Two weeks before your sister’s wedding, you stand on the scale. You take a deep breath, hoping that your hard work for two months paid off, but then you find yourself disappointed when you looked down to see that you still weigh 125 pounds. At this moment, you are feeling discouraged, depressed, and desperate as you quickly glance at the maid of honor dress you have hanging on the back of your bedroom door. You then remember having a conversation with your best friend three days ago about how she used dietary supplements to lose ten pounds in just a week. You give her a call and ask for more details and where she purchased her bottle of dietary supplements. You immediately head over to the local drug store and ask the sales rep for the dietary …show more content…
One major ingredients in dietary supplements is Caffeine. Caffeine can stimulate the heart, relax the smooth muscles, and is also a diuretic. Diuretic is a drug that can cause an increase in urine by getting rid of the body’s salt and water. Caffeine can stop the chemical messenger that stimulates the two neurotransmitters that increases the rate and force of the heart muscle contractions. In other words, this can cause an increase in blood pressure and deliver more oxygen to the brain, causing major damage to the body. Another major ingredient that is in dietary supplements is Ephedrine. This ingredient is a stimulant and can cause you to lose your appetite. To rephrase it, Ephedrine is an appetite suppressant. It is also a “component in adrenaline” (Stern). Ephedrine stimulates the central nervous system and increases your mental awareness, your heart rate, your respiration, and your metabolism. Ephedrine can also increase the thermogenesis, which is heat production in organisms. They cause an increase in metabolism and promote loss of body fat. With both of these ingredient, Ephedrine has a greater impact on weight loss but is by far the most dangerous ingredient. Take a look at these ingredients and ask yourself, do any of these sound like ingredients you would want to ingest. I personally would not want to risk taking any of these ingredients and put my body in
It is believed that adding caffeine to diet pills may increase weight loss (http://www.vitamins.com/encyclopedia/Concern/Weight_Loss.htm and http://www.mothernature.com/ency/Concern/Weight_Loss.asp). Many diet pills contain caffeine or guaranine, which is found in the herb guarana and is almost identical to caffeine. Caffeine acts as a stimulant of the central nervous system. The stimulant also increases the body’s metabolism and is a mild diuretic. It is rare to find caffeine in a diet pill without the combination of ephedrine. The combination of the two stimulants is more effective than the use of them individually.
The world’s most popular drug is legal, inexpensive, and believed to amplify workouts. It supposedly motivates athletes and helps them stay alert and focused while also boosting physical endurance by twenty to fifty percent. This stimulant is found naturally in sixty-three plants and is consumed by eighty percent of Americans. This white, bitter, crystalline substance is known as caffeine, and is commonly consumed in efforts to enhance athletic ability (http://gopher1.bu.edu/COHIS/substance/caffeine/about.htm).
Caffeine is a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in at least 63 plant species. Caffeine can be found in the leaves, stems, seeds, and roots of these various plants. Caffeine is part of the methylxanthine family. It consists of a xanthine molecule with three methyl groups attached to it. Caffeine can be found in many products like sodas, tea, and coffee, but it also occurs in several other products such as prescription medications, diuretics, and pain relievers. Caffeine’s widespread use and popularity have caused many people to view the substance as an addictive drug. Thus making caffeine the most inexpensive and readily available drug known to man. Then on the other hand there are people who view caffeine as a helpful stimulant that increases the individual’s concentration and awareness as well as many other physical traits. The important thing to remember is that caffeine’s affects vary based on the person, the amount ingested, the frequency of consumption, and individual metabolism. (http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/kopykit/caffeine.html)
With anything in life there are risks with taking dietary supplements. If a person takes to many dietary supplements it could become seriously and even lead to death. Taking dietary supplement can conflict with other medications a person is taking. Over-the-counter or prescribed medications can conflict with dietary supplements and person might not even know it. You should always consult your doctor or pharmacist before adding a dietary supplement. They will ensure you that there is no danger between the
Caffeine is the most popular and most widely used stimulant in the world. In Canada, the average person drinks 2.6 cups of coffee a day; that is equivalent to 949 cups of coffee a year. (Van Houtte) Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that improves ones attention, focus, and fatigue. When caffeine is ingested it causes your neurons to move at a faster rate, increasing alertness. (Fit Day) Caffeine also binds to the neural receptors, which blocks the adenosine, which prolongs tiredness. Caffeine is a white odorless powder that is most commonly found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, and pops. Caffeine can also be considered and ergogenic aid. Ergogenic aids are external influences that enhance/ improves ones strength, endurance, reaction time and speed of recovery. (Healthline) The three theories that make caffeine an ergogenic aid during exercise is the effect it has on the central nervous system, skeletal muscles, and metabolic changes. (Sheila G. Dean) Caffeine also has a positive effect on an individual’s health, some positive effects include: reduces risk of developing liver cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s. (Chawala) Caffeine has been proven to have positive effects on an athlete’s performance, and ones overall health.
Dietary supplements are used to add additional nutritional value to the diet. Some common forms of supplements include: vitamins, amino acids, minerals, herbs, and enzymes, and can be found in a multitude of forms such as capsules, liquids, gel caps, powders, and tablets. Dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular among Americans today. According to the Centers for Disease and Control, “Over half of the adults in the U.S. use at least one type of dietary supplement, the most common being multivitamins.”1 Many use these vitamins because they are believed to present a number of benefits, such as helping or treating diseases, etc. While dietary supplements can be beneficial to your health; Americans should also be cognizant of the health
Losing weight takes more than just desire it also takes commitment and a well-thought-out plan. Deciding to lose weight, changing your lifestyle, and becoming healthier are the first big steps. You must be cleared as to what you want to get out of this lifestyle. Do you want to live a longer healthier life? If your family has a history of diseases, is your goal to lower the risk of developing the diseases? Will losing weight make you feel better about yourself and have a more positive outlook on life? These are things that a person wanting to lose weight should ask themselves. In this case, weight needs to be lost at a healthy pace without losing any muscle mass after pregnancy and an injury.
Losing weight and getting in shape is not a logically simple task. According to research studies it is estimated that 40-50 percent of U.S. households purchase supplements costing Americans over 40 billion dollars per year (SNAC). There are numerous objectives that individuals do not take into consideration like proper diet, training regimens, and even quality sleep. Some understand the importance of combining all elements to have great success while others are searching for the “miracle” pill. In recent years weight loss supplements have exploded into the market of fitness. Some of the supplements like ephedra and yohimbine have been used for weight loss and other purposes. Ephedra is a drug used traditionally in ...
An increasing number of people are using products to enhance their diets. A recent estimate indicates, “Americans are spending some $6 billion annually on nutritional supplements, and the market is growing by 20% every year” (Zahn, 1997). Of these supplements, the increase in herbal remedy use is most dramatic. Zahn holds that the increase can be attributed to the widely held belief that herbal substances are healthy and harmless because of their natural origins (1997). Unfortunately, research on these supplements, herbal or otherwise, has not transmitted to the public as quickly as the diet enhancers themselves. The phenomenon leaves many consumers misguided by skewed advertising and uninformed about the potential risks involved in ingesting these seemingly harmless, over the counter substances. The following is an attempt to look at one particular herbal supplement, Ma-Huang (active ingredient, ephedrine), more critically.
Nutrition and physical activity are important aspects as they improve health and reduce chronic diseases. In June of this year my family physician placed me on a doctor assisted weight loss program that enabled me to eat my favorite foods but in appropriate proportions and in heathier ways. The best part about Supertracker is that it gives me wonderful tools to support me in understanding and meeting my goals. Once I created a profile through Supertracker I was provided a personal plan to follow including the amount of grains, vegetables, fruits, and protein I needed to be successful. For three consecutive days, I entered my food and activity intake into Supertracker and was able to analyze the excesses and deficiencies
Methods commonly used to calculate body weight goals involve ideal body weight (IBW) and being in the “normal” range for BMI. If IBW was used to calculate a weight goal for Mr. McKinley, then his weight goal would be 166 lbs. If BMI was used, this would require Mr. McKinley to lose over 230 lbs. However, both of these methods are highly unreasonable, given Mr. McKinley’s current body weight, BMI, UBW, and considering that he has weighed over 250 lbs. for over 20 years now. Therefore, both of these methods are unacceptable for determining an appropriate weight goal for Mr. McKinley. A 5-10% loss in body weight in obese persons is likely to improve blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.1 Since Mr. McKinley has already lost a little
They often promise to make a person more muscular, super energized, smarter, and/or thinner. Just because they are natural or herbal doesn't mean they are safe or even that they live up to their claims. People always want to ask their doctor before taking any dietary supplement and can choose wisely. Some supplements can interact with other medications and/or have other side effects. They can range from a variety of products. These products include, but are not limited to: multivitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs. Others come from natural sources, like plants, then there are others that are man-made. They come in a variety of forms like capsules, pills, gel tabs, liquid, tinctures, extracts, and powder. However, supplements are not tested by their sellers for product safety and their purity standard before putting them onto the
In today's society, everybody wants a quick fix to all of their cosmetic problems. Whether we want better faces, better bodies, whatever, we want it now and we surely do not want to work for results. Due to this incredible demand for immediate self-improvement, the weight loss market has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry preying on people who are uniformed about weight loss and the body's capabilities. Many products and programs such as Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and the like are useful to many people and teach them how to maintain their entire lives in addition to their weight. Unfortunately, there are also products on the market today that offer false claims about individuals' ability to lose weight. One such product, the topic of this investigation, is called Biotrim. In the following paragraphs, we will look into its claims for weight loss and make an educated conclusion about the possibility of success by using this product.
Caffeine is an incredibly addictive substance found in nature, however because it is labeled natural does not mean is is healthy by any means. Energy drinks by themselves contain numerous dangerous ingredients such as caffeine, guarana, taurine, and glucuronolactone (Pennay, Lubman, and Miller, 2011), carbohydrates inositol, niacin, panthenol, and β-complex vitamins (Oteri, Salvo, Caputi, & Calapai, 2007). A standard energy drink has 85 milligrams of caffeine, which is a stimulant of the central nervous system, but can contain up to 500 milligrams (Pennay, Lubman, and Miller, 2011). Taurine is an amino acid that influences the contraction of cardiac and skeletal muscles. Energy drinks contain ten times more of the recommended intake of taurine, between 40-400 milligrams. Guarana improves alertness and energy and is slowly absorbed in the digestive tract having a longer lasting effect than caffeine. Glucuronolactone is a metabolite formed from glucose and en...
Taking dietary pills are one of the worst ways to lose weight, not only if someone expects long term results, but also all the healths risks and dangerous effects that come along with it are not worth it. According to the article The Nasty Truth about Diet Pills by Gleaner Staff, there were thirteen reports of liver failure due to diet pills in 2009. Most of the people needed an immediate liver transplant, however a few died (par. 4). The Federal Food, Cosmetics, and Drug Act, also known as the FDA do not approve of dietary supplements which should show people how unsafe they really are.