For those who seek a quick and easy solution to weight loss, it is natural to gravitate toward weight loss dietary supplements. But what exactly are weight loss dietary supplements? Are they safe and healthy for you to use? Will they really be effective? Or will they be counter-productive and/or a total waste of money?

In addition to diet and exercise, many people add a weight loss dietary supplement to jumpstart their weight loss efforts. Dietary supplements consist of a combination of herbs, plants, amino acids, and vitamins. They should only be added to your weight loss regimen with the approval of your doctor.

Because weight loss supplements are not usually reviewed by the FDA, you must use caution when taking these. They are not subject to the standards that other medications must pass. Only if they are deemed by the FDA as not being suitable for human consumption would these supplements be discontinued from being sold.

Because there is no government regulation as to what goes into these weight loss dietary supplements, sometimes the ingredients listed on the labels do not match the actual ingredients used in the product. Ephedra, touted as a weight loss dietary supplement, was taken off the market after it was shown to cause seizures, raise blood pressure, and exacerbate depression, chronic headaches and even cause death.

Ephedra has been banned as a weight loss dietary supplement and in its place, some are promoting bitter orange. However, bitter orange has recently been shown to possibly produce similar effects on the body as ephedra, making it an ineffective and possibly dangerous weight loss dietary supplement. So far, bitter orange is still available for purchase, but it may not be available for too much longer.

Chitosan and guar gum are two weight loss dietary supplements available that have been shown to be ineffective in achieving weight loss. Consumers are now discouraged from using these products. It is not known what long term affects these supplements will have on people because they are untested and no studies have been done. No study has been done that shows either product helps people with weight loss or appetite.

When combined with proper diet and increased exercise, green tea and St. John’s Wart have both been shown to assist in weight loss. Both weight loss dietary supplements help to control appetite and use more calories, which in turn help people lose weight. Green tea is available in various forms, including pills, patches and, of course, tea.