Sleep away the pounds. Burn fat overnight. Lose 20 pounds in one week. When you're struggling to lose weight, these empty promises sound mighty tempting. However, you're likely to waste your money - or worse. Research indicates that more than $243 million was spent on diet pills. From herbal remedies to over-the-counter supplements, these so-called miracle-working medicines "guarantee" results. But in reality, they're unlikely to yield any permanent changes, and worse, they contain some harmful chemicals that could damage your health. Remember fen-phen? The combo caused weight loss, sure, but it also caused life loss, leading to fatal hypertension in some people who took it. Class-action lawsuits still are pending against the makers of fen-phen.
Ephedra is generally no longer available legally, but it was also a potentially lethal diet pill ingredient. These days, there are at least three dangerous ingredients to avoid: guarana, bitter orange and country mallow, also known as heartleaf. Guarana and bitter orange have ephedra-like effects on blood pressure and heart rate, but bitter orange also counteracts with many prescription medications, including antidepressants. Country mallow, also called heartleaf, contains ephedra, although it isn't outlawed. It's always a good idea to consult your doctor before taking any diet aid supplement. And most of these pills and potions only work in conjunction with a balanced diet and exercise, which will produce the same effects even without the pills.