Are Diet Pills Safe?

It’s a busy world out there. Working, commuting, bills, emails, family, friends keeping up with life and getting everything done in a day can sometimes feel impossible. Sometimes it feels like there’s not enough time in a day to get in the things we should. Like exercise. Or eating right.
Trying to throw a diet in the middle of a crazy, jam-packed schedule can be hard.
With weight loss pills and dietary supplements seen all over TV, grocery stores, malls, and websites, these pills seem like an easy way to help get your diet on track. These diet pills seem like the perfect way to help your body shed some of that extra weight.

But how do you know if it’s safe? Are there diet pills out there which are safe to take and will actually help you lose weight?

The FDA and Diet Pills

What most people may not realize is that while most diet pills aren’t necessarily approved and studied by the FDA, that doesn’t mean that the manufacturers of diet pills can throw anything in a capsule and sell it as the best diet pill solution.
Diet pill makers have strict guidelines they must adhere to when creating dietary supplements. Not only must they ensure that a full list of each ingredient is clearly labeled, they must ensure that all the ingredients are safe, and actually work as the manufacturers claim they do.

Not only that, but the FDA also requires that diet pill manufacturers test their products, that they work or do everything they claim to do, and that none of their claims are misleading. During trials and tests done on products, the makers of all the different diet pills out there must report any serious negative reactions to the FDA, who monitors the tests and claims. The FDA needs to be apprised of everything surrounding all the various claims made.
Are Diet Pills Safe?

Changes Made in Dietary Supplements

Before 1994, dietary supplements were treated more like other foods. The FDA regulated diet pills as they would with any other food. However, that has all changed. With the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), dietary supplement makers must see that each of their dietary supplements are safe and do what they claim to.

Each ingredient put into a dietary pill must be labeled clearly on the package, be safe, and be considered a “dietary ingredient.” This requires that each component of a diet pill is considered an herb or botanical, an amino acid, a vitamin, a mineral, a concentrate, a metabolite or constituent, or a substance man uses to supplement the diet as in an enzyme or tissue.

Safety and Effectiveness

Does this mean, then, that all diet pills are safe? Dietary pills have specific ingredients in them to make them effective. Some have certain stimulants to speed up your metabolism, some have other ingredients to suppress your appetite, and some have elevated bat burning complexes, some have various forms of all of these. Finding a diet pill that is safe and effective for you means finding one that has the right blend of ingredients to work for your body.

Get the right mixture of ingredients for your body is the key. If you are sensitive towards caffeine, it might be a good idea to find a diet pill that has green tea or other stimulants which aren’t too harsh. Or if not being able to control your appetite is your downfall, finding a pill that focuses on being an appetite suppressant would be extremely beneficial.

Our Recommendation

They key to successful weight loss pills is finding what works for your body’s needs. The FDA has given dietary pill makers the freedom to use new ingredients, while taking added precautions to make sure that users of these diet pills aren’t risking their health by using these products. With FDA regulations and controls, people looking for an aid to their diet to help them be more successful with their weight loss goals can feel safe taking a dietary aid.