrine is a common ingredient in numerous dietary supplements. This drug stimulates the central nervous system much like adrenaline and caffeine. The effect of ephedrine on the peripheral metabolic rate is derived from actions on energy-generating tissues combined with stimulation of the release of fat from stored fat depots (adipose tissue). This effect not only increases the generation of energy but also increases the availability of substrates to be utilized for this energy generation. A valuable result of these two actions is the sparing of body protein, which in certain cases, depending on the composition of the diet, may even lead to a gain of body protein (anabolic effect). Another class of substances of value in assisting weight reduction modulates other neurotransmitters, or those involved in serotoninergic systems, and particularly 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) itself. These substances act by preventing the re-uptake of serotonin into storage granules in neurons. Levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the synaptic gap thus remain elevated for longer periods, exciting receptors on responsive cells to greater activity.

How Diet Pills Work

Various pharmaceutical compositions have been developed with the purpose of stimulating thermogenesis and thereby inducing weight loss. In general, weight loss medications used to treat or prevent obesity are directed at the adipocyte compartment of the tissue and work by either decreasing energy availability or increasing energy output. These pharmaceutical agents can be placed into three categories based on their mechanism. For example, some weight loss drugs act by mimicking the effects of endogenous neurotransmitters and are capable of directly replacing these neurotransmitters in their actions on receptors. Which, in turn, results in increased activity of the cells which possess the receptors. Where these receptors are typically responsive to the endogenous hormones adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). Adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) mediate the activities of the sympathetic nervous system, such substances are termed, direct-acting sympathomimetic agents.

Must See: 20 Popular Weight Loss Pills and Supplements Reviewed

Digestive Enzyme Supplementation

Another major class of weight control medications is a drug that promotes malabsorption of nutrients through the suppression of digestive enzymes. Acarbose is a bacterial inhibitor of amylase and brush-border glycosidases. Another similar agent is tetrahydrolipstatin which is a fungal inhibitor of lipases. These weight control agents act by preventing the digestion of carbohydrates or fats, and in this way create an effective reduction in the quantity of calories absorbed, despite continued food consumption. One drawback is that virtually complete inhibition of the respective enzymes must be maintained throughout the digestive period, a situation that can be rarely achieved.

FDA Approved Weight Loss Drugs

Weight loss drugs approved by the FDA for long-term use may be effective as an adjunct to weight loss diet and physical activity for obese patients. Orlistat and Sibutramine are two Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved anti-obesity drugs. Orlistat works by inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity in the small intestine. Pancreatic lipase breaks down triglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides which are subsequently absorbed into the body. Thus inhibition of lipase activity may effectively reducenumber reduce fat absorption from food. Sibutramine is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and reduces body weight by suppressing appetite. FDA has approved it for the treatment of obesity for up to 2 years.

There are several prescription medications that have been approved by the FDA for weight loss. Prescription drugs are designed to be used in conjunction with diet and exercise to maximize the amount of weight lossshort-term in a certain period of time. Most of these types of drugs have been approved only for short term use. The two exceptions are Meridia and Xenical. They have been approved for long-term use in obese people who would medically benefit from weight loss.

The other FDA-approved weight loss drugs are Tenuate, Sanorex, Mazanor, Bontil, Plegine, Prelu-2, X-Trozine, Adipex-P, Fastin, Ionamin, and Oby-Trim. All of these drugs with the exception of Xenical work as an appetite suppressant or increase the feeling of fullness in the person taking it. These medications increase serotonin or catecholamine which are two chemicals in the brain which affect both mood and appetite.

Some of the drawbacks of taking the medications that are appetite suppressants are the possibility of dependence or addiction and developing a tolerance to the drug. Some of the milder side effects are anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and feelings of euphoria. The most serious side effect that has been noted is the increased risk for pulmonary hypertension. People that have had a history of heart disease, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, or stroke should not take these medications.

Xenical is the only drug of its type that is FDA approved for weight loss. It works as a lipase inhibitor. This decreases the body’s ability to digest and metabolize fats that are ingested. Fats are then excreted by the body in the stools. As stated above it is one of two FDA approved drugs for long-term weight loss use.

Xenical, however, is not without side effects and restrictions. First,number when taking Xenical, a person should reduce the amount of fats in the diet to less than 30% of their daily intake of food. If the person consumes more than 30% of their daily intake of FDA-approved fats, they can have some side effects such as the increased amount of stools, urgent stools, increased flatulence, oily stools as well as oily staining on clothing.

Xenical should not be taken by people who have diabetes that requires medication, as well as those who are taking blood thinners such as Coumadin, anyone that has had an organ transplant in the past or is presently taking Cyclosporine. People that have issues or problems with digesting and absorbing nutrients from food should be screened very carefully before taking this drug. Since this drug does inhibit the absorption of nutrients a multivitamin should be taken by the person as well however not within 2 hours of taking Xenical.

Please note that these drugs are not for just anyone wanting to lose weight. They are designed for people who are markedly obese and who have tried other methods of weight loss in the past but have been unsuccessful. The person who is considering taking drugs such as these should be in the care of a medical professional and receive ongoing care and observation to prevent any serious issues with these drugs.

Phentermine Monotherapy

Phentermine has been used as an oral monotherapy for weight loss since about 1970. Phentermine monotherapy can increase weight loss when used in combination with diet and exercise, as compared to diet and exercise alone. Phentermine acts on the cerebral appetite center to reduce appetite and is effective for about two weeks, but then quickly loses effect. Phentermine is not approved by the FDA. for use beyond six weeks for this reason. Moreover, phentermine monotherapy is associated with side effects, including nervousness, insomnia, and constipation. People have also taken prescription stimulants and thyroid medications. These can only be used temporarily and have many side effects. Thermogenic drugs are also sometimes used for promoting weight loss. The catecholamine medications have some thermogenic activity, in addition to their suppression of appetite.

How to Choose a Supplement for Weight Loss

Drug therapy for weight reduction has undergone radical changes over the past decades. Various weight loss drugs have been used to treat obesity, but all have been inadequate because they are either dangerous, ineffective, or quickly lose their effect. Currently, no single drug regimen has been reported as superior in either promoting or sustaining weight loss. Pharmaceutical compositions designed for weight loss and fat loss, more or less, carry considerable side effects. In the face of the increasing need for physical slimness and the high prevalence of obesity and overweight, there is a need for new pharmaceutical solutions and compositions to promote and maintain weight loss with long-term effects and free of serious complications.

Side Effects of Weight Loss Supplements (Diet Pills)

Pharmaceutical treatments for obesity have been developed but their use has limitations. Weight loss pills aren’t subject to the same regulations as prescription drugs or other over-the-counter medications, so they can be sold even if their effectiveness is extremely limited. Weight loss pills usually carry a potential for abuse, and in this case, abuse could carry potentially serious side effects. In addition, many pills have side effects such as constipation, bloating, insomnia, diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, vomiting, heart palpitations, weight loss, and stroke. Even some deaths have been attributed to the use of diet pills. Amphetamine drugs, for example, are extremely dangerous to human health, since they can cause high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and strokes. In 1999 the FDA removed fenfluramine from the market. The effectiveness of weight loss pills is uncertain. Some researches demonstrate that such pills are effective in short-term habit-forming weight loss but few can lead to long-term weight loss. In addition to adverse side effects, current weight loss pills may be habit forming, as exemplified by drugs containing amphetamines, and the initial weight-reducing effect of many drugs wears off over time, requiring increased dosages to maintain weight reduction. When people stop taking diet pills, their intake of calories increases because the anorectic effects of the pills are no longer controlling cravings. They’re no safe weight loss pills, whether they’re OTC pills or those prescribed by a physician. The only way to safely lose weight is to eat less, especially less fat, and to exercise more. More health care professionals agree that weight loss pills need to be combined with a healthy diet plan and exercise program.