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Is Alli Really Safe?

Alli is the first FDA-approved over-the-counter pill for weight loss. It became available for consumers in 2007 after a reported 100 clinical studies with more than 30,000 patients.

  1. What It Does

    • Alli claims to be able to block absorption of about 25 percent of fat in a person’s diet, resulting in a 5 percent to 10 percent weight loss over time. The excess fat in food is excreted by gas or oily stools.

    Reduce Side Effects

    • Most patients reduced the side effects of excess gas and oily stools by following a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet, not exceeding 15 grams of fat per meal.

    Criticisms

    • As of 2009, there have been no long-term human studies on Alli or its chemicals to verify if there are negative or positive long-term effects. Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen (a public advocacy group), spoke against Alli becoming OTC due to some studies that may have showed pre-cancerous lesions in the intestinal lining due to long-term use of Alli in rats.

    Vitamin Loss

    • Critics and Alli itself do verify that taking the pill results in the body not being able to absorb certain vitamins including A, D, K and E. Alli recommends taking a vitamin supplement to keep these essential vitamins in the body.

    Works in the Digestive System

    • The manufacturers of Alli state that the chemical works in the stomach and very little of it is absorbed into the blood, therefore there can be very little effect on the heart, liver or brain.

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