Is it safe to take diet supplements with herbal remedies?

Find out from an obesity medicine doctor why herbal weight loss supplements may do more harm than good. There are many over-the-counter diet products, including herbal remedies. Many of these products don’t work. Before taking an over-the-counter or herbal diet supplement, talk to your doctor.

Dietary supplements are common products that you can find in pharmacies and convenience stores and even buy online. Although they’re often referred to as “all-natural and safe,” a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine says supplements can have potential health risks and serious side effects. After the FDA banned ephedra containing products for weight loss, many manufacturers switched to bitter orange, but it’s not clear whether this is safer. Plus, you should know that the FDA has cracked down on some weight loss supplements that contained prescription drugs that weren’t marked on the label.

According to Natural Medicines, bitter orange may be unsafe when taken orally as a dietary supplement, and there isn’t enough evidence to know whether they work for weight loss. So what is the difference with herbal supplements for weight loss? Obesity doctor Shweta Diwakar, MD, helps us understand how they work and why it’s better to stick to a supervised weight loss program. Some research suggests that combining chitosan with a reduced-calorie diet may result in small weight loss. For all of these reasons and the lack of proven health benefits, it’s best to avoid herbal weight loss supplements or talk to your doctor about other options.

Here are a few key points about common herbal weight loss products and some insights into their effectiveness as a weight loss tool. Pyruvate appears to be safe, but its claims of boosting metabolism, reducing appetite, and helping you lose weight need further investigation. Losing weight — herbal remedies and supplements; obesity — herbal remedies; overweight — herbal remedies.