With 1.7 billion people overweight or obese word wide, problem of obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Survey released recently by international obesity task force, which included some of the most prominent scientist in the field, indicate that 71% of American adults are overweight. This number is the highest in history. This is an all-time record for any country in the world. When we compare this number to 1984 study in which 56% of Americans wore obese, this is an increase of 15% or 45.000.000 of newly overweight or obese in just over 20 years. The problem is more overwhelming when we take into account that somewhere between 12% and 14% of children and young adolescents are above their ideal weight.
On the market today we can find many herbal supplements and over the counter drugs for which manufacturers claim they will make us thin and better looking. Most of those miracle drugs act as fat burners and contain sometimes harmful ingredients like ephedrine or ephedra, guarana, St. John’s Wart, and Senna. They boost your metabolism and in best case scenario you can lose weight while using the supplement, but weight loss stops when we stop using the supplement. In some cases dependency on the supplements can occur.
Ephedra is one of the most widespread herbs found in weight loss drugs. Ephdra contains ephedrine a compound that acts like amphetamines in stimulating the central nervous system and the heart. Ephedrine stimulates weight loss by incising body temperature which in turn burns calories. Side effects vary and can lead to high blood pressure and sometimes even lead to strokes.
Chinese herb Aristolochia, another favorite by weight loss pill manufacturer, can cause kidney failure and urinary tract cancer. In a study performed in Germany and Belgium, published June 8 in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers monitored 105 patients treated at Belgium weight loss clinic. From 105 patients treated with Aristolochia 43 developed end-stage renal (or kidney) failure and nearly half of the 39 who opted for preventive removal of the kidneys, were found to have urinary tract cancer. In response to his study FDA has now issued an import alert on the herb to ban its entry into the U.S.
Currently there is only one drug on the market that has been approved for use in weight loss, Rimonabant. Rimonabant is an oral prescription drug targeting the endocannabiniod system which helps to regulate pleasure, relaxation, and pain tolerance. This new revolutionary drug was developed in France and is approved in the 27 member states of European Union. Rimonabant is sold is the
United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Finland, Norway and is approved by their regulatory agencies.
Rimonabant is the first of a new class of drugs which works by inhibiting the CB-1 receptors, which regulate appetite. Rimonabant as a CB-1 receptor inhibitor has an added bonus; it was recently approved in treating smoking cessation.
Medical community at large is against herbal supplements. Not because they do not believe in their effectiveness, but since there is no regulatory control they cannot be trusted. If you have questions about herbal supplements, write down the primary ingredients and ask your physician and/or pharmacist about possible side effects.