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Diet Aids: Nutritional Supplements, Diet Pills, Diet Shakes, Starch Blocker And Side Effects
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Published: December 13, 2007
The perfect body is an elusive goal many strive to achieve. Aside from flawless physical condition, optimal health is also highly desired in today's culture. The rise of diet aids and supplements can be directly attributed to the heightening levels of health consciousness. However, there is a fine line between becoming healthier and dangerous dieting.
With so many varieties of diet aids proliferating the market, this fine line becomes blurred for many consumers. The discrepancies between diet aids often seem so negligible, some people are not even aware of what they are putting into their bodies. However, in the pursuit of perfection, the potential result is often more important than the means.
Many people go to great lengths when dieting. The use of starch blockers is one such example. These diet aids were originally intended for those living with diabetes as means to regulate glucose and sugar intake. Starch blockers are said to work by blocking alpha amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch. By preventing the digestion of starch, the ingested food is then simply excreted. Therefore, the body will not store the carbohydrates as glucose, which eventually turns into fat. In theory, diet aids that block starch sound ideal. In reality, there is no published evidence of success and the results are refuted. Starch blockers typically come in the form of pills, and retail for $50-$100. Considering evidence shows the pills are probably digested before they are able to block starches, this money may be spent in futility.
Common diet aids come in the form of milk shakes, or so they are touted. Diet shakes rose in the industry when the Slim Fast diet took hold of the nation. It seemed for a time that everyone was replacing two meals a day with diet shakes, resulting in slimming waistlines. These diet aids carry about 200 calories a piece, and considering some meals can boast close to 800, this appears to be a great trade off. However, consumers be wary. Although low-calorie shakes are a great starting point for a diet, the maintenance of such diet aids is rather difficult. Many consumers fall off the diet shakes wagon, and pack the pounds right back on. Meal replacement shakes are healthier when compared to other diet aids on the spectrum. Just be prepared to maintain a healthy diet after the shakes lose their tasty appeal.
Perhaps the most dangerous diet aids on the market come in the form of little pills. Though diet pills promise fast, dramatic weight loss, the varying ingredients lurking inside are speculative. These diet aids typically contain a combination of caffeine and phenyl propanolamine. The stimulants work to suppress the appetite, but the resulting side effects are less than desirable. Side effects of diet pills range from high blood pressure to heart palpitations. Fen-phen, one highly popular diet aid in the late 90s, had adverse effects on heart valves and was linked to resulting deaths. Though Fen-phen was pulled from the market, the troubling results still resound. The new kid on the diet pills playground is Alli, and these diet aids are not to be taken lightly. If the user ingests more than 42 grams of fat a day, Alli causes uncontrollable bowel movements. Some people are so desperate for miracle diet pills, they will even risk public embarrassment.
Diet aids are often confused with nutritional supplements. However, with potentially harmful ingredients and unpleasant side effects, nutritional supplements they are not. Diet aids sometimes tout themselves as nutritional supplements to avoid needing approval from the FDA. Conversely, these diet aids are much more than just vitamins and essential minerals.
As many cautionary tales will tell, be sure to heed the recommended dosages and uses for diet aids. It is a slippery slope when it comes to dieting, and the utmost care should be taken to remain within healthy measures. There is no magic bullet for instantaneous, startling weight loss. The best approach to long-lasting weight loss is an active lifestyle and a nutritious, balanced diet. Though diet aids may slim the physique temporarily, the pounds added after ceasing their use may come back two-fold.
Sources:
Stamos, Jenny. "The Truth About Starch Blockers: Can They Speed Up Weight Loss?" WebMD. 2007. 29 Oct. 2007. http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about -starch-blockers.
Ward, Elizabeth. "Diet Shakes: Sipping to Slimness." WebMD. 2005. MedicineNet. 29 Oct. 2007. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?art iclekey=50536.
"Diet Pills: Are They Really Safe?" Rutgers. 7 Aug. 2002. 31 Oct. 2007. http://health.rutgers.edu/nutrition/dietpills.htm.
Dahl, Melissa. "Diet Pill's Icky Side Effects Keeps Users Honest." MSNBC. 6 July 2007. 31 Oct. 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19587389/.
"What's in the Bottle? An Introduction to Dietary Supplements." NCCAM. 27 July 2007. National Institutes of Health. 31 Oct. 2007. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bottle/.
Many people go to great lengths when dieting. The use of starch blockers is one such example. These diet aids were originally intended for those living with diabetes as means to regulate glucose and sugar intake. Starch blockers are said to work by blocking alpha amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch. By preventing the digestion of starch, the ingested food is then simply excreted. Therefore, the body will not store the carbohydrates as glucose, which eventually turns into fat. In theory, diet aids that block starch sound ideal. In reality, there is no published evidence of success and the results are refuted. Starch blockers typically come in the form of pills, and retail for $50-$100. Considering evidence shows the pills are probably digested before they are able to block starches, this money may be spent in futility.
Common diet aids come in the form of milk shakes, or so they are touted. Diet shakes rose in the industry when the Slim Fast diet took hold of the nation. It seemed for a time that everyone was replacing two meals a day with diet shakes, resulting in slimming waistlines. These diet aids carry about 200 calories a piece, and considering some meals can boast close to 800, this appears to be a great trade off. However, consumers be wary. Although low-calorie shakes are a great starting point for a diet, the maintenance of such diet aids is rather difficult. Many consumers fall off the diet shakes wagon, and pack the pounds right back on. Meal replacement shakes are healthier when compared to other diet aids on the spectrum. Just be prepared to maintain a healthy diet after the shakes lose their tasty appeal.
Perhaps the most dangerous diet aids on the market come in the form of little pills. Though diet pills promise fast, dramatic weight loss, the varying ingredients lurking inside are speculative. These diet aids typically contain a combination of caffeine and phenyl propanolamine. The stimulants work to suppress the appetite, but the resulting side effects are less than desirable. Side effects of diet pills range from high blood pressure to heart palpitations. Fen-phen, one highly popular diet aid in the late 90s, had adverse effects on heart valves and was linked to resulting deaths. Though Fen-phen was pulled from the market, the troubling results still resound. The new kid on the diet pills playground is Alli, and these diet aids are not to be taken lightly. If the user ingests more than 42 grams of fat a day, Alli causes uncontrollable bowel movements. Some people are so desperate for miracle diet pills, they will even risk public embarrassment.
Diet aids are often confused with nutritional supplements. However, with potentially harmful ingredients and unpleasant side effects, nutritional supplements they are not. Diet aids sometimes tout themselves as nutritional supplements to avoid needing approval from the FDA. Conversely, these diet aids are much more than just vitamins and essential minerals.
As many cautionary tales will tell, be sure to heed the recommended dosages and uses for diet aids. It is a slippery slope when it comes to dieting, and the utmost care should be taken to remain within healthy measures. There is no magic bullet for instantaneous, startling weight loss. The best approach to long-lasting weight loss is an active lifestyle and a nutritious, balanced diet. Though diet aids may slim the physique temporarily, the pounds added after ceasing their use may come back two-fold.
Sources:
Stamos, Jenny. "The Truth About Starch Blockers: Can They Speed Up Weight Loss?" WebMD. 2007. 29 Oct. 2007. http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about -starch-blockers.
Ward, Elizabeth. "Diet Shakes: Sipping to Slimness." WebMD. 2005. MedicineNet. 29 Oct. 2007. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?art iclekey=50536.
"Diet Pills: Are They Really Safe?" Rutgers. 7 Aug. 2002. 31 Oct. 2007. http://health.rutgers.edu/nutrition/dietpills.htm.
Dahl, Melissa. "Diet Pill's Icky Side Effects Keeps Users Honest." MSNBC. 6 July 2007. 31 Oct. 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19587389/.
"What's in the Bottle? An Introduction to Dietary Supplements." NCCAM. 27 July 2007. National Institutes of Health. 31 Oct. 2007. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bottle/.
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