Are Weight Loss Supplements Safe?
By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Countless pills, powders, teas, and extreme diets claim to promote weight loss. They’re often marketed as quick fixes, promising to burn fat and cause a dramatic drop in pounds or change in clothing size.
The flashy promises of these supplements are understandably appealing to many people who would like to lose weight. However, they almost always lead to disappointment and lackluster results. In some cases, weight loss supplements may even have dangerous side effects.
Read on for more about what you should know when it comes to products that promise weight loss.
Types of Weight Loss Supplements
Some of the most common weight loss supplements include pills and powders, often made from an herb or compound but occasionally containing a drug. For example, Fen-Phen was a weight loss pill made from two drugs that suppressed appetite. It was prescribed in the ‘90s before being taken off the market due to its link to heart valve problems.
Today, there are some FDA-approved medications doctors can prescribe to help with weight loss. However, the products that most people think of as weight loss “supplements” do not include regulated drugs. Instead, they are pills, powders, or teas typically made with caffeine and some type of herb, plant, or nutrients
Popular options include green tea extract, raspberry ketones, garcinia cambogia, and apple cider vinegar. Isolated nutrients, like the mineral chromium and amino acid carnitine, are also included in many weight loss supplements. Some of the claimed mechanisms of these various supplements include increased fat burning and energy expenditure or reduced appetite. However, these claims are mostly not backed by research.
Possible Side Effects
Weight loss supplements may cause unpleasant side effects and even lead to serious lasting damage, including:
Headache
Abdominal discomfort or pain
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea or constipation
Liver or kidney damage
Supplements are also not as tightly regulated as medications in the United States. In fact, the FDA regulates them as food instead of drugs and does not pre-approve them for safety and effectiveness before they can be sold. The agency does monitor supplements after they hit the market to a certain extent, but the current regulatory system is often considered insufficient. As a result, weight loss supplements could be widely available while having possible dangerous side effects that are unknown to consumers and even manufacturers.
Extreme Diets
Extreme diets are similar to weight loss supplements in that they may have ill effects. Weight loss plans that recommend extreme calorie restriction, meal replacement with shakes, and lots of supplements, teas, or powders can be dangerous.
Following an extreme diet can cause you to feel fatigued and moody. Under the surface, it can also wreak havoc on your body. Crash diets and rapid weight loss have been linked to gallstones, loss of muscle mass, and slowed metabolism.
Instead of succumbing to the false promises and overhyped claims of weight loss supplements and extreme diets, work towards eating a nutritionally balanced diet (with the help of a diet meal delivery service if needed), engaging in regular activity, and managing stress. These tried and true techniques can still result in weight loss without possibly dangerous side effects.
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