Fat burners are a convenient weight loss tool for those who do not want to change anything in their lifestyle.
The systematic yet steady increase in the number of people with excess weight in modern society creates the necessary conditions for the flourishing of the market for these and similar pill solutions, as the idea of “eating whatever you want and in whatever quantities, while losing weight or at least not gaining weight” looks very tempting.
But think logically and answer yourself honestly: does this seem realistic?
Unlikely… but it is very desirable for it to be so.
Driven by this desire to lose weight, many often consume fat burners in increased dosages, combine several products to enhance the effect, not realizing that the active ingredients have systemic effects on the body, and do not just “burn fat”.
In this article, we will discuss how “fat-burning” pills for weight loss can be dangerous, even when their packaging features the reassuring terms “natural” or “made from natural ingredients”.
Main thoughts:
“Natural” fat burners do not mean “safe” and “effective”
A large number of weight loss products are made from natural ingredients. This is true.
Most often, fat burners contain caffeine, ephedrine, and green tea extract – natural substances.
Scientific studies do confirm their certain effectiveness for weight loss… as well as side effects, which are primarily characteristic of cases of consumption in high doses.
The main active ingredient in the overwhelming majority of fat burners is caffeine, which has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, one of the positive side effects of which is weight loss.
Caffeine overdose can even lead to death. Several such cases are described in the material about the harm of energy drinks.
As for the positive effects (weight loss, energy boost), they are usually short-lived and disappear as the body becomes accustomed to the active ingredients.
Moreover, the effect from taking any fat burners is not as strong as one would hope: even in the case of the most effective products, it is equivalent to just a few hundred kilocalories a day, which in food terms is equivalent to a few pieces of bread, cookies, or a can of cola…
On the website of the main regulatory body in the USA for the food, dietary supplements, and pharmaceutical markets, the FDA (Food And Drug Administration), it states:
FDA: “Many so-called ‘miraculous’ supplements and weight loss products (including teas and coffee) are not as effective as commonly believed. Moreover, they can cause serious harm to human health.”
The FDA has hundreds of facts about the discovery of hidden active ingredients in fat burners. Among them:
- components of drugs that make them effective against certain diseases;
- dangerous ingredients that were part of products already withdrawn from the market;
- substances that are poorly studied.
“When a product contains a drug or another substance in a hidden form, without indication on the packaging, it is a special signal for us to thoroughly check it for harm,” says James P. Smith, a representative of the FDA.
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Known Side Effects of Fat Burners
Below are briefly listed some possible side effects of fat burners. Since the active ingredient in most of them is caffeine, we also recommend reviewing scientific studies on the harm of caffeine to health.
Impact on the Cardiovascular System
One of the common side effects of fat burners is their impact on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, which manifests as increased blood pressure and a faster heartbeat.
This is a well-known effect of caffeine, for example. How dangerous this is in the long term and whether regular caffeine consumption leads to the development of hypertension can be read in our article on the harm of caffeine.
Poisoning and Death
Especially dangerous is caffeine overdose, which can result in body intoxication and even death.
For example, if you are a fan of energy drinks before training, wake up with a cup of coffee and perk yourself up several times a day with it, as well as take weight loss pills – the risk of caffeine overdose is quite high, as it is the active ingredient in all the aforementioned drinks and supplements.
The risk of harm to the body, poisoning, or death is further increased by hidden dangerous ingredients, which will be discussed below and of which you, as a consumer, are often unaware.
Allergy
Some ingredients in sports fat burners can cause allergic reactions.
Dependence
With prolonged use, fat burners can lead to the development of dependencies, both psychological and physiological.
Psychological dependence manifests as the feeling that if one stops taking weight loss pills that helped shed a few kilograms, the weight will return to its “abnormal” norm.
Physiological dependence is the addiction to the effect of energy stimulation, tone, and increased mental activity when taking caffeine-containing supplements. After quitting, there is a desire to return to the previous state.
Mental Disorders
Many fat burners have a stimulating effect on the nervous system, which can manifest as irritability, hyperactivity, and insomnia.
Digestive System Problems
Regular consumption of fat burners can cause gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation, diarrhea, belching, bowel irregularities, increased flatulence, and loose stools.
They can also hinder the absorption of vitamins and minerals (typical for fat blockers, such as chitosan, which prevents the absorption of not only fats but also beneficial substances), increasing the risk of micronutrient deficiencies.
Other side effects
Common side effects associated with the use of fat burners include headaches, abdominal pain, dry mouth, and throat.
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The most common reasons for the harm of fat burners
Like all dietary supplements, fat burners can have side effects and interact with other medications.
In some cases, manufacturers of weight loss supplements use active ingredients of plant or other origins in their products that are not known to science and have not been studied 2.
Moreover, it is very common for fat burners to contain ingredients that have not been tested for compatibility with each other. Active substances may interact with medications.
Scientists note that if any ingredients lack convincing evidence of effectiveness, then “even minor proven harm makes their use unjustified” 1.
Below are the reasons for the potential harm of fat burners.
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1 Lack of evidence of safety and market control of fat burners
Most weight loss supplements are not tested in clinical trials. Moreover, manufacturers are not required to conduct thorough research on new ingredients before releasing them to the market or even to indicate possible side effects on the product label.
Remember that you can never be sure of what exactly you are taking with each fat burner pill.
In the USA, weight loss supplements, like all sports nutrition, do not require approval from the regulatory body, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), before being sold.
The manufacturing company is responsible for the absence of harm and for the truthfulness of any claims regarding the effectiveness of its products.
This means that:
“The mere presence of any weight loss product on a store shelf, on a website page, even the most popular one, does not mean that it is safe,” says an FDA representative 16.
The FDA constantly receives complaints about various side effects of fat burners, including increased blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, strokes, seizures, and deaths.
And here’s what’s interesting: the FDA only begins an investigation into the health safety of a fat burner or other dietary supplement when numerous reports of its harm start to come in.
In 2014, the FDA made over 30 public statements and withdrew 7 fat burners from sale due to hidden dangerous ingredients in their composition. The agency also initiated criminal cases against individuals responsible for distributing harmful weight loss products.
Fat burners do not undergo quality and safety checks in government institutions before being released for mass sale. Only when there are numerous reports of harm are they sent for examination.
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2 Health-Dangerous Hidden Ingredients in Fat Burners
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns against being naive and falling for the loud claims that often fraudulent weight loss pill manufacturers use on their product packaging: “magic weight loss pill!”, “melts your fat instantly!” and “lose weight without diets or exercise!”.
Generally, they sound too good and tempting to be true. At best, such products will not deliver the promised results; at worst, you may lose weight quickly and significantly, but cause serious harm to your health 7,8.
There are numerous cases of contaminants found in fat burners (pesticides, toxic metals, bacteria), as well as banned ingredients that pose serious health risks.
Often, unscrupulous manufacturers deliberately add banned or untested poorly studied pharmaceutical substances that provide quick weight loss effects but are life-threatening 9.
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Let’s give an example.
From January 2004 to December 2012, 237 dietary supplements were recalled from sale at the initiative of the FDA, which clearly indicates their serious harm to health 17.
27% of these recognized dangerous products were fat burners 10. In most cases, the ban on distribution was due to the presence of hidden ingredients not listed on the packaging.
In 2013, the FDA publicly warned consumers 30 times about the dangers of purchasing and consuming specific weight loss supplements, as they contain a hidden ingredient – sibutramine 9.
This ingredient was previously approved by the FDA as a medication but was subsequently withdrawn from the market in October 2010, as its use led to heart attacks and strokes.
Not long ago, FDA experts discovered a number of products sold as fat burners that contained fluoxetine – an active ingredient found in the prescription medication Prozac, which is intended for the treatment of depression and other disorders.
In another case, weight loss pills contained triamterene – a powerful diuretic (diuretic), the use of which carries serious side effects and should only be used under medical supervision.
There have also been cases of the presence of amphetamine (BMPEA) in fat burners – a dangerous synthetic psychoactive substance with anorectic effects that can cause psychological dependence.
Amphetamine was found, in particular, in the plant preparation Acacia rigidula – which is included in many fat burners 15.
Hidden substances that are dangerous to human health have also been found by the FDA in such “natural” and “safe” fat burners as bee pollen or Garcinia cambogia.
A common reason for the harm of fat burners is the presence of heavy metals, pesticides, bacteria, as well as the intentional addition by manufacturers of dangerous ingredients that provide quick weight loss effects.
FDA representative James P. Smith gives the following recommendation regarding fat burners: “The only and best way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume.” This means a combination of healthy eating and physical activity.
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3 Interaction with medications or other dietary supplements
Another risk associated with the use of fat burners is that they are most often taken alone without consulting a doctor. The active ingredients in fat burners can interact with other medications and dietary supplements that a person is taking.
The following examples are taken from the website of the National Institute of Health 17:
- Glucomannan and guar gum may reduce the absorption of certain orally taken medications 5,6;
- Glucomannan lowers blood glucose levels 4 and, therefore, may interact with diabetes medications 5;
- Chitosan may enhance the anticoagulant effect of warfarin 11;
- Green tea may interact with chemotherapy drugs 12,13;
- Garcinia cambogia is associated with serotonin toxicity 14;
- Some ingredients, such as caffeine and bitter orange, may have an additive effect when taken with other stimulants;
- Bitter orange inhibits the activity of a certain enzyme, which increases the concentration of certain medications in the blood, such as cyclosporine and saquinavir 3.
These are just a few examples of interactions between the active components of fat burners and medications. If you are taking (or planning to take) any medications and fat burners regularly, be sure to consult your doctor.
Often, the harm caused by fat burners results from the interaction of their active ingredients with medications taken alongside them. This manifests as either blocking or, conversely, enhancing their effects.
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4 Caffeine or other stimulants overdose
Caffeine is the most popular ingredient in most fat burners; it is found not only in coffee and green tea but also in mate tea and guarana; the presence of several such ingredients in a fat burner tablet, as well as the consumption of other caffeine-containing products (coffee, energy drinks), can lead to caffeine overdose.
The effectiveness of caffeine for weight loss is proven; it suppresses appetite, increases energy, and boosts internal metabolism. However, caffeine overdose can lead to side effects: nervousness, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, poisoning, and even death.
The popularity of caffeine as an active component in many sports nutrition products (energy drinks, fat burners) and beyond (coffee, teas) increases the risk of side effects from caffeine-based fat burners due to overdose.
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5 signs of “hidden” harm in fat burners
Representatives of the FDA provide the following recommendations on how to recognize potentially dangerous weight loss supplements:
- promise of quick results, such as “5 kg in a week”;
- use of words like “guaranteed”, “cutting-edge scientific development”;
- labeling in a language unfamiliar to you;
- sales through mass spam email campaigns;
- the product is advertised as a plant-based alternative to “something approved by the FDA” (or another competent authority) or “has an effect similar to a certain prescription medication”.
Recommendations for purchasing safe fat burners
If the above facts seem unconvincing to you and you still intend to try fat burners, consider the following recommendations from the FDA:
- consult with a doctor about any weight loss supplement you plan to take;
- ask yourself: “does what is being offered sound too good to be true?”;
- be skeptical of products whose sellers’ claims are clearly exaggerated and unrealistic, especially those advertised with phrases like “fast and effective”, “absolutely safe for health”, “without diets and physical exercise”;
- be cautious of reviews claiming incredible effectiveness and advantages of a certain product: remember that 90% of online reviews are written by copywriters “for money”, not real users.
