WHY ARE WEIGHT LOSS PILLS DANGEROUS?

Many diet supplements are harmless, and some may even be effective at creating a sense of fullness, burning fat, or boosting your metabolism. But some of the popular ingredients in weight loss products have been banned by the FDA because of harmful side effects like these:

  • Increased heart rate
  • High blood pressure
  • Agitation
  • Diarrhea
  • Sleeplessness
  • Kidney problems
  • Liver damage
  • Rectal bleeding

Ephedra – Banned

Once widely sold as an ingredient in diet supplements, the Chinese herbal stimulant ephedra was banned in 2004 because of evidence that its use could increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. In 2005, a lower court ruled that ephedra could be used in small doses. In 2006, a federal appeals court reinstated the FDA’s original ban, ruling that ephedra was too dangerous to be used as a supplement at any dose. You can read Leptoconnect Review that FDA approved.

Hydroxycut – Recalled and Banned

Some weight loss products can cause severe damage to your kidneys, liver, and other vital organs. Hydroxycut products were banned and recalled in 2009 because of reports of serious adverse reactions, including hepatitis and jaundice. One person who took these fat-burning supplements died; another required a liver transplant.

Fen-Phen – Recalled

Fenfluramine, one of the two active ingredients in the off-label diet drug Fen-Phen, was recalled in the late 1990s after the drug was linked to cases of heart damage and lung disease. Phentermine, the other primary ingredient in Fen-Phen, is still prescribed in certain cases for weight loss, but should be used only with a doctor’s prescription.

Meridia – Withdrawn from the Market

Sibutramine, a prescription drug sold as Meridia, was withdrawn from the market in 2010 after a clinical study indicated that the drug could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TAKING?

One of the biggest risks of taking over-the-counter diet supplements is that you can’t always be certain about the ingredients that a product contains. Because the FDA does not test all weight loss products for safety, there’s no guarantee that each ingredient in every supplement is safe. The FDA maintains a list of tainted weight-loss products so consumers can be aware of ones they should stay away from. Because the manufacturers did not list these ingredients on their product labels, consumers would have no way of knowing that they were ingesting products like these:

  • Sibutramine: a weight-loss drug withdrawn because of its association with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke
  • Rimonabant: an appetite suppressant not approved for use in the US
  • Phenytoin: an anti-seizure drug
  • Phenolphthalein: an experimental drug that may cause cancer

The FDA issued a warning to consumers not to purchase supplements in its list of tainted products; however, this agency can’t test every new product on the market. The best way to ensure your safety is to consult a healthcare professional before you take any weight loss supplement.