The Different Types of Diet Pills

Diet pills come in two different classes; namely, Over-the-Counter Diet Pills and Prescription Diet Pills. Then these are broken down into sub-categories. Examples are: diuretics, pills for women, natural pills, carb-blockers, Brazilian pills, appetite suppressants, stimulant-free, night-time or PM pills, hoodia pills, fat-blockers, ephedra pills, and fat-burners.

Your physical health, diet, and lifestyle, and your individual make up determine the type of diet pill that is best for you. Some diet pills are better than others in each category.

Diuretics Diet Pills

Diuretic diet pills increase, sometimes dramatically, the expulsion of water and salt or potassium in the body. Diuretic diet pills are also known as Water Pills and they contain substances that help the body to eliminate excess fluids.

Potassium-sparing, thiazide, and loop are the three kinds of diuretics that are known. Different parts of the kidneys are affected by these three diuretics, and each has its own side effects, precautions, and uses. Your choice of either of these diuretics depends on the condition that you are treating and your health.

Potassium-sparing diuretics include Eplerenone or Inspra and Spironolactone or Aldactone. Loop diuretics contain Bumetanide or Bumex and Furosemide or Lasix. The contents of Thiazide diuretics are Metolazone or Zaroxolyn and Hydrochlorothiazide.

There are times that one pill may contain different kinds of diuretics.

Some of the popular ingredients that are found in diuretic pills are:

Uva Ursi

In the treatment of urinary tract infection and as a mild diuretic and astringent, the leaves of the Uva Ursi shrub have been used as a herbal folk medicine for centuries.

Buchu Leaves:

These leaves contain diosphenol or as they are also called, camphor; they also contain additional chemicals that may irritate the bladder and cause a release of urine and are part of the falvonoid class of drugs. It is reported that Buchu leaves have slight diuretic properties that may cause the body to produce more urine than usual.

Caffeine

Because of its diuretic effect, caffeine increases urination as the body loses water.

Taraxacum or Dandelion

As a richer source of Vitamin A than carrots, dandelion leaves contain some amounts of Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D. Taraxacum or Dandelion as it is also called is a source or phosphorous, potassium, iron, sodium, and calcium. The leaves of this plant offer all the advantages of a balanced diuretic in natural form and are a great source of natural potassium.

Juniper Berry

Juniper berry is well known for its ability to increase the flow of urine to aid in the treatment of kidney stones and urinary tract infections. Although it may not be sufficient for therapeutic use, the diuretic action of the juniper berry tends to lowers blood pressure. This berry is widely used in most household as seasoning and has a diuretic effect as it flushes excess water from the body.

During diets and fitness programs, diuretic diet pills can potentially harm your health as the ingredients don’t specify what kind of diuretic is used and can reduce potassium, water, and salts in the body excessively. Diuretics can also interact negatively with other medications and have negative effects on the kidneys. As a diet pill, diuretics may cause harmful side effects.

Diet Pills for Women

Beauty, as oppose to weight loss is the main focus of diet pills for women that marketing employ. These pills were developed exclusively for women. Many of these diet pills are sold as part of a beauty regime which include at times multi-vitamins and lotions.

Non-prescription diet pills that are marketed as Diet Pills for Women do not contain ingredients like hormones that would cause any changes in their gender.

The ingredients in diet pills for women are similar to those that are found in non-gender specific pills. Diet Pills for Women can be of a variety that range from fat-burning to herbal.

Natural Diet Pills

These pills do not specify their content. Natural diet pills are such a vast term that only describes diet pills that range from stimulated-based to herbal. Because most ingredients in over-the-counter diet pills are actually made from plant ingredients, the term natural is widely used in the non-prescription diet pills market. Well-known stimulants like Ephedra, which was banned from the U.S. market, caffeine, and illegal drugs like Opium and Cocaine by definition, are also considered as natural.

Non-pharmaceutical herbal dietary supplements are often referred to as Natural Diet Pills. What exactly are Natural Diet Pills? The terms ‘all natural’ is often seen on the labels of herbal supplements, so they are considered by the Food and Drug Administration as food products instead of drugs. These supplements are regulated differently from over-the-counter drugs and fall under the category of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Popular ingredients in Natural Diet Pills

Pectin

Pears, bananas, apples, and several other fruits contain pectin, which is a natural soluble fiber. The effect that pectin has on the appetite and digestive system of each individual differs.

Guar Gum

Guar gum is a fiber that affects satiety just as pectin does, however, guar gum may cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels and gastrointestinal disorders. It is a dietary fiber native of the Indian cluster bean and is used to thicken foods.

Fenugreek Seeds

These seeds tend to lower blood glucose levels and may cause gastrointestinal disorders in individuals. Fenugreek seeds are 40% soluble fiber that promote feelings of fullness.

Chitosan

Chitosan is an offshoot of chitin and is a substance that is found in shells and sea creatures like lobsters, crabs, and shrimp. Because it cannot be digested, it passes through your body without accumulating calories. Since its chemical nature is to bind with fatty foods, it is supposed to reduce fat absorption by removing some of the fat from the body. Nevertheless, clinical studies show that it is not more effective in weight than placebo. Studies done by HealthWatch, an independent watch-dog group, claim that was no measurable increase in the amount of fat excreted from the body after taking this product. The use of Chitosan may be dangerous because it inhibits the body’s ability to absorb certain phyto-chemicals that are found in fruits and vegetables and certain nutrients like the fat-soluble Vitamin A and Vitamin D.

Bladderwrack

Bladderwrack should be avoided if it is known that there is no deficiency in iodine. Bladderwrack is a type of seaweed that contains high amounts of iodine, which may stimulate the thyroid.

White Willow Bark

White willow bark has not been proven effective for weight loss. It is a herb that contains the active ingredient in aspirin and may work to alleviate headaches.

Chromium

As a weight loss supplement, studies show that chromium is still not proven to be effective, even though some practitioners advocate it as part of a whole weight loss program. If it is taken in conjunction with a change in diet and added exercise, it may help you to lose weight, but as a stand-alone you may not lose weight. Chromium or GFT, Chromium/Chromium Picolinate, as it is also called, is a trace mineral that helps to control the appetite by stabilizing blood sugar levels and help to reduce sugar cravings. To avoid kidney damage it is highly recommended that you follow the proper dosage.

Dietary Fiber

Besides making you feel full so that you eat less, dietary fiber is effective in detoxifying the body by means of eliminating unwanted waste.

St. John’s Wort

Studies indicate that St. John’s Wort has not been proven effective for weight loss but can actually cause danger to your system. It is chiefly used for depression. It is highly recommended that you avoid medications like Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft, and foods that contain tyramine like aged meats, cheese and wine if you take St. John’s Wort.

Glucomannan

The glucomannan promotes the feeling of fullness by absorbing a large amount of water. It is a derivative of the konjac root.

Guggul or Guggulsterones

The guggul plant is native to India and is a resin that is produced by the stem of the commiphora mukul tree, which is a very small thorny plant. Clinical studies indicate that guggul is known to increase the production of thyroid hormone, which is linked to the cells’ breakdown of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. It is believed that this herb is effective in promoting weight loss. More research is still needed, however to support the effects of guggul as a weight loss supplement.

Carb Blockers Diet Pills

As the name denotes, carb blockers diet pills block or prevent carbohydrates from metabolizing into fat. However, the research team nor the medical entity have not done any clinical studies to proven that the effective results of carb blockers are long term. On the other hand, those in the market have focused mainly on short-term results, thus giving the impression of unreliable information.

An extract from the northern white kidney bean, phaselous vulgaris is an important ingredient in carb blockers. This extract impedes the enzyme in the body called alpha-amylase fro m breaking down the carbohydrates into glucose. Most carb blocker products also contain Alpha Lipoic Acid or Chromium Picolinate to regulate insulin and reduce sugar cravings. Instead of carbohydrates being broken down and turning into fat, the carbohydrates are excreted from the body before they can enter into the bloodstream.

The principal ingredient in Carb Blockers is Phaselous vulgaris or white kidney bean extract. Some carb blockers diet pills do not contain Phaselous vulgaris and may not effectively block carbs in the body.

It is recommended that Carb Blocker diet pills be taken during a meal or just before eating so that they will bloc the absorption of the carbohydrates in the food. According to the manufacturers up to 50 grams of carbohydrates can be blocked with each 1000mg of Phaseolus Vulgaris Extract.

It is not certain nor has it been proven that carb blocker diet pills are safe. The developers of Carb Blockers claim that the diet pills can reduce about 30 and 45 grams of carbohydrates from entering into the body. No reliable long-term clinical research has been done concerning carb blockers to support the developer’s claims; in addition, the Food and Drug Administration has not regulated this supplement industry.

Brazilian Diet Pills

The Brazilian Diet Pill is also known by other names, such as Herbathin and Emagrece Slim Dietary supplement, which are sold online and over-the-counter. According to the Food and Drug Administration, some Brazilian diet pills may contain the following ingredients:

	Fenproporex is a stimulant that is converted to amphetamine in the body, but is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
	Chlordiazepoxide HCL is an active ingredient in Librium.
	Flouxetine HCL is an active ingredient in Prozac.

Brazilian diet pills were sold abundantly online and were at one time a large part of the weight loss market. The downfall to the Brazilian herbal diet pills was that traces of amphetamines and other controlled substances were found within the pills.

Because of the possible negative effects and traces of amphetamine found in the Brazilian diet pills, it is recommended that patients consult your physician or your health care provider before taking the Brazilian Diet Pills

Appetite Suppressants Diet Pills

Appetite Suppressant Diet Pills are very effective since they help to reduce discomfort of hunger feelings that interfere with dieting. They are the most popular kind of weight loss pills.

Since the 1950s, with the approval of phentermine by the Food and Drug Administration, appetite suppressant diet pills have become popular. The pills decrease appetite by affecting certain neurotransmitters and by stimulating the hypothalamus gland. In this way the body is tricked into thinking that it is not hungry so that hunger cramps are reduced.

Other appetite suppressants drugs that work by increasing blood pressure and heart rate are knows as the so-called stimulant-based appetite suppressants. Because of the caffeine, you might notice that a cup of coffee helps to control your appetite. The appetite suppressant diet pills have the same functions. Stimulant-based diet pills should never be used on a long-term basis, but should be used in moderation.

Popular ingredients of appetite suppressant diet pills

	CitriMax or Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is derived from the rind of the Indian Garcinia Cambogia fruit. As a popular supplement it has become a standard ingredient in many popular weight loss products. Clinical research done on animals indicates that HCA/Citrimax displayed an amazing ability to block the conversion of carbohydrates into fat by blocking an enzyme known as ATP-Citrate Lyase. Likewise, it also seemed to control the appetite.
	Caffeine often times act as an appetite suppressant. Nevertheless, clinical research indicate that although some people may eat less after consuming caffeine, the effects of appetite suppressant is quite brief; therefore it is not significant enough to show signs of weight loss.
	Green Tea Extract supplements contain a compound called Epigallo Catechin Gallate or EGCG.
	Garcinia cambogia seemed to reduce the appetite by increasing the amount of serotonin in the body with the help of hydroxycitric acid or HCA, which is a major ingredient in Garcinia cambogia.
	Hoodia Gordonii is an African plant that is used to repress thirst and hunger during long hunting trips. For thousands of years the succulent stems of this plant was consumed by African tribesmen.

Stimulant-Free Diet Pills

The name describes it perfectly. Stimulant-free diet pills are weight loss pills that don’t contain any type of stimulants like ephedra or caffeine. These kinds of pills are good for people who want to avoid feeling jittery and are sensitive to stimulants.

These stimulants boost activity in the brain by increasing attention, energy that is affected by an increase in the heart rate and respiration and elevated blood pressure, and alertness. In past times stimulants were used to treat a number of illnesses like respiratory problems and asthma, neurological disorders, and obesity.

Today, stimulant-based appetite suppressants raise the blood pressure and increase the heart rate. An example of this is the same way in which the caffeine in the coffee helps to contain your appetite. They are also used to suppress or control the appetite as a short-terms remedy to treat obesity.

Listed below are familiar stimulants contained in diet pills:

	Green Tea: Another name for Green Tea is Camellia Sinensis.
	Bitter Orange: The active ingredient in Bitter Orange is synephrine and is quite similar to ephedrine.
	Kola Nut: Kola Nut is contains caffeine and is the active ingredient in Coca cola. It is the seed of a large African tree that is used to make caffeine.
	Yerba Mate: No clinical study has been conducted to show that Yerba Mate enhances weight loss, but it has been proven to cause side effects that are associated with stimulants like insomnia and high blood pressure. The Yerba Mate is also known as Paraguay tea and is a strong nervous system stimulant that imitates caffeine.
	Caffeine: Caffeine is found in the beans and leaves of yerba mate, in guarana berries, in small quantities in cocoa, in the Yaupon Holly, in kola nut, in tea, and in the coffee plant. Because it is found in guarana, it is also called guaranine. It is also called theine when it’s found in tea or mateine when it is found in mate. These terms however are not considered valid chemical names.
	Guarana: Native to Brazil, guarana is made from the seeds of a plant that is a strong stimulant that has a high amount of caffeine. Insomnia, dizziness, anxiousness, and nausea are some of the side effects of guarana that people may experience.
	Ephedra: Ephedra and Ephedrine Alkaloids are the most common stimulants that are found in diet pills. Ephedra, or as it is also known, Ma Huang and Ephedrine Alkaloids were used by traditional Chinese herbalists to treat various respiratory illnesses. After ephedra was found to cause heart problems and other serious negative side effects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of diet pills that contained ephedra or ephedrine alkaloids.

If consumed in reasonable amounts some stimulants like caffeine can be fairly harmless. Stimulants like ephedra are potentially dangerous. Studies show that it is possible to have a severe reaction to any kind of stimulant. Some negative side effects that some people experience are mood problems, elevated blood pressure, headaches, and sleep problems. Any diet pill that claims to suppress appetite or boos energy is a stimulant.

Effectiveness and variety in quality are factors to consider when choosing stimulant-free diet pills, which can be effective for weight loss. Most important in the selection of stimulant-free diet pills is your responsibility to review the ingredients or nutritional value of these pills and to ensure that they do not contain any stimulants.

PM or Nighttime Diet Pills

There have been mixed reviews about the effectiveness of PM diet pills; although it sounds like a miracle way to lose weight, PM diet pills are especially formulated to promote weight loss while you sleep.

Ingredients in PM diet pills include the following

	Jujube is used in Korean and Chinese traditional medicine to alleviate stress. The compound called Ziziphin found in the leaves of the jujube is used to suppress the ability of humans to perceive sweet taste.. Jujube is also known as Chinese Date or Red Date.
	Melatonin is very important in regulating sleep and plays may play an essential role in maintaining circadian rhythm, which is the body’s natural time clock. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced naturally in the pineal gland at the base of the brain.
	Valerian Root helps to relax the central nervous system, it decreases levels of anxiety and stress and promotes feelings of calm and enhances sleep. Valerian has been used as a sleep aid for more than 1,000 years.
	Chamomile herb is widely used in Europe. It is used successfully in sleep disorders. Chamomile herb has been used medicinally for thousands of years as a popular treatment for numerous ailments.
	Amino Acids transform naturally into Seratonin in the brain. With the increase of Seratonin levels, consumers can experience reduced levels of hunger and mild sedative effects that help dieters to sleep. Seratonin is an essential brain chemical that reduces impulsive behavior and stabilizes your mood.
	Passion Flower is used as a natural painkiller. The dried or fresh leaves are used to make an infusion, which is a tea that is used to treat insomnia, epilepsy, and hysteria. Its medicinal name is Passiflora incarnata.
	Hops Flower is used to make hops tea, which is recommended by herbalists as a mild sedative and is a perfect remedy for insomnia, particularly for people who are suffering from insomnia as a result of upset stomach. Hops tea has the strongest historical use for soothing the stomach and promoting healthy digestion.

In theory, PM diet pills may be stimulant-free, but some pills may contain sources of caffeine such as Green Tea extract. Be sure to read the list of ingredients carefully before using PM diet pills.

Hoodia Gordonii Diet Pills

Hoodia diet pills are made from the succulent Hoodia Gordonii plant, which is found growing naturally only in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. It has been the latest trend in the diet craze. As a natural solution to weight loss Hoodia works as an appetite suppressant. When you take the pills, your brain receives a message that your stomach is full so you eat less. The instructions for taking the Hoodia diet pills is to take one capsule one half hour before breakfast and another capsule a half hour before lunch. Consumers should consult their physician before taking Hoodia diet pills if they have any heart problems or a history of high blood pressure. Hoodia diet pills are not for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and is not recommended for persons under 18 years of age.

A laboratory in South Africa finally was able to isolate the ingredient in Hoodia that suppresses the appetite. For hundreds of years the natives of South Africa had been consuming Hoodia and claim to experience appetite suppression. Phytopharm spent $20 million on research including clinical tests, after the South African laboratory patented and licensed the ingredient in Hoodia. It is still not certain if Hoodia diet pill suppresses the appetite. Several manufacturers recommend that some low impact exercises like walking be included in the diet program, and along with taking the Hoodia diet pills, plan a healthy diet regimen.

Hoodia can be bought online or in local retail stores. No prescription is needed to purchase hoodia since it is a natural supplement. The effects produced by hoodia diet pills are similar to adipex, didrex, and phentermine. Concerning weight loss and safety, no recommendations or reports have been given.

When celebrity Anna Nicole Smith reportedly lost 70 pounds by taking TrimSpa, hoodia became popular. Hoodia is an active ingredient of TrimSpa. Ever since it became popular many different types of hoodia diet pills have emerged.

Although hoodia gordonii diet pills are quite popular there have not been any tests in humans to show that hoodia pills are effective and safe. In the September 2004 issue Brain Research published one single study that showed that injections of p57 into the appetite center of rat brains resulted in modified levels of ATP, which is an energy molecule that affects hunger. P57 is the active ingredient in raw, fresh cut hoodia; dry hoodia was not used in this experiment. Those animals that received p57 injections ate less than those that received placebo injections. Since injections in the brain are quite different from oral consumption in this animal study, there is no proof to show that oral hoodia can or will suppress appetite in humans.

There are claims that most Hoodia Gordonii products contain small amounts, if any of the active ingredient that is needed to suppress hunger. Hoodia gordonii is a succulent cactus of the aloe family and is native to the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. As an endangered plant Hoodia is very rare. Only in fresh, raw pieces of the plant does it show its effectiveness. It is believed that powdered hoodia may actually increase hunger rather than suppress it. There are claims that powdered hoodia is not effective in any way. Powdered hoodia is mainly used as a cheap alternative to more expensive weight loss herbs, this being the only alternative after ephedra was banned from the market. Because of the competition with popular inexpensive diet supplements, most supplement manufacturers don’t use more expensive weight loss herbs.

Fat-Blockers Diet Pills

Unlike stimulant-based diet pills and appetite suppressants, Fat Blockers Diet Pills work on the digestive system as opposed to the central nervous system. Fat blockers like Xenical, which is a prescription pill work to prevent lipases in the digestive system from breaking down the fat you ingest and sorts it in your fat cells. About one-third of the fat you eat is harmlessly passed through your system with fat blockers diet pills.

The body has more chance to begin breaking down fat that is already stored, when you limit the amount of fat that your body stores. It is recommended that fat blockers diet pills be taken only on a short-term basis in order to avoid any negative side effects, as these pills does affect the hypothalamus.

Combined with other fiber ingredients like oat bran or psyllium, fat blockers diet pills usually contain Chitosan. Chitosan is the most important ingredient in fat blockers diet pills as it is the one that absorbs the fat. Chitosan is fiber and this means that it is not digested by the body or broken down and will only pass through the digestive tract. It is able to absorb any fat with which it come in contact as it passes through the digestive tract and expels the fat out of the body, thus no stored fat in the body.

Product manufacturers claim that Chitosan can absorb up to seven times its weight in fat, so if your meal contains 14 grams of fat you will need to take about 2000mg of Chitosan. The proper way to use a Fat Blocker product is with a meal that has saturated fat. You would need to take enough Chitosan to absorb all the fat in your meal. In order to absorb the fat you need to take the Fat Blocker just before or during a meal so that Chitosan is in the digestive tract at the same time with the fat that is in your food.

Ephedra Diet Pills or Ma Huang

This diet pill has been used in China for more than 4000 years to treat symptoms of upper respiratory infections and asthma. Also known as Ma Huang, Ephedra is a member of the herbs family known as Ephedracae. Varieties of this herb also grow in India, Afghanistan, Europe, and Australia. American ephedra is native to the dry southwest and was used as a tea by the early settlers, which at that time it was known as Squaw tea and Mormon tea. It is effective as a treatment for colds, hay fever, headaches, and fevers. Many over-the-counter allergy and cold medications contain compounds from Ephedra herb.

It has valuable antispasmodic properties that act on the air passages by relieving swelling of mucous membrane. Pseudoephedrine has less stimulating effect on the blood pressure and the heart as a nasal decongestant. Doctors use these alkaloids to treat emphysema, wheezing, shortness of breath, persistent coughs, bronchial asthma, and bronchitis. Ephedra contains two alkaloids, namely, pseudoephedrine and ephedrine. Ephedrine is the main ingredient and is a bronchodilator that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. These alkaloids also are effective in treating allergic skin reactions like hives, and treat low blood pressure, narcolepsy and rheumatism, and relieve general body pain. Ma huang is effect in helping the body to clear blocked sinuses and break down fevers.

When dieters use ephedra it stimulates the thyroid gland which in turn stimulates metabolism and ephedra also suppresses the appetite. This supplement is found in many energy and weight loss products, as it is effective in stimulating the nervous system. Ma huang has been at the center of scientific research for obesity due to its thermogenic fat-burning effect o dietary intake. Ephedra is usually combined with other tonic herbs due to its negative side effects like cardiac stimulation, increase in blood pressure, and peripheral vasoconstriction.

Without draining their reserves, athletes can get extra energy since ma huang is found in many energy drinks. Ma huang is usually mixed with ingredients like guarana which has caffeine, or kola nut as it is similar to some diet formulas. There are concerns about the potency of the ma huang herb and its isolated alkaloids that have prompted increased regulation inspection and warnings on industry labels. Now the industry must list all possible side effects and contraindication on their labels. High blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia and heart disease, nervousness, weakness, sleeplessness, and poor digestion are some of the contraindications to expect if you use this product. Pregnant or nursing mothers should avoid using Ma Huang.

The Food and Drug Administration, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the medical community in recent years have been investigating the safety of ephedra-containing dietary supplements because of the high rate of serious side effects and ephedra-related deaths. The Food and Drug Administration then banned the sale of ephedra-containing supplements on April 12, 2004 due to accumulating evidence of deaths and adverse effects related to ephedra. A suit by an ephedra manufacturer was upheld by a Federal District Court judge in Utah on April 14, 2005. The Food and Drug Administration appealed the ruling and on August 17, 2006 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Court upheld the Food and Drug Administration’s ban of ephedra. Since February 2007 it became illegal in the United States for the manufacturers or any entity to sell dietary supplements that contained ephedra and dietary supplements that contained ephedrine alkaloids.

Fat-Burners or Thermogenic Diet Pills

Fat burners are normally used by muscle builders and weight lifters who want to become very lean before a competition. Developers of Diet Pills claim that fat burners increase your metabolism, but exercise is the only safe and proven way to increase metabolism and become lean. Fat Burners Diet Pills or Thermogenic Diet Pills as it is also called, contain stimulants like caffeine or ephedrine and may also include other ingredients that can decrease fat absorption or increase muscle mass.

Since Ephedra has been banned in the U.S., most fat burners no longer contain ingredients like Ma Huang and other ephedra alkaloids. Supplements that don’t contain Guarana or Ma Huang usually contain ingredients such as Choline, L-Carmitine, and Chromium Picolinate. And other ingredients that help the body to use body fat more efficiently as a source of fuel for energy. When you increase your body’s demand for fuel by exercising, these kinds of weight loss supplements work best.

During the previous decades, the most successful over-the-county diet pills contained a combination of ephedrine, which is banned in the U.S., aspirin, and caffeine. This potent fat burner diet pill combination is called ECA Stack or Ephedrine Caffeine, Aspirin.

Below are familiar ingredients that are found in thermogenic diet pills:

	Vanadyl Sulfate is derived from the mineral vanadium and acts like the hormone insulin by lowering blood sugar in some sea-dwelling animals. Due to this type of effect vanadyl sulfate is added to diet pills with the aim of helping to regulate blood sugar levels, but there is still no clinical evidence that this procedure is effective. Before using products that contain vanadyl sulfate due to its blood sugar lowering effect, it is recommended that diabetics consult their physician.
	Bitter Orange or Citrus aurantium is a popular ingredient is most weight loss supplements that are ephedra free. Synephrine is another name for Bitter Orange. Synephrine is chemically similar to ephedra. There is clinical evidence that synephrine can raise the heart rate and blood pressure.
	Garcinia Cambogia has some preliminary but controversial evidence that indicate that it may decrease food intake in overweight people. More research is needed to confirm these findings but clinical studies show positive results with 300mg a day taken for several weeks. By promoting the burning of stored fat over carbohyrates, other evidence suggests that this supplement could help long duration aerobic exercise. Another name for Garcinia cambogia is HCA which means hydroxy citric acid.
	Calcium may help some people to lose weight; nevertheless, all the recent studies that indicate weight loss effect used dairy products like yogurt and milk that already contain calcium. Weight loss supplements are beginning to include calcium in their list of ingredients.
	Green Tea is normally listed as the compound EGCG in supplements which means Epigallo Catechin Gallate. There are still clinical studies ongoing concerning the exact amount of green tea that may help weight loss, and consumers need to be aware that green tea is actually a combination of hundred of different compounds along with caffeine, as it has a mild effect on fat that is burned.
	Ephedra has clinical proof that it might promote an average of two pounds more of weight loss each month than when no supplement is taken. Ephedra is linked to some very serious side effects, that is why the Food and Drug Administration banned it from the market in December 2003.
	L-theanine is a compound found in green tea known as amino acid. It is suggested that L-theanine gives relief to those who suffer from anxiety. Nonetheless, there is not much clinical proof that it is effective in as a weight loss supplement.
	Chromium, or as it is also called, GTF Chromium/Chromium Picolinate by itself won’t help you to lose weight, but may be effective if exercise and a change in your diet are included with the use of the supplement. Chromium is a trace mineral that might help to regulate appetite by stabilizing the blood sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings. There is no sound evidence that chromium helps with weight loss, even though some health professionals praise it as part of a full weight loss program. It is recommended that consumers follow the recommended dosage because of the detrimental effects it has on the kidney.
	Banaba Leaf Extract, as has been researched, may reduce weight in obese mice that were genetically changed to become obese. Banaba leaf extract is another compound with clinical evidence that suggest that it may lower blood sugar levels in type II diabetics.