Ephedrine and Diet Pills, the Ugly Truth

Are you a victim of the “freshman fifteen”? Or maybe the winter and holidays were your downfall. This weight can be hard to get rid of, and surely you have seen advertisements for diet pills that promise to help you lose weight with little or no effort. Testimonials and before and after pictures argue the benefits of the new miracle drugs, and make it seem “easy” to lose weight. But are these pills actually safe?The main active ingredient in many weight loss pills is ephedrine. It is found in “natural” diet pills. Ephedrine is also known as Ephedra and Ma Huang. This powerful stimulator increases metabolism and helps to burn calories. When used safely, some of the positive effects are weight loss, metabolizing fat, and muscle maintenance. Ephedrine promotes the breakdown of fat cells while enhancing performance, and exercise is more effective. Ephedrine is more often used in cold medicines and to help asthmatics and others who suffer from bronchial problems. Finally, ephedrine is used to help obese people lose weight. Ephedrine sounds like the miracle drug so many people have been looking for. For that reason many people have begun taking products that include ephedrine in order to lose weight. In fact, approximately 12 million people take weight loss products yearlywith this herb.Studies show that the negative effects of ephedrine greatly outweigh the positive ones. According to the FDA these pills have caused illnesses including heart attacks, seizures and strokes. Ephedrine is like amphetamines, which have a powerful stimulant effect on the nervous system and heart. This can give you more energy, as well as helping your metabolism speed up. However, it can also cause irregular heartbeats, also known as heart arrhythmias. The effect is much like adrenaline, dilating the bronchial muscles and raising blood pressure as well as acting as a cardiac stimulant. When combined with caffeine, ephedrine can over-stimulate the nervous system and cause death. As well as physical illnesses ephedrine can also cause psychological problems such as depression, nervousness, and insomnia as well as psychosis. Ephedrine is also a psychologically and physically addictive drug. Even in the case of asthma treatment, more recent drugs have been developed that are used more often. Ephedrine can also have negative effects on people with asthma, by making it worse or causing unrelated health problems.Another ingredient that was used in many diet pills is PPA or phenylpropanolamine, which was used in Acutrim and Dexatrim. Until recent years it was sold over the counter. Finally a study came out that showed a correlation between PPA and hemorrhagic strokes, or bleeding in the brain, in young women. Most companies have ended their use of the drug at the request of the FDA. PPA is no longer widely used in diet pills or medications.There are many other diet pills that are used in attempt to lose weight other than ephedrine products. Many of these other products do not effectively help in weight loss, and some have negative effects as well as not working. The first is the use of diuretics, which are not intended to be weight loss medication. They are used for medical conditions such as congestive heart failure and hypertension. Although you will lose weight with these pills, it will not be fat lost. Diuretics help you to lose water and therefore you are simply dehydrating yourself and not losing fat.Amphetamines are also sometimes used as weight loss aides. This includes Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, as well as other medications. Amphetamines are for use in the case of attention deficit disorder and other similar problems. Although they are sometimes effective they have far too many negative effects. Amphetamines can cause accelerated heart rate, increased blood pressure, heart palpitations, and psychiatric disorders, light-headedness, tremors, congestive heart failure, seizures, and sudden death. Also, amphetamines are highly addictive. Diet pills in general are not an easy option for fast weight loss. Most have unpleasant side effects and many are addictive, and also can interfere with legitimate medications you may be taking. Diet pills are designed to control obesity and are approved in the case of people whose negative effects of their weight outweigh the negative effects of diet pills. Also, diet pills are only proven effective when combined with a program of diet and exercise, and therefore are not easy get thin fast cures. In the case of obesity or a dire need for weight loss, it is recommended to consult with your doctor. They know what will help you, and what the safest drugs are. Drugs that must be prescribed are often safer than over the counter drugs.The safest and most successful way to lose weight is to control the amount of calories taken in and exerted. One way to do so is to keep a food diary where you write down everything you eat for the day. Until diet pills are safer and more effective the only way to safely lose and maintain weight is with diet and exercise.