Choosing the best herbal diet pills typically involves researching ingredient lists and finding a trusted supplement company. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate herbal diet pills. Supplement companies can choose to reveal complete ingredient lists, or list ingredients in a proprietary blend. Herbal diet products are usually formulated with two main ingredients or blends — thermogenic and appetite suppressing.
Thermogenic ingredients, or stimulants, are included in herbal weight loss products to increase heart rate. When heart rate increases, the body needs more calories to perform normal body functions. As a result, more calories are burned and weight loss occurs. Typical stimulants include caffeine, guarana, and bitter orange. Ephedra was once the most popular herbal weight loss ingredient, until being banned by several governments and countries due to potential health hazards.
Herbal diet pills also include stimulants to increase energy. This boost is directly linked to heart rate increase. Warnings may be found on official websites for a specific weight loss product referencing health conditions that may be worsened by taking natural weight loss pills. These cautions do not commonly refer to increased heart rate as a potential problem.
In addition to stimulants, herbal diet pills may also use natural ingredients to suppress hunger. Hoodia gordonii is one such ingredient popular among weight loss products. There are no clinical trials supporting the claims that Hoodia gordonii decreases appetite, however. Other appetite suppressing ingredients may include chromium and acai berry.
The best herbal diet pills should include a complete, detailed list of ingredients with amounts for each herb and supplement. Dieters may wish to research each substance for potential side effects, or contraindications with prescription medications or diseases. Users can find trustworthy, objective information on government and educational websites. Manufacturer websites do not typically list negative and positive information on ingredients.
Several herbs, vitamins, and minerals used in herbal diet pills have been researched through clinical trials. Some weight loss products will include the results of these on an official website, while others do not. Even if a supporting clinical trial is listed, dieters should read details of the study to ensure similar quantities of a tested ingredient is used in a given formula. For instance, if a clinical trial supports green tea for weight loss, that does not mean the herbal diet pill contains the same amount found effective during the study.
After researching ingredients and potential side effects, dieters commonly search for information on a manufacturer or online diet supplement retailer. Consumer review websites, and retail watch groups, typically publish negative experiences on the Internet to help warn others. Dieters should beware of sneaky the business practices and extraordinary claims common in the weight loss industry.