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Herbal weight loss supplements are a huge market in the US and worldwide. This is obvious when we think about it - more and more people are becoming overweight and obesity problems are crippling health systems all over. As soon as a society becomes affluent, more people gain excess weight.

The potential of magic bullets like herbal weight loss pills that work with no effort are obviously attractive. But what is the real deal with these remedies?

Often Unregulated

Most of these herbal remedies are known as supplements rather than drugs. Hence they are unregulated by the FDA. Whilst this means that they are easier to obtain for you and me, and probably also cheaper, it also means that they have not run the battery of tests that the law demands of any drug including double blind clinical trials.

I Thought Herbal Diet Pills Were Safe?

These supplements are natural but that does not necessarilly mean that they are safe. Let’s make a comparison to Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine has been popular for thousands of years, long before drugs were invented. However, they have remained relatively unchanged in all that time.

Now compare this to modern supplements which feature high concentrations only possible with modern methods of manufacturing. You can take a dose that nature never intended you to have. Thus there are side effects with many supplements.

Common Side Effects

One of the most common side effects are seen in diet pills with Ephedra. Ephedra is a stimulant and it is widely known that any stimulant, even caffeine, can have a detrimental effect on the body in high doses and when taken for long periods of time. My advice is to simply stay away from these types of supplements.

Another well know side effect is with the herb, Senna. This is a natural laxative but unfortunately is also highly addictive. If taken for too long then the body actually needs it for normal digestion. Take it away and cramps and constipation will result.

What Is The Best Weight Loss Supplement?

There is no such thing as a no.1 supplement but there are some that look the most promising. Probably the best one at the moment is Hoodia Gordonii. Derived from a cactus-like plant, it has powerful appetite suppresant properties and has long been used by tribes in Southern Africa who have used it to stave off hunger when on long hunting trips.