Can Slimming Pills Help You Lose Weight?

Weight loss is simple, less calories in and more calories out. Diet and exercise are the backbone of any successful weight loss efforts. The truth is that there is no such thing as a "magic pill" that will cause you to lose weight while on a steady diet of junk food. While it is true that while a healthy diet and active lifestyle are necessary for weight loss, there are diet pills that can help you lose weight by amplifying the effects of exercise, boosting metabolism, breaking down fat cells and suppressing appetite. However, it is vital that you research any slimming pill in great detail to review if it has merit. The first thing to consider is the type of diet pill.

Types of Slimming Pills​

Slimming pills or "diet pills" are a supplement that claims to help you lose weight and melt away the pounds. The market for slimming pills is huge and they come in one of three forms: prescription, herbal, and over the counter. Prescription diet pills are given out by doctors and highly regulated by the FDA. Most people do not qualify for this form of diet pills and instead turn to over-the-counter or herbal weight loss supplements. Over-the-counter slimming pills are available without a doctor's prescription and can be purchased at a supplement store or online. You may have heard of advertisements on the radio, on the television, or even in the mail. The appeal of losing weight fast is hard to resist​.

​How do Slimming Pills Work?

Over-the-counter diet pills can act as stimulants, appetite suppressants, laxatives. The ingredients in these pills are important in determining how they will effect your body. Let's review the common effects of diet pills and which ingredients lead to these weight loss effects.

Slimming Pill Can Suppress Appetites ​

​Common Ingredients: Caffeine, YerbaMate, and Hoodia Gordonii, Peppermint

Appetite suppressants are great at curbing cravings and help keep you from acting on impulses to eat sugary junk food. ​ Caffeine is one ingredients that will help to keep the cravings away and give you a boost in energy. However, this isn't the only ingredient that can have this effect. Hoodia gordonii is a supplement that was first used by people of southern Africa to help suppress their appetite and survive harsh periods of minimal food supply.  Yerba mate is commonly found in tea detoxes and weight loss pills. This herbal supplement that claims to force the stomach to retain food longer, making you feel fuller for longer periods of time. Peppermint in another herbal supplement that has been shown in studies to help suppress your appetite. In fact a research study published by the Journal of Neurological and Orthopaedic Medicine discovered that participants who had sniffed peppermint every two hours lost an average of 5 pounds a month.

Slimming Pill Can Act as Stimulants  ​

​Common Ingredients: Caffeine, Green Tea Extract, and Green Coffee Extract

Caffeine is the most common type of stimulate and is found in the majority of weight loss supplements. Extensive research has been done on caffeine and research supports that it can lead to a increase in fat burning and helps the body burn more fat rather than using carbohydrates for energy. There is also support for the claim that caffeine can help boost the metabolism temporary.

Green tea is another stimulant that can boost the metabolism and increase fat oxidation. The Journal of Nutrition published a study detailing how green tea extract increased the body's ability to burn fat while exercising. This is another reason why slimming pills should only be taking as a supplement to a healthy diet and exercise. Many ingredients will work to amplify the body's ability to burn fat effectively.

Green coffee extract in another ingredient that is commonly found in detox tea blends and weight loss supplements. Green coffee beans are simply coffee beans that have not been roasted. The contain antioxidants and it is believed to help aid in the weight loss process by preventing carbohydrate uptake after a meal.  Green coffee does contain caffeine.

Slimming Pill Can Act as Laxitives  ​

​Common Ingredients: Cascara, senna, psyllium

The purpose of slimming pills with laxative ingredients are to cleanse the body of toxins. They can increase the frequency of bowel movements. Using laxatives as a weight loss supplement is not recommended and will only have a limited effect. Laxities will cause bowel movements and this might lead to a reduction in body weight but it is only temporary and no fat loss will actually occur. Take caution when looking at slimming pills with laxatives, laxatives should not be taken for a period of longer than 7 days.

Can Slimming Pills Make You Lose Weight?

Slimming pills with the right ingredients can help you lose weight if you combine them with health eating and regular exercise. There are ingredients that will help you boost your metabolism, energy, increase fat burning and suppress your appetite.  The important thing is to find a weight loss program that will effectively combine slimming pills, diet, and exercise together. With these three you will lose weight and get one step closer to reaching your weight loss goals. Beware of products that promise quick and easy weight loss. If weight loss really was as easy as taking a littler pill than we wouldn't have a obesity epidemic. Since over-the-counter supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA you need to be aware of the ingredients in your slimming pills and research any possible side effects. With the right slimming pill you can reach your weight loss goals faster than you would with just diet and exercise.

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