There is a new form of substance abuse spreading like wildfire. It’s one that usually goes unrecognized because it seems so innocent and benign. It’s also perfectly legal, because you can buy these substances over the counter. They are legally sold dietary supplements — vitamins, minerals, herbs and homeopathic remedies.

The hazards of ephedra garnered a lot of publicity when this one-time weight-loss aid was found to be deadly. Shortly after the ephedra fall out, cold and sinus medications containing pseudo ephedrine were moved from the generally accessible store aisles to the pharmacy and now require a signature for purchase. But, there are many other popular supplements which can be harmful — especially when taken in large doses or in combination with another substance or prescription drug.

Other issues can arise if you have hidden health problems, or if you fail to report the substances you are taking to your doctor. For example, green tea, grapeseed, ginkgo biloba turmeric, salmon oil and vitamin E, all have properties which prevent or inhibit blood clotting, which can lead to excessive bleeding.

In an article earlier today, the New York Times described a new federal law that requires supplement manufacturers to report serious adverse effects to the Food and Drug Administration, but it depends on consumers to call in reactions. The article goes on to say that most consumers are unlikely to relate health problems to a supplement they assume to be safe. Even if they do, they may be reluctant to report an adverse effect from a self-medicated substance.

A 2002 Harris poll found that 70 percent of adults in the United States take vitamins, minerals, herbs or other supplements. And the use of supplements is on the rise. Most people believe that they can make you feel better, give you energy, improve health and prevent and treat disease.

It’s important to remember that while some supplements are beneficial, they are not risk free and can be dangerous when taken in large amounts or the wrong combinations. Just because a small amount is good, doesn’t mean that more is better. In fact, some studies have shown the opposite to be true.

The bottom line: Exercise, eating healthy foods, watching your caloric intake and shifting calories is still the best way to release excess weight and keep it off. Be sure to check with your doctor before adding over the counter diet supplements to your regimen, and remember, more is not necessarily better.

We’ve all seen the commercials on television and viewed magazine
ads that show best weight loss pills that do wonders for your diet. They
claim that all you need to do is take these pills and overnight,
the weight will start falling off.

You don’t have to watch what you eat or do any exercising, just
take the pills. If you’re looking for a weight loss plan and are
interested in trying some of these weight loss pills in your
program, read through the following commonly asked questions first
before making a decision to go for it or not.

Do they work? The ads for these weight loss pills claim that you
can lose mega amounts of weight, but if you look closely at the ad,
you’ll see the fine print, where it says, “Results not typical.”
That means that even though the girl shown in the ad lost 100
pounds, most people don’t have the same kind of success.

If they don’t work like they claim, why are they so popular? The
answer lies - not in the scientific testing of the product - but
rather in the fact that it’s considered a convenience. Just the
idea that you could lose lots of weight in a short period of time
by taking a pill is enough to keep consumers who want to lose
weight desperately clinging to hope. Their temptation of the
product is fueled even more when they start taking the pills and
see they’ve lost a couple of pounds.

How are they supposed to work? Most contain ingredients such as
Guar Gum and psyllium, which are said to give you that “full”
feeling, so you won’t be tempted to overeat. They also contain
caffeine and guarana, which is supposed to help increase your
metabolism.

But the wonder ingredient appears to be the chitosan. It works by
helping to block the absorption of the fat we consume. Couple this
with the fullness feeling and the increased metabolism and you have
yourself an awe-inspiring product.

Are they safe to our health? Since the removal of the harmful
versions of the ingredient ephedra, these pills have not been shown
to be extremely unsafe for us. But it is recommended that you don’t
take these pills with certain other medications or while you’re
pregnant because the side effects could be harmful.

It’s important to remember that these pills should never replace a
healthy weight loss plan. You’ll still need to eat a healthy diet
and exercise regularly, even though some of these products claim
you won’t need to.  They might be safely added to your weight loss
program as long as you take every precaution and check with your
physician to be sure it’s safe for you to take.

-Rachel
http://www.yayFOOD.com