Dietary supplements for weight loss

Thousands of dietary supplements are marketed for the purpose of weight loss. It would be impossible to cover each of these individual products in this chapter. Instead, this chapter will familiarize you with common ingredients found in many dietary supplements. You are encouraged to review ingredients in common dietary supplements for weight loss to understand the potential positive and negative effects of these products. 

OTHER DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR WEIGHT LOSS Dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA)... 

Now that you know more about some common ingredients found in dietary supplements for weight loss, you should make sure you read the ingredients on any supplements you... 

Saper, Robert B., David M. Eisenberg, and Russell S. Phillips. "Common Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss." American Family Physician 70 no. 9 (November 1, 2004) 1731. Available online. URL www.aafp.org/afp/20041101/1731.html. Accessed November 13, 2007. 

Two episodes of tachycardia were reported in a woman who took a dietary supplement for weight loss that contained bitter orange concentrated extract (30 mg synephrine daily) no additional information on the product formulation was provided in the case report. The episodes occurred on two separate days, 1 month apart, on which the woman initiated use of the extract (Firenzuoli et al. 2005). 

Products containing ephedra were used extensively by the American public for weight loss and to enhance athletic performance. Ephedra, a stimulant similar to amphetamine, increases blood pressure and heart rate after only one dose, significantly increasing a person s risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. Because ephedra is a dietary supplement, the FDA did not review its safety or efficacy before it became available to the American public. According to law, the FDA could only prohibit the sale of the dietary supplement if it was proven to present a significant or unreasonable risk of injury. 

It may seem like there is an herb available to cure anything that ails you. Herbal pills and other dietary supplements claim to provide a solution for everything from memory problems to frequent colds. Supplement companies have a pill for weight loss, too. 

Fugh-Berman A, Myers A. Citrus aurantium, an ingredient of dietary supplements marketed for weight loss current status of clinical and basic research. Exp Biol Med 2004 229 698-704. 

Chitosan may be considered as a dietary supplement for reducing body weight in humans. Industrial production of chitosan tablets (Muzzarelli et al., 2000) and chitosan dietary fibers (Hughes, 2002) has occurred. Furthermore, Schiller et al. (2001) reported that a rapidly soluble chitosan (LipoSan Ultra that has a higher density and solubility than chitosan itself) facilitated weight loss and reduced body fat. This effect was due to the fact that this chitosan was able to prevent dietary fat absorption in overweight and mildly obese individuals that consumed a high-fat diet. 

Uses Weight loss dietary supplement for foods and pharmaceuticals... 

J. Vaysse, S. Balayssac, V. Gilard, D. Desoubdzanne, M. Malet-Martino, R. Martino (2010) Analysis of adulterated herbal medicines and dietary supplements marketed for weight loss by DOSY IH-NMR. FoodAddil Contam. Part A Chem. Anal. Control Expo. Risk Assess., 27, 903-916. 

A 35-year-old woman taking valproate 500 mg bd and phenobarbital 75 m day for idiopathic generalized epilepsy who had been seizure-free for 3 years had a recurrence of myoclonic jerks, absences, and a tonic-clonic seizure a few days after taking a dietary supplementation that contained chitosan 500 mg bd for weight loss. The seizures remitted after chitosan was stopped. Three months later she restarted chitosan and within 5 days once more had seizures. Semm valproate was undetectable. Chitosan was withdrawn, the seizures remitted, and the valproate concentration returned to baseline (50 mg/1) within 4 days. 

Both chitosan and COS are covered by the same regulatory status and are approved for use as a dietary supplement in most of the countries. However, only in certain countries it is allowed to be used as a food additive. In the United States presently, neither chitosan nor COS have generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status. On the other hand, in Korea and Japan it is accepted as a certified functional food ingredient for cholesterol control [190]. Chitosan has been sold as a weight-loss dietary supplement for over 20 years in Europe, Japan, and Korea, but has entered the U S. market only 10 years ago [190]. Recently, a trend of substitution of chitosan market with COS has been observed, mainly in the chitosan mature markets, such as Japan and Korea. The main producers of chitosan and COS are Japan and Korea followed by China and the United States. Smaller operations can be foimd in India,... 

Similarly, the number and types of tests completed will influence the cost in ways that can be very complex. Recently, the author was involved in designing a proof-of-principle study intended to assess the ability of a dietary supplement to enhance weight loss among subjects instructed to follow a reduced energy diet. Sample size calculations were run for two scenarios, the first using change in body weight as the primary outcome variable, the... 

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