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Side Effects of Fat Blockers

During the 1980s fat blockers became a popular method for weight loss. Physicians and nutritionists believed that if they could block fat from being absorbed into the body an individual would effectively lose weight. The effects of these FDA-approved drugs were not completely known or disclosed at the time. It's now known that fat blockers can have some relatively unhealthy and unpleasant side effects.

  1. Gas

    • Gas in the intestines can have a number of causes, but it is important to remember that fat blockers allow fat to pass through your body without being properly digested. When undigested food mixes with the natural bacterias found in the colon they form excess gas, which in many cases leads to flatulence.

    Bloating

    • Not all gas caused by improper digestion leads to flatulence. In some cases your body allows the gas to move from the colon back into the small intestine. This movement causes excess bloating and often can lead to excessive pain and discomfort that will last until your body absorbs the gas or allows it to pass out of your body.

    Nausea and Vomiting

    • The digestive system was designed to aid the body to properly absorb nutrients and eliminate excess weight. Because fat blocking pills alter the way the digestive system processes fat, people taking these pills may end up with excess undigested fat in their stomachs as well. This excess may cause nausea or vomiting that will not go away until the fat finishes traveling through the digestive system.

    Diarrhea

    • One of the most frequently talked-about side effects of fat blockers is diarrhea. When fats are blocked from absorption they continue through your body in the form of oil. This oil will not bind together with other materials in the digestive tract and will continue to pass through the system. An individual who consumes foods high in fat will usually end up with oily diarrhea after his meal. Often this diarrhea is very sudden and uncontrollable and can lead to embarrassing social situations.

    Vitamin Deficiencies

    • A number of important vitamins essential to life, including A, D, E, F, and K, are fat soluble vitamins. This means that if your body is not able to absorb fat it will not be able to absorb these important nutrients. Individuals who use fat blockers for an extended period of time tend to start suffering from the symptoms of fat soluble vitamin deficiencies, such as night blindness, osteoporosis, resistance to infection and tooth decay.

    Healthy Fat Deficiencies

    • Fat blockers don't discriminate. The pills don't know the difference between "good fats" and "bad fats." Because of this, the fats that are essential to great health, like omega-3 and omega-6, cannot be properly absorbed.

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