Diet Pills

Dieters are always looking for the next miracle diet pill. They want something that they can pop in the morning and just watch the fat melt away all day. Some diet pills promise to do just that. Others claim they will "turbo-charge" the body's metabolism to increase calories burned throughout the day. Still others claim to block certain nutrients from being absorbed, thereby reducing the chance of these excess nutrients from being stored as fat. It is important to remember that, just like any product or service, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The diet pill is nothing new. It has been around for decades. The idea of a diet pill that will allow you to lose weight without any effort (aside from remembering to take the pill) is appealing to many dieters. It is no secret that dieting is hard and requires a good deal of willpower and commitment. The diet pill offers a chance to bypass that side of the weight loss problem and quickly reach a solution. Unfortunately, it usually is not that easy. The best solution for long-term, healthy weight loss is a sensible diet and exercise routine. That is not to say that a diet pill may not help to jump start the process or support it over the long haul.

When choosing a diet pill it is important to have a few facts. First, most diet pills work on one of three concepts. They may raise the basal metabolic rate, they may block certain nutrients from being absorbed by the body, or they try to manipulate the hormonal levels in the body. The common diet pill on the market today does a combination of these processes. Each process has its therapeutic basis, and does have a positive effect on weight loss when used properly. Unfortunately, most dieters don't know the proper threshold for these, or the underlying dangers.

A diet pill that raises the metabolic rate (the rate at which the body converts calories to energy for normal body functions and repair) usually causes an increase in the body's sympathetic nervous system. This is the system that initiates the fight or flight response. Knowing this explains why the heart races, hands shake, and the mouth dries out. Some of the common ingredients in this type of diet pill include caffeine, white willow bark, guarana, MaHuang (or ephedra), and L-Carnitine. There are many others as well.

The diet pill that aims at blocking certain nutrients, such as fat or carbohydrates, is working on the assumption that one or more nutrients are responsible for fat storage. An excess of carbohydrates have been blamed for increased stores of bodyfat. So, to counter this some diet pill manufacturers found ways to block the absorption of carbohydrates. Other companies decided to attack the absorption of fat from the diet, following the logic that excess fat in the diet makes excess fat on the body. These pills can be dangerous if abused due to the lack of minerals being absorbed and the possibility of causing gastrointestinal problems from lack of absorption.

Diet pills aimed at changing hormonal balances usually try to increase insulin production, growth hormone (and IGF-1) and testosterone. These hormones are responsible for building lean body mass and indirectly influence fat storage. Increasing these hormones can have a drastic influence on overall body composition. This can also lead to serious hormone imbalances and cause serious health problems. The average diet pill does not increase the hormones to that degree and when taken within the suggested parameters are generally safe.