Best Diet Supplements

You've been dieting for a while, and the pounds just won't budge.You feel run down and suspect that your diet isn't giving you all the nutrients you need. Friends say dieting is easier with a supplement. So O.K. what do you take? The supplement market in America today is enormous, every manufacturer claims to have invented the supersupplement of the 21st century, and as we all know, many supplements just dont do what they are advertised to do. So here's a rough guide to what exists, what does what, and what to avoid. The FDA, which regulates the supplement market, gives this description of supplements: A supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a dietary ingredient intended to supplement the diet. The supplement may contain vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites. They may be extracts or concentrates, and appear in tabletform or as liquids, capsules, powders or as a bar. What you should be aware of is that the FDA treats supplements as foods, not drugs. This means that unlike the rigorous testing that drugs have to pass, supplements do not need approval from the FDA, and there are no specific regulations that establish a minimum standard of practice for manufacturing dietary supplements. Which means that you need to pay attention to the ingredients in the supplement, and check what you are getting and how much of it you are getting, because there can be big differences in different products. Basically, supplements can be divided into four groups: -weight loss supplements -toning and muscle building supplements -vitamin and mineral additives -herbal tonics claiming to improve or cure a specific condition. Weight loss supplements can be divided into those using stimulants such as caffeine and those using appetite suppressants such as phentamine. Often weight loss supplements contain both in various amounts, and may also contain herbs, vitamins and minerals. Ephedra, which was very popular a few years ago, was banned in some states after causing deaths in several dieters, and many manufacturers have replaced it with Bitter Orange, a mild stimulant found in orange peel, or with other mild stimulants. Toning supplements usually contain protein, either as a shake or powder to add to foods, or as a bar, and may have specific amino acids in higher concentration than others. Protein can depress appetite, but these supplements often contain a lot of calories. Vitamin and mineral additives are often recommended by various diet programs, and exist in many strengths and combinations. The FDA provides information on maximum safe daily doses of vitamins, and should be consulted before taking 'megadoses' of any vitamin. Herbal tonics can contain ingredients which can be very potent, and should not be considered harmless. Some herbs can interact with prescription medicines and cause increased potency or side effects, others cause drowsiness and can affect driving ability. It is extremely difficult to know how much active ingredient is in a herbal supplement, because standards of potency vary considerably.Therefore these supplements should be used with caution. Of course, this is a vast oversimplification, and many weight loss supplements also contain herbs and extracts not specifically aimed at weight loss.However, if you are looking for an effective supplement for weight loss, it should contain either stimulants or appetite suppressants, and should contain a reasonable amount of them. The law requires supplements to carry information on all ingredients by weight and percent of daily value, so that it is possible to compare the amount of active ingredient in each brand and draw conclusions. A general guide to saving time is: don't believe claims which seem excessive, supplements which claim to prevent or treat a wide variety of diseases, or adverts with capital letters and exclamation marks designed to catch your eye.Responsible manufacturers do not use these methods of advertising. Another good idea is to ask your doctor whether you have a lack of any vitamin or mineral in your diet, and whether the supplement you are thinking of taking is safe for you. The last and most important rule is that if you do take a supplement and feel unwell, stop taking it and consult your doctor.