Safe & Healthy Weight Loss Pills

With obesity on the rise, new weight-loss pills are produced and distributed in ever-increasing amounts. If you search the Internet for weight-loss pills, a seemingly endless number of options show up. However, many of these pills have not been tested or approved, contain ingredients that are unsafe or unhealthy and do not prove to actually cause weight loss. Researching a weight-loss pill's test results, safety and credibility is the first step in finding the one that will work best for you.

Alli

• Prescription dietary pills are considered the safest by the FDA because if approved it means that the ingredients are safe and the side effects are mild. One example is Alli, which is FDA-approved. Alli decreases the amount of fat that the intestines absorb, therefore decreasing the number of calories that are absorbed. If you decrease the fat in your diet and work out, Alli is said to be safe (see Reference 1).

  Downside: Diarrhea and gas can occur if you don't decrease the fat in your diet while taking this pill.

Hoodia Gordonii

• Hoodia Gordonii is a cactus plant supplement that is formed from the cacti of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. Hoodia Gordonii decreases your appetite, helping you reduce your calorie intake by around 30 percent to 40 percent. It mostly helps curb snacking habits between meals (see Resource 1).

  Downside: If you stop taking it, you will most likely gain back the weight you lost. It mostly helps with snacking and less with full-course meals. It can only be ordered online.

Proactol

• Proactol is a fat-binding pill that is also derived from the dehydrated leaves of a type of cacti called Opuntia fuscus-indica. Proactol reduces the amount of fat absorbed by the body, reduces hunger and in some cases reduces blood cholesterol levels. It binds up to 28 percent of fat intake (see Reference 2).

  Downside: It can only be ordered online, and it is more expensive than most other pills.

Zotrim

• Zotrim is a natural pill that is popularly used in the United Kingdom. It reduces calorie intake and hunger while increasing energy levels and your metabolic rate so that you can burn more fat naturally. Zotrim is created from all-natural products called Yerbe Mate, Guarana and Damiana (see Reference 2).

  Downside: It contains some caffeine, and two to three pills need to be taken before every meal, which ends up totaling six to nine pills per day.

Non-pill Items

• Aside from pills, an always safe and healthy method of weight loss is to use natural items found in the store, which can trigger weight loss by curbing appetites and increasing metabolism. Examples include apple cider vinegar, green tea, coconut oil, protein shakes and eight glasses of water per day (see Reference 3).

  Downside: Though these items don't pose any side affects, no research proves that taking these will result in definite weight loss.