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Natural diet products: are there heavyweights?

13 March 2000

At any given time, as much as 50 per cent of the population is on a diet. Yet, surveys show that we are getting fatter, not leaner.

No one could deny that taking an appetite suppressant to lose weight is the fast track to nowhere. Recent health scares related to heart and respiratory problems linked to the conventional diet pills fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine led to their voluntary withdrawal from the market in 1998.

In the wake of this, there was a renewed interest in ‘natural’ alternatives, particularly those which claim to boost metabolism.

Among supplements, the most well-known thermogenic is ma huang (Ephedra sinica), the active ingredient of which is ephedrine. This herb has been shown in several trials to help the body burn up fuel faster (Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 1991; 5: 413-8; Int J Obes, 1982; 6: 343-50).

Other studies suggest that the effects of Ephedra can be enhanced when used with other stimulants such ...

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