Some Natural Weight Loss Aids Hurt More Than They Help

There are many natural weight loss aids on the market, but just because a product may be "natural", it doesn't necessarily mean that it is safe and effective. In fact, some of the most popular natural weight loss aids can be hazardous and although they may produce rapid weight loss initially, they can actually cause weight gain and difficulty losing weight in the long run.

The biggest problems are with the natural weight loss aids that contain stimulants. Natural weight loss aids that contain stimulants work very much like stimulant drugs, and they have the same risks.

The most commonly used stimulants in natural weight loss products include ephedra (also called ma huang), kola nut, guarana, yerba mate' and caffeine. All of these are very strong stimulants, and are similar in effect to drugs like amphetamines. Most people are aware that taking amphetamines can be dangerous, but they may be lulled into thinking the natural stimulants are safe for the sole reason that they are natural products.

It is strongly suggested that you not use any form of stimulant as a weight loss aid. This is for two reasons. First, stimulants, whether natural products or drugs, have the potential risks of stroke, high blood pressure, elevation of the heart rate, and sleep disorders. The second reason is that in spite of the fact that stimulants can increase metabolism and stimulate weight loss at first, in the long run they will likely cause you to gain weight.

When you first begin taking stimulants, the body releases more of the hormone adrenaline from the adrenal glands. Adrenaline causes increased heart rate and respiration and increases blood pressure. It also causes an increase in metabolic rate which results in fat burning and weight loss. Unfortunately, the adrenals are not designed to produce high amounts of adrenaline continuously for long periods of time, and after a few weeks, adrenaline levels will begin to fall, whether or not you continue taking the stimulants. This means that over time, the metabolism will slow down and there will not be as much tendency to burn fat.

At the same time that the fat-burning effects of adrenaline are dying off, another problem is occurring. Stimulants, in addition to promoting high adrenaline production in the short term, also cause the adrenals to produce high levels of the hormone cortisol. The adrenals can produce high levels of cortisol for much longer than they can produce high amounts of adrenaline. Cortisol promotes the deposition of fat around the abdomen and stimulates weight gain. In the early stages of using stimulants, the effects of the high adrenaline production will win out over the elevated cortisol levels and rapid weight loss will typically occur. But as the adrenaline levels fall, and the cortisol levels stay high, weight gain is the result.

If you stop taking stimulants during the stage when adrenaline can still be produced, the cortisol effects will typically outlast the adrenaline effects, so rapid weight gain often follows sudden discontinuation of stimulants. One way or the other though, if you use stimulants to promote weight loss, sooner or later the effects of cortisol will win out over the effects of adrenaline and weight loss will stop and weight gain will begin.

Even though the idea of fast weight loss through using natural weight loss aids that contain stimulants may be appealing, these products can only complicate your weight issues in the long term and may cause potentially serious damage to your overall health. Natural or not, weight loss aids that contain stimulants should be avoided.