Though there are a lot of different kinds of diet pills with ingredients that include chemicals and/or plant extracts from exotic specimens from around the globe, one of the most universal ingredients in many diet pills is caffeine.
The reason for using caffeine as a primary ingredient is that dieting can be very hard on the energy levels. After all, if you aren’t eating as much food as you were before, then your body won’t have as many calories on which to run. Calories are the energy your body uses in order to perform all of its functions. Therefore, when those calories are taken away, people often find themselves feeling tired or sluggish. This makes it much more difficult to remain active and incorporate the exercise that is necessary for losing weight properly into the daily routine.
What Makes Caffeine an Effective Diet Pill Ingredient?
It is quite clear why caffeine can be exploited as a diet pill ingredient. It allows you to reduce the amount of food intake without the negative side effect of being lazy toward the necessary exercises. With this boost of energy also comes a boost in metabolism. This is also a desired effect that many people trying to lose weight would want from a diet pill.
By taking a diet pill that contains a form of caffeine, such as Phentramin-D, you will burn more calories from the food you eat and the fat you have stored in your body, even at rest. Of course, exercise is important to keep your metabolism running as efficiently as possible.
Furthermore, caffeine is actually a natural appetite suppressant. So not only can diet pills take advantage of the fact that the caffeine will help to keep your energy levels up, but it will also assist in keeping your eating levels down. With fewer calories consumed, you’ll often gain less weight, especially when you keep up the energy to exercise.
There Can Be Disadvantages to Consuming Caffeine
It is important to recognize, though, that as much as there are important benefits that suggest caffeine can be an effective diet pill ingredient, there are downsides to consuming caffeine as well.
Among the disadvantages is the fact that the ingredient impacts the adrenaline and glucagon hormone secretions in the body. For that reason, the blood sugar levels do not stay even, but will tend to rise a great deal more than usual. This is why many dieting programs actually recommend that you avoid consuming caffeinated products while you try to lose weight.
Another downside of caffeine is that it has diuretic properties. This means that while you’re drinking a great deal of water to keep yourself hydrated and make sure your metabolism is running at its best levels, in truth, you’re actually holding yourself back by taking the caffeine which works to flush the water back out of your system.
Caffeine is Not a Safe Choice for Everyone
It is always important to remember that while caffeine can be an effective diet pill ingredient, for some people, the risks of taking it can outweigh the potential benefits it has to offer. If you are taking certain medications, have certain health conditions or sensitivities to this stimulant, you are at a greater risk of experiencing adverse effects. Examples of some of these include (but are not necessarily limited to):
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Jitters/shakiness
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Dehydration
- Rapid heartbeat
- Abnormal heartbeat
- Mood changes
- High blood pressure
Moreover, keep in mind that the more caffeine you consume, the greater your risk of unwanted side effects. According to the FDA, 400 milligrams of caffeine a day – about 4 or 5 cups (8 ounces) of coffee – is not generally associated with negative side effects in the average healthy adult. As such, if you are taking diet pills that contain caffeine, be sure to watch your intake of other caffeinated foods and beverages so you don’t overdo it.
Caffeine – The Bottom Line
Truly, there are both advantages and disadvantages to any ingredient in a medication, so it is up to you to discuss these elements with your doctor to be able to find out if caffeine is a safe and effective diet pill ingredient for you and what is best for your particular health and weight loss strategy.
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